Red Blooded (Jessica McClain 4)

Selene threw up her arms. “I don’t believe this. I can’t be an immortal with no power, such a thing doesn’t exist. I’d rather die than be left as an undying human until the end of time.”

“Well,” Ray snorted. “We could’ve easily arranged that about fifteen minutes ago.”

“Selene,” I said in the most patient tone I could possibly muster. “If you were back to full power and magic we’d be forced to act—and do something drastic, like throw you into the Sholls or have Ray suck your soul out. Be thankful for once in your sorry life that you are no threat to us, especially after everything you’ve done.”

I watched as emotion fluttered across her features, and just as quickly it was gone. “I did what I had to do,” she accused. “You all had it coming.”

“You don’t really believe that.” I squinted at her, assessing. “I think you might actually be gaining some empathy from this ordeal. I just saw a flicker of it now. Are you starting to care, Selene? I know it’s hard for you to feel anything, but I promise you it will be a welcome addition to your former power-hungry vanity-filled world.”

“I have empathy! Just not for fools who don’t deserve it.”

I strode up to her quickly, backing her into the wall. It was immensely satisfying to see her shrink before me. “This is how this is going to work,” I said through a clenched jaw. “Listen carefully, because I’m only going to explain it once. You will help us escape with every fiber of your being, and if you cooperate, we will take you with us. When we get home you will be put under arrest and kept by the witches. You will answer for every single crime you’ve committed against us, and you will do your time. And there won’t be a single dissent on your part. If at any moment you retaliate, from here on out, we either leave you behind or have Ray kill you. Do you understand me, Selene?” She opened her mouth and started to speak, but I shut her down. “Before you even think about answering, I’d suggest you mull it over. We’re giving you something you would never allow us in return.” I leaned forward until there was no more personal space left. “We are giving you a chance. And for that, I want you grateful. If you so much as snicker at me, I will toss your ass out the front door before you’re finished speaking. The demons can tear at your flesh for an eternity, because this is it from me.” I bared my teeth just to be sure she got the message. My wolf was close to the surface, snarling her warning in tandem.

Selene opened her mouth and snapped it shut it.

I stepped back and she swallowed once before answering, “Fine. I’ll do what you say, but only because I want to get out of this hellhole for good and nothing more.”

I narrowed my eyes and she dropped her gaze. I knew it. Something was shifting inside that broken mind of hers. I deliberately turned my back on her and walked away. “Ray,” I called over my shoulder. “You’re in charge of her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. And if she does, throw her out the door and leave her to rot.”

“Got it,” he replied. He addressed Selene as I left the room. “Listen, lady, if you so much as blink at me wrong I’ll feed you to the dead orthrus, so get your goddamn act together and start behaving like an adult.”

“As if you could,” she muttered.

I walked back into the main room. “Lili, did you get ahold of the Princess?” Lili had been on her own with Tyler the entire time we’d been in the showers.

“No,” she answered. “She was not in her rooms and I could not risk trying to track her down. That would have given our location away.”

I glanced over at Tyler and he nodded. “I’ve been thinking,” I said. “You said earlier that when the Prince left the Princess he’d call a meeting with his Council of High Demon Lords, right? What would be better than confronting the Prince’s rule in front of an audience? If the Princess can insist on gathering a demon assembly for a public announcement, in the guise of calming the masses down, we could hijack the proceedings and announce I have no intention of ruling, and support her ascension to the crown according to the Scriptures. I think doing this publicly might be the only chance we have to end this entire ordeal.”

The demoness’s eyes went wide. “That would be an elaborate hoax, something I’m not sure we could pull off on such short notice. But, yes,” she said hesitantly. “That may work.”

“I agree,” Rourke said. “If we do this publicly, in front of everyone, once and for all. That gives us the best chance.” He turned to address Lili. “But we have to do it tonight. We need to meet with the Princess as soon as she can get away, but we can’t meet her here.”

“That’s correct,” Lili said. “She cannot come here.”

“Maybe it’s best we head back to the auditorium and camp out there. That way, when she decides to call in the demons to make her announcement, we’re already located in a strategic place. I’ve mastered being in the right place at the right time over the last few hundred years.” He glanced at me and winked.

Rourke had done that exact thing the first time we’d met, effectively throwing us all off his trail. He’d gone to the bar ahead of us and slept on the roof, sneaking down without being seen or scented.

“Is there an adequate place to take cover in the arena?” Tyler asked. “It was a fairly open space. I don’t like the sound of this.”

“There is one place,” Lili said, drumming a fingertip against her lip. She seemed to be deep in thought. “The judges’ benches are hollow below.” Then she smiled like a shrew. “The space is small, but you can hide in there, and once you’re in place, I will slip out and contact the Princess. I’m sure she will be eager for our plan and come at her first opportunity.”

A little worry crept into the back of my mind, but I had to shake it off. We didn’t have a lot of options. If we couldn’t convince the Princess to call in the demons to prove to them I was no threat, there was no way we could solve this on a big scale. And we needed a big scale. “If we’re going to hide essentially be under everyone’s nose,” I said, “they’re bound to scent us or feel our power the moment they arrive.”

“That’s not a problem. I can spell the area,” Lili said. “A masking spell will make you all smell like demons.”