Red Blooded (Jessica McClain 4)

“Everything the Prince did to get me here and everything that has happened since my arrival was a ruse to make you Queen?” I asked.

“Oh, no,” she answered dismissively. “The Prince acted of his own accord, but he was doing so to follow the altered Scriptures.” She leaned in like we were coconspirators and whispered, “I actually uncovered the real Scriptures a long time ago, but I changed them to my liking, and then pretended the ones I altered were the newly uncovered ones. The Prince has believed you to be the real threat, not me. The true Scriptures state that if the female wolf arrives in Hell a new reign shall begin. They think you are that reign, but of course, that’s not true—I am the new reign. You are here to ensure that I ascend to the throne, and of course, to give me your magic. It has all been fairly easy to orchestrate, but it’s taken much too long. I’ve been waiting for this day for hundreds of years, but now it’s finally here.”

It was hard to battle someone who’d had plans for your demise in place for hundreds of years. Lili had been scheming for a long time to get me here. And if she’d really encountered another female wolf, like she’d told us, Lili was older than any other supernatural I’d ever known.

And I had played right into her hands.

She was a skilled actress, I’d give her that. “So to get the Prince to play along, the Scriptures you altered must state that if I come to Hell the Prince will keep his rule—or some such thing.”

“It’s much more delicious than that,” Lili answered with obvious glee, moving methodically toward me. “They actually state that if the Prince himself leads you here, he will be the supreme ruler of Hell for all eternity. But, in order for this to work, you had to be a full Lycan. No swiping the Daughter of Cain before she shifted for the first time.” Her mouth spread wide into a grin. “And believe me, I celebrated your birth like that of none other before you.”

Breath left my body.

Lili had been behind the Cain Myth. She had wanted everyone to fear me, including the Prince of Hell, and it had worked incredibly well. She’d left me vulnerable within my Pack with very little backup.

Anger filled me. She thought I was weak.

My wolf urged us to attack, her eyes as feral as I’d ever seen them. But I had to negotiate for my family first. I didn’t believe for a second Lili would keep them alive once I was dead. I glanced over at Selene and met her dead stare. Her face was void of any emotion. This news was bigger than any war between Selene and me. If we didn’t work together, we all lost. I turned back to Lili. “Spare my family and I will come willingly,” I grated. “But do not, and I will fight.”

“I don’t care if you fight,” she scoffed. “Remember, demons love to play with their food. I prefer you kicking and screaming.”

“I want in,” Selene interrupted as she took a step forward, “to whatever you’re going to do to her. In fact, I want be part of it. This mongrel has ruined my life, robbed me of my future, and sent me to this godforsaken plane.” She smirked at me. “I will take great pleasure in seeing her suffer.”

Lili apprised Selene with a cool glance. “I don’t trust you. You have too much at stake here to betray her now.”

Selene took another bold step forward. “I have nothing at stake. There is no life for me anywhere. I have no magic. I have no status. I am nothing but a shell of my former glory. The only joy left for me in this lifetime is to see her die”—she pointed a finger at me—“in the most a cruel and unusual way you can dream up.” She was gleeful. “Inflicting pain is what I have always loved the most. Have you not heard anything about me in all these years? All my cooperation up until now has just been a show, much like yours, and because of that I can appreciate your deception like no other. Death and destruction are what I truly crave. I always have. So where do I sign up to see the female wolf fry?”

Ray spit in disgust. “I knew there weren’t any redeeming qualities left in you. You’re nothing but a useless coward! A shrew, a waste, and a burden. I hope you rot in the Hell forever.”

“I never claimed there was anything redeeming about me,” Selene replied, unfazed. “Now”—she nodded to Lili—“how do you want me to show you I want nothing more than to see her suffer?” Selene waltzed up to me, my wolf snarling fiercely.

Well, I guess it appears you were right about Selene too. From now on, I will not second-guess you. My wolf clacked her jaws.

“How about this?” Selene reached up, cool as could be, and tried to rake her fingernails down my face.

I batted her hand away so hard she spun, smashing face-first into the wall behind me, collapsing to the ground. It was lucky my mate was still down or he would’ve torn her head off for the second time. “Selene,” I growled. “Do not test me—”

“Fine,” Lili chirped, my head snapping back to hers. “Selene, you can attend the ceremony, but one wrong twitch of your fingers and I’ll fry you in your seat. You may not die from my assault, but I’ll just kill you again. Your knowledge of witchcraft, once I become Queen of the Underworld, will be beneficial. If you aid me without error, you may find a welcome home in the Underworld after all.”

Selene picked herself up off the floor and made a show of dusting herself off. “I’ve spent my entire life crafting unique torture spells. They are a particular favorite of mine. They are… absolute perfection. I would gladly share them in return for a safe haven in this wretched place. There is nothing for me on the human plane.”

“I’ll find a place for you among my staff,” Lili replied. “And with good behavior, who knows, maybe I’d let you up to the surface for a little fun and chaos once in a while.” Selene’s face broke into a wide grin. She hadn’t looked that happy in a long time. She edged by Lili in the doorway, smiling a particularly evil smile back at me.

A perfect match made in Hell.

I placed an arm out toward my brother, halting his forward motion. Don’t attack Lili, I told him. Let me go, and once I’m gone, formulate the best plan you can. When Rourke wakes up he’s going to be in a rage, but don’t let him come after me until you make sure you have something solid that might actually free us from here.

We can take them, Jess, Tyler insisted. The demons aren’t good fighters.

No, if you haven’t noticed, Lili has been cloaking her power the entire time. I knew she was strong, but now I sense something else. Plus, by my best guess, there are several thousand demons already out there in the audience, and the guards she has now are skilled. I nodded once to Tyler so he knew I was serious and took a step forward. “What can I do to ensure the safety of my family?” I asked Lili. “I will do anything.”