More murmurs and whispers as confusion and fear spread.
Thamuz’s eyes glowed a sickening crimson as he looked me over. “Enough games. I want blood.”
“Yes, Brother, there will be blood,” Pharzuph chuckled. “We will savor her.” He licked my earlobe and I cringed. “I won’t even have her first,” he graciously offered. “She’s my little gift to you, Brothers. Just be careful not to kill her yet because she needs to suffer in every possible way. Heaven is watching. Let’s give them a show.”
I closed my eyes.
“Me first,” one of the Dukes offered. I recognized that Australian accent.
“Of course you would say that, Mammon, you greedy bastard,” said Pharzuph, and there was laughter.
I opened my eyes again, trying to see my allies. They were all standing now, Kaidan having moved forward, but the Dukes didn’t seem to notice or care.
Mammon stepped into the circle, followed by Thamuz and Sonellion. Unadulterated hatred filled their red eyes.
Oh, God, please help me. I didn’t know how much torture I could take. Would they cut me? Rape me? Burn me?
No. Kaidan and the others wouldn’t let it get that far.
I stupidly struggled against Pharzuph’s strong hold as he turned us toward the three Dukes.
“Father . . . ,” Kaidan called from behind us. I recognized the warning in his voice.
Without turning, Pharzuph yelled, “Not now!”
It was a testament to how focused they were on their blood-lust that none of the Dukes seemed to care that a Neph had spoken out at this summit.
Mammon loomed over me like a giant, salivating monster with a savage hunger and thrill in his eyes. His gold watch and necklaces lacked any luster in the darkened room. He moved closer, unbuttoning his pants, which answered the question of what his chosen form of torture would be.
“No,” I moaned.
“Yes.” Pharzuph chuckled.
Mammon reached out and grabbed around the back of my neck to pull me to him, and that was when it happened. In my periphery I saw a rapid twist of silver, end over end. There was a whir close by my face, and a wet, crunching thunk. One minute Mammon was a foot in front of me, and in the next moment he was staggering backward with a blade lodged deep in his eye.
His mouth was a round O, and he fell to his knees, leaning back as his shrieking, dark spirit fought to get out of the body. Pharzuph wrenched me backward by the neck and spun us in the direction of Kaidan. He turned on his son with rage that shook the room.
“What have you done?”
Kaidan squared off, standing his ground, another knife already in his hand. He spun it on his palm before gripping it again.
“Just a bit of holy water on the blade.” He spoke casually, but his eyes were fearsome.
Mammon’s face hit the floor with a thud and his spirit thrashed above the body as if on fire. That’s for your son, Flynn, I thought.
“Return to hell, Brother,” Rahab called to the spirit. “The holy effects will burn from you there.”
Mammon’s spirit dove through the floor, and the room filled with a dreadful silence.
“You,” Pharzuph whispered to Kai. His eyes were bright red. He moved closer to his son, dragging me. “I trusted you.”
“No, you didn’t,” Kai said.
Pharzuph’s eyes widened, and the room gasped at Kai’s audacity to talk back.
“You filthy, weak idiot! You had more potential than all my past sons combined! How could you let yourself be charmed, like a dog, by a Neph girl? You’re a failure!”
Kaidan’s face was pained for a fraction of a second.
“Kill him,” Rahab demanded. My heart jumped hard in my chest. No! I tried to push away, but it wasn’t necessary.
As Kaidan wove the blade through his fingers, nobody made a move.
Cowards, I thought. All of them. They could have taken Kaidan down if they had wanted, but they knew he would have time to kill one of them if they reached for their weapons, and none were willing to sacrifice themselves. Even Pharzuph used me as a shield, facing me toward Kaidan and keeping his face close against my head. What would Lucifer say if he could see his fearless leaders now?
Their selfish motives worked in our favor, and for that I was grateful. Kaidan watched me as his father moved us from side to side in a sickening dance.
“Brother Pharzuph,” said the dapper Astaroth, “I’m afraid this is more dire than we thought. Your son and the traitor’s daughter are quite . . . in love.”
“You jest,” whispered Pharzuph, squeezing my throat harder.
“Not in the least,” Astaroth said. “And they’ve acted on it. They’re married.”
The Dukes let out scandalized sounds of disbelief. Even surrounding Neph gasped.
“So, that’s how you did it,” Pharzuph hissed.
In a careful voice Astaroth said, “Marna and Ginger, move away from the son of Pharzuph. You will have nothing more to do with him.”
The girls stared at their father, unmoving.
“I said, get over here!” Astaroth commanded.
“No,” Ginger said.
Astaroth’s stunned expression was priceless.
“What the hell is the problem here?” Thamuz snarled. “Andre, Ramón!” His two sons stepped forward, standing just outside the circle. “At least one of us can control our children!” Thamuz bragged to the Dukes, then looked at his sons. “Take care of him!”
Both of the guys turned toward Kaidan and hesitated.