She would be whole again.
“Tell me everything,” she said. “I am ready.”
1
Part of the Problem
It was way too early for conversation.
Raum slouched on the kitchen barstool, head propped up on one hand, the other wrapped around an espresso cup. It was his second one, but he was going to need a couple more before the ache behind his eyes went away.
“Raum was right before,” his brother Asmodeus was saying, making Raum regret whatever it was he’d said. He wanted no part in this. “It’s the safest course of action. It’s been almost a month since you reached out, and since no one’s turned up on our doorstep, we can assume that means he’s on our side.”
Asmodeus reached up to the cupboard and grabbed another cup. Though he lived on the floor below with his Nephilim girlfriend Eva, Ash often came upstairs for coffee in the mornings.
Over by the fridge, Meph was sitting on the counter—to Belial’s annoyance—with his arms around Iris, who stood between his legs, her back to his front. He was whispering shit in her ear, making her laugh and blush.
At least they weren’t making out. If it was too early for conversation, it was definitely too early for witnessing that.
As for the rest of their crew, Lily and Mist were at Lily’s apartment, and Eva was likely still asleep downstairs. She’d never been an early riser—constant gigging as a musician had made her a permanent night owl.
Raum could get behind that. Mornings were overrated.
The newest member of their weird family, a hellhound puppy Iris had named Faust, sat at Raum’s feet with his head in his lap, eagerly awaiting head scratches.
Raum gave him a few. Faust scooted closer, wanting more.
“He’s going to ask for another fucking favor,” Belial growled, slamming the portafilter against the knock box harder than necessary to dump the used coffee grinds. He was on barista duty as usual, since he never wanted anyone touching his shit.
“It’s not like we have any other options,” Ash said. “You’re supposed to meet with him tonight. We’re kinda past the point of reconsideration.”
“We do have another option: chop his fucking head off.” The grinder fired up as Bel prepared another shot.
Ash raised his voice to be heard over the noise. “We’ve been over this. Like, ten times.”
They had. And they still couldn’t agree.
As five powerful demons who’d escaped Hell, breaking every rule in the book, their number one priority was making sure no one knew where they were hiding. When Raum had first learned that Murmur knew their location,he’dbeen the one talking Bel into requesting a meeting so they could negotiate.
Murmur had been open to it before—in exchange for an open-ended favor from Bel, he’d helped rescue Mist, Lily, and Iris from Hell. Sure, he’d turned around and stabbed them in the back right after, tracking them back to Earth and then selling their location to the highest bidder. But if they worded the contract specifically enough this time, they could make sure it wouldn’t happen again.
But now…Raum wasn’t so sure.
“If you try to kill him and fail, we’re fucked,” Ash said, sliding onto the barstool beside Raum as Bel ran the next espresso shot. “He’ll retaliate out of spite.”
Ash was right, and only a fool would think Murmur would be easy to kill. The Necromancer was known for the army of souls bound to his service. No one knew how he’d prevented them from being trapped in the Nine Rings—the place where souls went upon arrival in Hell—but however he’d done it, they obeyed him mindlessly. Formless ghosts empowered by necromancy made formidable foes.
Then again…if anyone was up to the task of killing Murmur, it was Bel.
It was said that the only demon in Hell who could best Belial was Lucifer himself, and even that was a point of contention among many. There were factions of demons tired of Lucifer’s rule who plotted to overthrow the High King and put Belial on the throne.
Unfortunately for them, Bel had no interest in ruling Hell. He just wanted to be left alone in his kitchen with a fridge full of food and a cookbook.
“This would be so much easier if demons still wanted your first-born child,” Meph said unhelpfully. “We could just steal a baby and give it to him. Problem solved.”
Iris laughed, shooting him a look over her shoulder. “We’re not stealing a baby.”
“Murmur could be a good dad. You never know.”
