Wait, that was it? He’d demanded I rush over here, and now he wasn’t even going to check on Scott himself?
“Do they know about you?” I asked.
Beelzebub stopped in his tracks, but he didn’t turn back around.
“You left the hospital before Hayden woke up, and now you’re leaving without seeing Scott at all. I doubt it’s because you trust me, so why are you hiding?”
“My plans and reasons are none of your concern, little angel.” His voice was soft, and I could almost believe he was more than a ruler of Hell. That he had a heart somewhere in there.
“Thank you for calling me here.” The words came out before I could think about what I was saying.
“It wasn’t for your benefit. Just stick to your part of the deal and no one gets hurt.”
I didn’t miss the subtle threat, and I felt my body stiffen at the reminder that the lives of people I cared about were on the line.
Beelzebub continued walking away without another word.
I watched him go, feeling more frustrated than anything. We were on the same page when it came to the Blake family’s safety, but that didn’t make us a team. He’d always be the Fallen who threatened my family, and I’d always be the angel who threatened the Blakes’ ignorance about the existence of demons and angels on Earth.
TWENTY
Danielle
In the weekfollowing Scott’s accident, I spent every spare minute I had learning everything I could about the grand princes of Hell, theirfallfrom Heaven, and the rules of war that kept Heaven and Hell at a sort of standstill. I was desperate for a loophole in my deal with Beelzebub. There had to be something I could use against him or at least something that could protect my family from him.
I hadn’t found it yet, but I was sure there was an answer.
I sat on the floor of my bedroom, surrounded by books I’d borrowed from the secret order’s manor house library in Heaven. I’d learned more than I’d thought there was to know about Hell’s politics and layout, but none of it really helped.
Actually, knowing more about Hell made it worse.
I had confirmation that Beelzebub really could bringan army to attack my brothers and their families. I knew about his mansion in the Devil’s court where he could easily keep my nieces and nephew prisoner.
I was in so far over my head I couldn’t even see the surface anymore.
With a sigh, I picked up the book closest to me and reread the same pages I’d already pored over a dozen times.
When Lucifer and his angels took over the throne of Hell, they became impossible to kill. Their souls were connected to the land and could not be destroyed as long as Hell existed. Even if I or my brothers somehow managed to strike a fatal blow on Beelzebub, he would just come back to life as good as new.
How did you fight a demon who couldn’t die?
Easy.
Youdidn’t.
So I had to outsmart a millennia-old ruler of Hell who had more life experience than almost any being in the universe. Even Micah was young in comparison to the original Fallen.
Still, if there was anyone who could get me out of this mess, or at least keep the rest of the family safe, it was Micah. He had been the sole member of the secret order for a couple thousand years, and I couldn’t even begin to comprehend all the things he’d seen and done. I didn’t know if his experience would be enough to rival a grand prince of Hell, but he certainly had a better chance than I did.
I let the book drop from my hands and closed my eyes in defeat. I needed help. No matter how much I wanted todeal with this problem on my own and prove to my family that I wasn’t just a liability to the secret order, I couldn’t.
At least if I broke the deal with Beelzebub on purpose, I could control the when and how. It would give my brothers time to prepare for an attack. And it would give me a chance to be honest with Hayden and Miles before the shit hit the fan.
Opening my eyes again, I pulled another book from the pile and flipped through it until I found the section on the rules of war. There had to be somewhere I could meet with my and Hayden’s families where we’d be safe from whatever network of spies Beelzebub had. Somewhere the grand princes were forbidden from going. Or at least I hoped there was.
By the time I heard the penthouse door open, announcing Hayden’s return home, I felt like my eyes were about to bleed and my brain refused to comprehend half of what I was reading.
I left the books and went in search of Hayden. The idea that you had to search for anyone in an apartment still seemed crazy to me, but this place was bigger than some houses.
