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“Well, thank you.” I say and reach up on tiptoes to kiss him again. His arm comes around me to deepen the kiss and I swoon against him just like a damsel in a romance novel.

Grimlet grumbles. “Don’t we have important things to do?”

We do. I pull back. “We’ve got to get to the mirror and hope we arrive before they go through.” And hope that Hecate hasn’t done the spell that will rejoin Lucifer’s good bits. I’m not sure what will happen then. But my mother didn’t have any faith that it would restore him to what he once was. It is more likely he would be driven insane by the memory of the things he has done. But at least we’re heading to the mirror. Maybe if we’re close enough when I say the destruction spell, we can get through to safety before Hell is destroyed.

For the first time, I feel a flicker of hope that there is the slightest chance that we might survive this.

“When we get to the mirror, get as close as we can to it,” I say to Khaosti.

He nods.

I turn and head out the door, scooping up Grimlet as I go, Khaosti close behind me. We race through the empty corridors, encountering no one as we leave the palace. It’s like the place is deserted. And the gates are wide open. I stare back the way we came but there’s no one in sight. It took us hours to get here. We don’t have the time. I hand Nightfall to Khaosti—I won’t be able to use the sword, but he can. I also place Grimlet on his shoulder; the gargoyle scowls but doesn’t argue.

“What…?” Khaosti begins but then steps back as magic shivers through the air. And a moment later I stand there in all myebony glory. Grimlet lets out a startled, “Oh.” I presume an exclamation of delight. After all, I am pretty.

Then I toss my head and stamp my feet. I didn’t do this to be admired. Khaosti shoves Nightfall through his belt and leaps onto my back. I wait for him to grab hold of my mane and then we’re off.

I need to take the most direct route and so I spread my wings and seconds later, we’re rising. I hear Khaosti’s delighted laugh. I’m seeing a new side of him. The side that might have had more of a chance to develop if Khendril had stayed with him instead of abandoning him to come look after me.

I love flying. Love the sensation of freedom—however much of a lie it is—and the power. I can see Hell spread out below us—a dark and dismal landscape. My mother said it was beautiful before the fall of Lucifer. Though fall is the wrong word—he was definitely pushed. There are mountains in the far distance, with smoke rising. Is that where Lucifer was made? In the forges of Hell’s fire?

For a moment I’m disorientated, but then I recognize the ghostly village and change direction slightly. What took us hours on foot takes only minutes like this. I spot the forest just ahead. And then the clearing is beneath us, and it’s filled with shadowguard. I circle and spot Lucifer standing close to the mirror, Hecate beside him.

Everyone is looking up but for what seems like an age, nobody does anything. Then an arrow flies towards me. I feel Khaosti leaning low on my back as more arrows whizz past. One strikes me in the shoulder, pain shoots through me, and I roar with rage. Below us Hecate screams something. But I can’t hear what, and I’m diving in to land, heading straight for the group of archers. They scatter and I skid to a halt. Khaosti leaps off me and stands, Nightfall held out in front of him. Thankfully Grimlet is still clinging to his shoulder.

I give myself a shake, feel the shiver of magic, and I’m back standing there, the wound in my shoulder healed. This shifting thing comes with all sorts of advantages. I quickly take in what’s happening.

Hecate is facing off with Lucifer. She has balls, I’ll give her that if nothing else right now. But if she hadn’t come, then I might have finished this back in the great hall after my mother died.

“You promised she wouldn’t be harmed,” Hecate is yelling. “You said she would be at our side for eternity.”

Lucifer smirks. “I lied.”

What a surprise. I can’t believe Hecate didn’t see that coming. She’s either naïve, deluded, or more likely, totally insane.

Lucifer turns to look at me. “Kill her,” he says.

All around me I hear the shadowguard shift into position. I catch Hecate’s eye and give her an I-told-you-so expression. Never trust the devil.

Then I whirl around and raise my hand and… flames shoot out. Lucifer counters with a great wall of emerald flames and mine wither and die.

“The dark magic of the first flame is stronger down here,” Lucifer says. “You cannot prevail.”

Damn.

I look at Khaosti, I can see the concentration in his face, see the fires forming beneath his skin.

Lucifer’s eyes narrow, and he shoots out a bolt of green flame that engulfs Khaosti, and I scream. But he doesn’t burn. The flames battle and both smolder and die, but Khaos crashes to the ground. I race toward him and fall to my knees beside him, reaching out slowly to touch his throat. The pulse is weak, but it is there, and I sit back on my heels. Grimlet crawls into my lap and wraps his arms around me.

It doesn’t matter anyway as Lucifer is raising his hand again, and I know this is the end. It’s so stupid, all that effort, all thattraining, all those deaths and for what? Nothing. Fuck all. Why give me this magic and send me to Hell if the stupid magic doesn’t even work in Hell.

Fucking gods.

Are they up there somewhere laughing at us.

“I’m sorry, I failed you,” Khaosti says weakly.

Thank god, he’s awake. Though maybe it would be better if he wasn’t awake to see the end, to watch me die. I should be afraid, but I’m too filled with grief and rage. There’s no room for fear. At least this will be quick. Lucifer could keep me in a dungeon for five thousand years and torture me every day.