Page 28 of Broken Shadows (Corrupt Shadows Duet #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Lorcan

Ezra whistles a breath while rolling back onto his heels. “Home sweet Hell.”

He and Gideon pass us as we stand on the uneven, stone path leading from the archway. Fog shrouds the castle walls and candles flicker from the dark, arched windows above like dying stars. Nothing has changed. Even the same spirits haunt the courtyard, except the remnants of their human forms have mostly faded.

Evie’s grip on my fingers is tighter than usual, as if she’s aware how stepping foot onto these grounds affects me. How my heart stutters and sweat trickles down my spine. The last time I was here, my brothers dragged me into a fucking cage. I exhale with forced slowness through my nose.

“So,” Evie says with a tense breath, “this is Lucifer’s Court.”

Rosa adds, “It is, right?”

“It is.”

Rosa and Aiden sigh in tandem, the trials now behind us, left for the next unsuspecting souls. I walk ahead, a bittersweet heartache spilling through my veins as I recall the good and bad times here.

“Did you grow up here?” Evie asks, her brows creasing, a smirk shadowing her lips as if the idea of me as a child is incomprehensible.

“Yes.”

The hollow eyes of spirits follow us as we walk through the courtyard. My gaze drifts to the tallest turret, and I trace each stone step leading from the window down to the roof, now suffocated with purple vines. It feels like a lifetime since my brothers and I would play up there. Granted, much like the human game hide-and-go-seek, except our version was more like torturer-and-victim. Once, we found Asher after three days, struggling to breathe while trapped in a chest. Then we threw him down those steps.

Evie glances up at me with those soft, brown eyes. “What are you smiling about?”

“Remembering playing here with my brothers.”

“Awe.” She gently squeezes my hand, and I chuckle.

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what games we’d play.”

Aiden rubs arms with Rosa as they cautiously step beside us now that the path to the doors has expanded for us all to fit. “I can imagine,” Aiden says, gripping the back of his neck. “Are there demons here?”

“Of course there are,” I state.

He swallows thickly, the bulb in his throat bobbing up and down.

Rosa rolls her eyes and tugs Aiden closer. “Ez!” she yells as Ezra stands under the gigantic, arched doors. They’re using fucking nicknames now? Fucking Hell. She’s going to become a permanent part of my life, isn’t she?

Demons in their human forms—giving fresh energy to the saying a wolf in sheep’s clothing—loiter the darkened foyer, bathed in purple candlelight and glowing fog. Once they see us, they fall back into the shadows, their eyes never leaving us. Wrapping my hand around Evie’s waist, I pull her closer, making it very fucking clear that she’s mine.

A low growl resonates in my chest and Evie cranes her neck to look at the demons.

Can I use my magic here? Now that the trials are over

Yes, and you absolutely should if anything tries to hurt you, but don’t let on what you can do.

“Ezra!” Samuel’s voice echoes around us like nails on a fucking chalkboard. “Gideon. And is that little Lorcan I see behind you?” He appears through a cloud of mist in the middle of the spiral staircase, his fingers grazing the intricately carved banister of human suffering.

Ezra hisses, “You say that, but you’re the shortest out of us all.”

Gideon scoffs a laugh, his sword glowing on his back as a reminder that he could easily strike Samuel down with it. In fact, he just fucking might.

Samuel’s smile drops and for once I’m glad Ezra is on my side. It feels good. Like having a brother, a teammate, and I almost say thanks. Almost.

Samuel’s flat, gray eyes trail to Evie, the corners of his thin lips curling up like a caricature of a damned villain. “You brought humans. How intriguing. I’ve always wanted one as a pet.” He points a clawed finger at my love. “Maybe I’ll take this one. She’s feisty like her aunt.”

I shove Evie behind me before she can say a word, wanting her out of this vermin’s view. He doesn’t deserve to even look at her, to breathe the same air as her. “I’d like to see you try to take her from me.”

Gideon clears his throat, stepping between us as Samuel descends the last few stone steps. The demons have all but melded themselves into the wall, too afraid to make themselves seen but too intrigued to leave us. “We’re here to see your queen,” Gideon intones.

Footsteps thump behind Samuel as Lazarus appears in his finest suit without a blue-black hair out of place as usual.

Ezra laughs and smacks Gideon’s arm. “And here she is.”

An unexpected, hearty laugh bubbles from my stomach and into my throat. I almost choke on my next words as I watch Lazarus turn a satisfying shade of pink. It’s so easy to get to him, but then, he’s the embodiment of pride and has the biggest ego out of us all.

Ezra glances over his shoulder at me and winks.

The muscle in Lazarus’s jaw feathers as he stares down at Ezra, murderous intent etched into every crease of his mouth. “Ever the joker, Brother. Let's see how long you’ll keep that smile on your face when Father learns you helped him.” He points at me.

Silas and Asher join the fold, their reddish-blonde hair reminiscent of our mother, except Silas’s is neatly trimmed short on the sides and long on top, while Asher’s shaggy strands fall in waves around his shoulders.

Asher leans against the dark, mahogany banister and sighs, looking bored already. Samuel likely ordered him down here the moment he learned of our return. “Father doesn’t even know—hey!” Asher shouts when Silas kicks him in the shin.

If Evie wasn’t here, surrounded by demons and princes, I’d be at each of their fucking throats by now. Instead, I glare at Samuel and growl, “Where is our father?”

A flicker of panic crosses his dead stare, and I know at that moment, even without Asher blurting it out, that Ezra and I were right. Lucifer doesn’t know the truth.

“He’s not available.”

“The Hell he’s not!” I shout back and Evie wraps her fingers around my wrists like manacles.

It’s Lazarus who approaches us first, closing the gap between us and them. He stands before Ezra and Gideon, and several paces in front of me, without a hint of fear. “None of us have seen him in a decade.”

I flick my gaze from him to Samuel. “Not even that piece of shit?”

“Father is in solitude,” Lazarus explains, deadpan. “He’s working on something important.”

“A ritual,” Samuel adds.

“Fucking bullshit.” I shake my head. “Where is he?”

Ezra pushes past Lazarus, whose aquamarine eyes narrow. “We’re going to him now.”

“Wait!” Samuel’s deep voice echoes around the cavernous foyer. “First, Evangeline wishes to speak with you.”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with,” I spit, but Lazarus holds out a hand when I try to pull Evie along.

“No humans or witches.” He eyes Rosa, then Aiden, and finally Evie. “They can go to the East Wing while you see her.”

I tug her to my side, pulling her against my hip, my pulse racing at the thought of being separated from her, here of all places. “I’m not leaving her.”

“We won’t touch the witch,” Lazarus says with a grimace, his nostrils flaring as if the thought of my caring about Evie is the most disgusting thing he’s seen in years, despite Samuel standing right behind him.

Gideon steps back and stands between Aiden and Rosa. “You and Ezra go, Lorcan,” he says with wide, green eyes. “I’ll guard the East Wing.”

My throat dries. “No.”

Evie curls around to my front, and rests her head on my chest, her voice in our bond, soft and caressing my hard edges. Go deal with her and find out where your father is. I’ll be okay. I trust Gideon, and besides, I have my powers. After everything you’ve told me, it’ll be best not to provoke her in my presence.

I don’t give a fuck about her, I reply and wrap my arms around Evie, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Fuck, she smells so godsdamn good. I just want to hold her like this forever.

I know. I trust you. Now go. This is your chance. Manipulate her, just like you did before. Whatever you need to do to find out where Lucifer is.

Evie unfolds herself from me and I flinch with the desire to keep her close, but she’s led away with Ezra, Gideon, Rosa, Gomez, and Aiden before I can. A chill skates over my flesh, the chasm behind my ribs gaping without her. Without all of them, I suppose. A shockwave pierces through my bones like an electric current and my breath catches.

“I always hated you, Lorcan,” Samuel says once they’re gone and it’s just me, Ezra, Samuel, Lazarus, and Asher, who’s no longer paying attention. “But at least I respected you. Look at you both with those humans,” he spits, sneering sneers at Ezra too. “It’s pitiful.”

Ezra balks, his shoulders squaring when he faces Samuel. “I can still beat you in a fight, Sammy. You know that. Go on, test my wrath.”

Samuel laughs but visibly shrinks back against the banister. “All brawn and no brains. As always, nothing changes. How disappointing.”

“I’m heading to my room,” Asher says, completely unaware of the tense atmosphere. Or more likely, doesn’t care. “See ya.”

Samuel grasps at his hand, but Asher slips away before he can force him to remain. “We agreed to go together.”

“There’s no reason for me to be there,” Asher says from halfway up the staircase, his voice always the same, flat and unbothered. Even when he saw Rosa, which was a surprise, considering she knocked his ass out. “If Lorcan tries to hurt Dad, you’re all more than capable of stopping him.”

I scoff. “I have zero interest in the throne and Dad fucking knows that.” Without Evie to protect, I turn to face Samuel, leaning closer until he’s poising backward. “Listen to me, you cunt . I don’t know what you’ve done with Dad, or where you and the bitch have hidden him, but I am not leaving until I find him.”

“Enough,” barks Lazarus. “There’s no need to fight. Evangeline’s already waiting for you.”

It takes less than a minute for the five of us to shadow walk to the small solar at the other side of the castle.

Samuel gestures his arm out to the open door when we arrive, and I halt at the threshold, reaching my shadows within first. The dark smoke of my magic curls around the corners of the solar until I’m satisfied it isn’t a trap.

Ezra huffs out a breath, pushing past me to walk inside. “See, it’s fine,” he says, arms wide open as he stops beside the bone table that takes up most of the room. He pulls one of the eight chairs out, screeching it back until it stops at the stone hearth of the fireplace. “Come on. It’s been an age since we’ve sat in here.”

Slowly, I walk inside, hands deep in my pockets and look around. Everything is the same, from the stone walls covered in tapestries showing each of the deadly sins as humans suffering, to the small arched window with fractured stained glass, and the black cabinet displaying books bound in skin and swords that ended the grisliest of battles.

Lazarus stomps behind me, then brings the fire to life, the purple embers settling between half-charred logs. He brushes any remnants of ash from his double-breasted jacket and takes the seat next to Ezra.

I grab the seat at the head of the table before the bastard Samuel can. Ezra glances at Silas, and with a mocking smile, pats the seat next to him. “Come sit, Sil. I know you don’t really want to sit next to him.” Ezra gestures to Samuel, who takes the chair at the bottom right of the table, leaving the chair directly opposite me empty.

After a few heavy seconds of silence, Ezra slams his hands on the bone slab of the table with a grin. “Well, this is nice. All of us together after all this time. I mean, except Gid.” He points down to Samuel. “You should be glad about that. After he realized you lied to him, he wanted to run you through with his sword.”

Samuel shifts in his chair. “I’m not afraid of Gideon.”

Ezra laughs with his whole chest. “Oh, you should be. Truly. Even I am. Just don’t tell him that.”

I cut through the bullshit, my eyes fixed on Samuel. “Where’s the bitch?”

His dark brows pull together and his lips crease into a deep frown. It’s only when the second entrance to the private sitting room opens does he offer even a hint of a genuine smile. He must genuinely like her. I’d never have guessed it. I’m shocked he has any emotions.

The purple hue of the candlelight flickers shadows over Evangeline’s square jaw and angular cheekbones when she saunters into the dimly lit room. Drips of blood fleck her ivory bone corset. She rolls her shoulders, pushing her chest out when she locks eyes with me for the first time in a century.

Those dark brown eyes, with flecks of gold, which used to soften when she looked at me, now pin me with contempt. She stops at Samuel’s side, standing over him. He reaches his fingers close to hers, but she pulls back before he can touch her. Of course, they have to pretend they’re not fucking. She’s meant to be my dad’s bride, not his.

“Lorcan.” Her voice echoes, sounding throatier from when I knew her. “How good of you to stop by.”

The glow of her skin waltzes between translucent and opaque. She’s dead, yet somehow preserved, unlike the other spirits. She really has manipulated my dad. He’s the only one with the power to do that.

“Let’s save the niceties,” I spit. She holds her expression steady, unlike when she was alive and trapped me in the fucking Shadow Realm. “Where’s my father?”

She exhales slowly, her face unreadable as she flicks her eyes to Samuel, then slides into the seat directly opposite me, but fortunately the furthest away. “He’s not taking visitors.”

“I am his oldest son,” I snarl. “I know you’re keeping him from me, from all of us.”

Her laugh is girlish, a tinker of insanity lacing each giggle of disbelief. With her hand pressing over her heart, she says all too sweetly, “You think I have any power over Lucifer, the almighty King of Hell?”

“We both know you do.”

Silas shakes his head in my peripheral vision and leans forward. “Do you hear yourself, Lorcan?”

“She’s a manipulative bitch.”

“Says you?” she asks, her dark brow quirking up. It’s surprising how much she looks like my Evie, albeit her features are sharper, less refined. Yet, she repulses me with every micro expression and movement.

I lean back in my chair, pleased I finally provoked a hint of anger from her. “Says me .” I place my tattooed hands in my lap and smirk, evoking a twitch in the corner of her painted lips. “Tell me, how did you convince Samuel that you love him?”

Her brows crease, her eyes wide with worry as if I’m in the insane one. “I love all of my stepsons.”

Bile bites the back of my throat. “You know exactly what I mean, you harlot.”

She laughs again. I know that sound will find me in my sleep, a damned soundtrack to my fucking nightmares. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but I love your dad.”

“Hmm. Enough to convince him I’m trying to steal his throne, if he even knows that story.”

“Throne?” Her brows rise up her forehead. “I never, ever told him such a thing.”

Samuel nods. “It’s true. Eva had nothing to do with it. I told our brothers that, which is the truth.”

I exhale sharply through my nose and shake my head. He said otherwise to Evie. He’s protecting her and he doesn’t even realize she’s making him into a scapegoat.

Silas looks at Samuel. “Wait. I thought you said Evangeline knew?”

“Me too,” Lazarus adds, and I smile as I watch his lie unravel.

“I thought she did,” Samuel offers. “Father didn’t discuss it with her.”

“We fucking hunted him,” Lazarus admonishes, gesturing across the table to me. “You said we were working under her orders.”

Evangeline has the audacity to look shocked. She even throws in a small gasp for good measure. What an excellent performance. I can’t wait to choke the fucking life from her. “None of that matters now,” she says softly, placing her hands between them. “All that matters is finding out if this is true.”

“You know it’s not,” I state, and she shrugs, lackadaisically resting her wrist upright against the chair rest. Her red nails drum against the splitting wood, each thrum evoking the madness deep-seated in my mind.

That’s when I hear my Evie and my heart quickly settles.

Lor? Is everything okay?

I close my eyes briefly. It’s going as well as I thought it would. I’ll come to you soon.

Evangeline tilts her head, knowing flashing in her eyes, but says nothing.

Evie’s voice softens the sharp edges of my madness. My own personal medicine. Did you find your dad?

No. They won’t tell me.

After a few seconds, her reply filters through. That’s because they think you’re a threat. Convince them you’re not or seek him out yourself.

I cut the bond off once I realize Evangeline's stare has warped into that of a succubus. “I know that look,” she says when my attention falls back on her. “Tell me, is my namesake enjoying her chambers?”

“You mean the witch? Your niece?” I shrug, forcing as much icy intention into my expression as possible. “You think I was talking to her?”

“Why else are you so focused? I know the look. You each have it when you’re using your inner voice.”

A cruel smile twists my features. “I wasn’t talking to her. I’m using her, just like I used you. Remember ?”

Her eye twitches and my muscles relax. I’ve won. At least in aggravating her. But Evie’s right. I need to convince them I’m not a threat, when all I want to do is tear her and Samuel apart, limb by limb, and watch their skin melt from their bones as they burn in Hellfire.

Ezra chimes in. “He was talking to me, if you must know.” He sits back and mumbles under his breath, “Nosy bitch.”

I clear the hoarseness in my throat. “He’s right. Look, I don’t care what’s been said about me wanting the throne. About being locked in the Shadow Realm. Any of it. I want back in Hell, to be in control of my demons again.” Lies. It’s all fucking lies and Samuel knows it. So does Evangeline, but her eyes narrow, her lips parting an inch. She wants to believe me. Her heart rate picks up slightly, and I know exactly what I need to do. “I’m not a threat to Dad. I want my life back, that’s all.”

Her smile almost betrays her to the rest. “Fine. Let us talk alone then.”

Ezra scoffs and looks from me to Evangeline, then back to me. “Are you fucking kidding?” he asks incredulously. “I did not go through all of that just to miss the real gossip.”

Samuel grunts as Evangeline whispers something unintelligible in his ear. “Let’s leave them,” he says, and Ezra’s pastel green eyes widen twice their size.

“Since when the fuck are you the authority? I’m staying.”

Evangeline flashes her pearly whites at Ezra. “There will be no gossip. I must simply dissect whether Lorcan is a threat to your dad.”

Ezra shakes his head, a laugh of disbelief bubbling past his lips. He stands up, murmuring under his breath. “Unbelievable.”

Before he leaves, I hear his voice clearly in my head. You better tell me everything. Also, if she tries anything, I’ll happily help you get rid of what remains of her soul before Dad finds out.

I shoot him a smirk, and he grins, which only annoys Samuel more. He pushes his chair out and hurries after Silas and Lazarus in what I assume is an attempt to do some damage control.

Once we’re alone, Evangeline stands, her gray dress flowing around her ankles as she stirs a scattering of sparks from the fireplace. “Now, my love, why don’t we drop all the bullshit?”