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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

That naive hope that there would be no third trial was extinguished by a hissing sound. I looked down to see a snake slither past my feet. Lucifer probably assumed the presence of a snake would throw me off balance.

Joke’s on you, buddy. Should’ve sent a mouse to do the devil’s work.

The snake paused a few paces ahead and twisted his head to regard me.

“Oh, I get it now. You’re my guide for this tour.” Lucifer’s absence was curious. What could be more important than this moment? If the odds were in my favor, it was his final chance to gloat.

The snake hissed, regaining my attention. “I’m coming. No need to bully me.”

I followed the snake’s undulating body to another branch of the tunnel, careful to remain a couple steps behind. I didn’t want the creature to stop abruptly and accidentally crush him under the weight of my boot.

My surroundings grew darker, although I was still able to see the writhing outline of my serpentine guide. I kept waiting to arrive at a doorway or an entry point of some kind. None was forthcoming. As we progressed, I lost all sense of space. The hissing stopped, and I realized I could no longer see the snake. Slowly, I extended a hand, but the tunnel wall wasn’t within reach.

I called to the snake and listened for a response. Silence covered me like a heavy cloak. The air was perfectly still.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flicker of movement. I turned toward it, only to see an unrecognizable shadow, quickly joined by another one. The shadows multiplied, stretched, and twisted. They crowded me as though they intended to suffocate me, despite their weightlessness. This was true darkness, a place where the tiniest flicker of light was swallowed whole.

“Is this the best you’ve got?” I taunted. “I’m the goddess of freakin’ darkness.”

The shapes melted into one. It rose and widened until it towered over me. A prickling sensation crawled along my spine that kicked my senses up a notch to high alert.

Light filtered into the darkness to reveal a familiar scene, one I had experienced during an intimate moment with Kane. One I’d hoped to never witness again.

His worst nightmare.

The demon was pinned to the side of a mountain. His skin was drenched in so much blood that he looked like he’d been painted red.

I fought to control my breathing. “This isn’t real,” I reassured myself. Kane is safe .

Nightmare Kane’s eyes opened at the sound of my voice. Sorrow flooded his gaze as he looked at me. “You did this to me.”

“Never,” I shouted.

“You should have walked away,” he said, struggling to speak through the pain. “I was safe. Happy. He never would have found me if it wasn’t for you.”

I was momentarily confused, until I remembered the demon that I’d begged Kane to release. Canto. The smaller demon had discovered Kane’s whereabouts. Josie had warned us that, by letting Canto go, her boss was signing his death warrant, but Kane didn’t listen to her.

He’d listened to me.

My mind blurred at the corners. Canto had begged Kane to return to hell, insisted that the time was ripe for another rebellion. He would have no reason to betray the demon prince to Lucifer, unless he’d played us.

No.

There was no chance. He swore secrecy. Canto was Team Kane all the way. Loyal and true, like Josie and Dantalion. Lucifer had to have located Kane another way.

Nightmare Kane released a cry of pain that cut through the quiet like a shard of glass. The intensity rattled my bones. I knew this wasn’t real, yet I couldn’t help but feel the raw anguish as though it was really happening, not just to him, but to me.

“I didn’t do this to you,” I insisted. “This is Lucifer’s revenge.”

The tendons in Kane’s neck popped as he strained against the pain. “I knew we were wrong for each other. I should have listened to Josephine and left you alone.”

Alone.

I didn’t want to be left alone, not by Kane or anybody else. Not anymore. Now that I knew what life could be like, that I was capable of lowering my drawbridge and letting others in…

I blinked away tears. I couldn’t go back to the way things were before. That wasn’t a life; it was an existence.

“Emotions can’t hurt you,” I reminded myself, channeling my inner West. “Feelings are feedback.” And right now, my feelings were telling me that I’d grown to love Kane more deeply than I ever imagined.

Warmth washed through me. It flooded the negativity, drowning it until the critical voices were completely deprived of oxygen and fell silent.

The image of Kane dissipated like the illusion that it was. A Kane of the past, not the present and certainly not the future. I would see to that.

The darkness returned to smother me, signaling that the trial wasn’t over yet, not that I thought it would be so simple. Kane was only the appetizer. The tremor in my knees told me I was about to be served the main course.

“Let the next nightmare commence,” I announced. I would show no fear. I refused to give Lucifer the satisfaction.

Nothing happened. I stood in night’s bubble, aware of one singular, deafening sound—the pounding of my heart.

I tapped an imaginary watch, “Show’s running late, boys! Time to pull back the curtain.”

I stepped forward and heard the crunch of glass beneath my foot. I crouched down and touched the hard surface. Not glass. Ice.

As my eyes adjusted to the new surroundings, I realized I was standing on the precipice of a familiar body of frozen water.

Bone Lake.

My breathing hitched as my gaze snagged on a figure in a red coat across the lake. A splotch of blood on a pristine surface.

“Aite,” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

She waved her arms. “Help!”

The terror in her voice propelled me forward. A cracking sound alerted me to the fissure I’d formed beneath my feet. I halted, one boot hovering in the air .

“Help,” Aite cried again. “Please!”

Please .

Birdie’s voice rang out in my head, intermingled with Aite’s.

“I need you!” Aite shouted.

Her words galvanized me into action. I tiptoed across the lake to avoid putting my full weight on the ice. I wasn’t sure what kind of help Aite needed. She was able to use her arms and legs, as well as her voice, but she made no move to meet me halfway.

It didn’t matter. Illusion or not, I’d failed her once; I refused to do it again.

“I’m coming,” I assured her. “Wait there.”

The sight of her reminded me of the Aite who turned up in my dream about Tartarus. Dream Aite had claimed she wasn’t “dead dead.” I couldn’t decide whether that was wishful thinking on the part of my subconscious or an attempt to ease my guilt over her death. She was right, though. Aite was a goddess who hadn’t been obliterated, which meant she could eventually gather the strength to return. Someday.

“Miss Clay, we meet again.”

My stomach lurched at the sound of Vincenzo Magnarella’s voice. If snake oil were a sound, it would be his.

“Why you?” I asked. The vampire mobster wasn’t someone I cared about.

“You are the reason I am no longer fit to walk the earth.”

“No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.” I attempted to brush past him, but he grabbed my elbow and pulled me toward him.

“Lorelei!” Aite shouted. The ice seemed to tremble from the intensity of her voice.

I yanked my elbow away. “You would’ve killed me if you could have,” I said .

“But I never pretended to be anything other than what I was. It is you who resists your true nature. A goddess of the underworld who spurns death for others?” He laughed. “You’re a fool, Miss Clay. You should embrace the darkness within you instead of letting it drag you into despair.”

I couldn’t possibly feel guilty over the vampire’s death, could I? He was a hardened criminal, and not the cute and cuddly kind like Gun and Cam. He’d brought his death upon himself.

“Lorelei, help!” Aite’s voice echoed across the tundra.

“As you can hear, I’m needed elsewhere.” I pointed at the goddess. “Take a good look. That’s the face of someone who deserves to be saved.”

“You are, once again, too late for her.” He moved so quickly that I didn’t have time to react. Pulling my hair, he wrenched back my head; his fangs were poised a hair’s breadth from the curve of my neck.

“You’re not my type,” I ground out. I jammed my elbow into his Adam’s apple and slipped out of his grasp. “If I’m going for a bad boy, it’s a reformed demon prince of hell or no one at all.”

I left the vampire clutching his neck. I could still hear him choking as I skated across the lake.

“Where do you think you’re going, my dear?” a voice rasped.

I glanced up in surprise. The blood in my veins now matched the temperature of the outside air. The stout figure of Penelope Bridger blocked my path. I hadn’t seen the matriarch of the local coven since she was killed by a monster she’d summoned.

“Your fault,” she hissed. “Not the culebrón’s.”

Why was I shocked she could read my thoughts? She was, after all, a projection of my own subconscious, a physical manifestation of my guilt and regret .

“You were going to kill Ashley Pratt for money,” I said. “Am I supposed to feel guilty that you were killed by your own greed?”

Of course, I did feel guilty, which was the reason Mama Bridger stood in my path now. I craned my neck to look past her. “Where are the other witches?” She wasn’t the only one killed that night. Margaret, Brenda, Sierra, and Kelsey had also been victims of greed. Phaedra lost her entire family in a single night.

“Phaedra only helps you because she’s terrified of you,” Penelope sneered. “If you weren’t a goddess, she would’ve run away from you and never looked back.”

Was that my belief? That Phaedra’s offer of friendship was born from fear rather than genuine affection?

“Phaedra knows she has nothing to fear from me. I would never hurt her.”

“The way you would never hurt the ghosts you rule with an iron fist?”

I scoffed. “I don’t hurt them. I gave them free will!”

“You can let them go. Why not free Ray to follow his family to San Francisco?” Penelope spat on the ice. The spittle froze immediately. “Because you’re selfish, that’s why.”

Her words stung, spreading heat through my chest. “Ray knows what the disadvantages would be. I have no agenda of my own,” I insisted, immediately followed by a flicker of doubt. Was that true?

“Like hell,” Penelope said.

Yes, this was.

I trudged forward and ignored the witch’s taunts as I attempted to pass her. “I don’t have time for this. Aite needs me.”

“Aite? Do you mean the goddess who died because she took an arrow intended for you? ”

I clamped my hands over my ears and continued to walk. The ice fractured again. I kept going.

“You can’t turn your back on me, missy. We’re your conscience. We’ll follow you wherever you go.”

The other witches formed a chain in front of me.

“Good, then follow me to help Aite. She needs us.”

“Not a chance,” Penelope said.

I started forward. “Now who’s selfish?”

“The only way to get past us is to kill us,” Brenda added.

“You’re already dead, which means I’m in charge. Now move!” Power flowed through me as I willed them out of existence. The chain broke and another section of ice along with it. I had to reach Aite before we both succumbed to the frozen water.

I didn’t get far. A hulking figure sliced through the shadows and tackled me from the side. The world spun as I slid along the lake. A glacial chill seeped into my bones.

I stumbled slightly as I regained my balance, misjudging the slickness of the ice. “I hate winter,” I muttered, pulling myself upright.

I spun to face my attacker and immediately recognized the large djinn. Solomon’s face had haunted me ever since the day Matilda, the Night Mallt, had killed him to keep me safe. He’d worked for The Corporation and had been sent to check on the company vault hidden in Bruce’s house.

The unfortunate djinn had encountered Matilda and I instead.

Solomon’s dark eyes blazed with anger as he took another threatening step in my direction. “You,” he seethed.

“Me,” I said, dusting flakes of ice from my sleeves. I didn’t bother saying that I wasn’t the one who killed him. This was my subconscious attacking itself, after all; his blame was a reflection of my own .

And now I understood why Lucifer had chosen a frozen lake as the setting for the third trial.

Nice touch , I acknowledged. I’d be impressed if I didn’t want to murder the demon for it.

The djinn stomped toward me, each footstep more intimidating than the last. It was a wonder he didn’t split the icy surface wide open.

“You deserve punishment,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Solomon. I didn’t know she would kill you.”

“Lies!” He swept me aside with the kind of brute force that would’ve sent a regular person to the emergency room. My knee cracked against the ice, sending a rush of pain along my leg. Ignoring the throbbing knee, I stumbled to my feet. Maybe he was right. It was possible that, deep down, I’d known Matilda would protect me by whatever means necessary. I’d known from the start she was the Night Mallt and what her reputation entailed. How could I possibly plead ignorance?

“Please,” Aite cried.

Please.

If I had any hope of reaching her, I had to get past Solomon. “You’re right. I suspected that Matilda might take the matter too far, yet I did nothing to stop her. I was focused on my own survival.” I’d spent most of my life focused on my survival. It was the basic instinct of any living creature, yes, but I’d made it the basis of my entire personality. The primary focus of my existence.

“Why was your survival more important than mine?” he demanded. “Why did I have to die so that you could live?”

I had no good answer for that. Gunther would have a snappy retort ready like, “because she has main character energy,” but I knew Solomon was right. He didn’t deserve to die to protect me, and neither did Aite.

“You’re right. It wasn’t fair, but I can’t undo it. What do I need to do to convince you that I am truly sorry for what happened to you?”

He offered a one-word answer. “Vengeance.”

“I don’t want to fight you.”

“Good. That will make your death much easier.” His hands began to glow as he prepared a magic orb, one that would presumably annihilate me where I stood. Trial over. Lucifer wins. I die. Kane tortured for eternity.

I sucked in a breath. Solomon couldn’t die twice and letting him kill me wouldn’t bring him back. I had to release the guilt, once and for all.

Emotions can’t hurt you , West’s voice resounded in my head.

I took a step closer to Solomon, fully aware of the magical energy emanating from the orb in his hands.

“You met me as Lorelei. I’m also Melinoe, the goddess of ghosts.” I looked him dead in the eye. “And you, my dear Solomon, are a ghost.”

The djinn unleashed the orb. I raised a hand, palm out; the orb ricocheted off my hand and bounced once on the ice before rolling back toward Solomon.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I remarked.

The orb exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the ice beneath Solomon’s feet. The djinn plunged into the freezing water and disappeared.

I skirted the hole and continued toward a frantically waving Aite. The goddess was close enough now that I could see the hopeful expression on her face.

“I knew you’d come for me,” she said.

Something in her tone made my skin crawl. Instead of sounding relieved, she sounded…

Smug.

“You tricked me. ”

Aite’s eyes burned with resentment. “How else could I get you to take my place?”

“That isn’t what you wanted.”

“How do you know what I wanted? You were too concerned with what you wanted to even care? Your stupid boyfriend and your ugly red sofa.”

I gasped. “You said you liked it.”

“I lied! It’s hideous, like those black leggings you insist on wearing five days a week. I know you’re poor, but another pair of pants wouldn’t break the bank.” She paused. “Especially now that you have my dirty money to spend.” She cocked her head. “Funny how my death worked in your favor. If I were the suspicious sort, and I am, I would almost think you planned it.”

I grew flustered. “I would never. I wasn’t even sure I should keep the money. Nana Pratt and Ray convinced me…”

“The ghosts that you have control over convinced you?” She threw her head back, laughing. “It’s incredible how naive you are. You even believe the lies you tell yourself. Are you sure the power of delusion isn’t one of yours?”

I tried to collect my thoughts. Aite wasn’t real. None of this was real. Lucifer was using my own insecurities against me. It was clever, I had to admit. I expected another adventure like the second trial. Frankly, I would much rather be dodging locusts on a deserted island than standing on a frozen Bone Lake, arguing with my dead friend about whether or not I suck as a person.

I was flawed, yes, both as a goddess and as a human. Still, I was worthy of the life I wanted. Perfection wasn’t a requirement. I’d embarked on this healing journey since I moved to Fairhaven, learning about unconditional love, but that kind of love wasn’t only meant for others.

It was also meant for me.

And not only as a recipient from others, but from myself. I didn’t need to be the perfect hideaway goddess in order to earn my love and approval. I didn’t need to earn those things at all. I gave them to myself freely, simply because I exist.

Standing on the ice, I saw Aite in a new light, not as an obstacle, but as another step to climb on my journey to enlightenment.

“Feelings are feedback,” I said.

“Huh?” Aite scrunched her nose in an eerily familiar gesture. My subconscious had excellent recall, I’d give it that.

“The things you’re telling me make me uncomfortable, but that’s a sign that I need to sit with everything you’ve said and get curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat. Wanna be next?”

“Fear won’t work. Neither will guilt or shame. All of you are pieces of me glued together in a ramshackle puzzle that loosely resembles a human being.”

“I’m not following.”

“You don’t need to. The only thing that matters is that I understand, and I accept it. I accept me. Lorelei. Melinoe. I’m not two halves or two souls in one body. I’m just me.” Flawed. Fallible. But always trying to be better. To do better.

Aite’s upper lip hitched up in one corner. “You’re so pathetic. I don’t get what Kane sees in you at all.”

I opened my arms wide and embraced her. She reeked of death, not that it bothered me. I lived with a revenant for crying out loud. The stench of death was basically my scented candle.

Aite stiffened in my embrace but held tight all the same. Nightmare form or not, this was the last time I’d ever get to do this with her.

“I miss you, friend,” I whispered. Her body dissipated, leaving me with only empty air and the lingering scent of death .

I walked to shore, to safety, and I hoped it would signal the end of the trial.

The shadows moved again, and I released a weary sigh.

Not yet.

A boulder materialized in front of me with Kane attached to it. At first glance I thought it was another imaginary Kane, albeit less bloody, but the stitches across his mouth suggested otherwise. I rushed forward to free him, but my efforts were thwarted by a horned demon with slightly bowed legs. His skin was crimson, as though he’d been freshly flayed. His only accessory was the gold hoop hooked through his nostrils.

“Are you meant to be the final nightmare? Tell Lucifer he’ll have to try harder.”

“On the contrary, I’m the designer of this exciting trial.”

“One of Lucifer’s minions, I presume. I’m surprised your boss didn’t want to witness it. Can’t bear the humiliation of losing, I guess.”

“Don’t count your chickens before they’re headless, mon cher ami. This trial isn’t over yet.”

I peered at him. “And who are you, exactly?”

The demon sliced a finger through the air, eliminating the stitches across Kane’s mouth.

“Belphegor,” Kane spat.

The demon tipped an imaginary hat at him. “Good to you see again, mon frere, although I expect to see much more of you after today.” He winked at me.

“Bel is a prince of hell,” Kane said.

“This guy outranks Dantalion?” I shook my head. “There’s no accounting for taste.”

Belphegor bristled. “I once had the honor of serving as our ambassador to France. How I miss the people there.” He gave a chef’s kiss .

“And now you get to deal with me. You drew the unlucky straw, huh?”

Bel’s smile revealed a row of sharp teeth that looked hand carved. “Unlucky for you, maybe.”

I refused to be intimidated by unattractive dental work. “How do you feel about doing your boss’s dirty work for him? Shouldn’t this be his pet project?”

The demon pushed up his sleeves. His forearms were covered in a complex pattern of tattoos. “Like Lucifer always says, when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Speaking of l’amour…” His flayed finger zigzagged between Kane and me. “When Lucifer told me how smitten you were, I admit I had my doubts, but this seems like the real deal.”

“It’s none of your business,” Kane said through clenched teeth.

Belphegor kept his focus on me. “I find this whole thing fascinating, you have no idea. If I told you to suck poison from a serpent, you would. You’re willing to let your love for him destroy you.” He dabbed at the corners of his eyes. “It’s so beautifully twisted.”

The demon was wrong. Love was the opposite of a poison or a disease; it was a cure.

“Are you my final battle?” I asked.

“I’d hardly call it a battle. I’ve seen you fight. More of a skirmish, really.”

I wasn’t insulted. I didn’t want to be known as a fighter any more than I wanted to be feared.

Belphegor produced a scythe, slicing it through the air for good measure. “Are you sure you want to do this? Is he worth it?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. They could sow the seeds of doubt about many other things, but not my love for Kane. That was as sure and steady as the beat of my heart .

“Show no mercy, my beautiful nightmare,” Kane said.

“You two are so adorable.” Belphegor twirled the scythe like a baton. “I almost hate to do this.”

Kane’s words came forth in a rush. “He lacks strength and speed. Beheading…”

Belphegor whooshed his finger through the air in the opposite direction and the stitches resealed Kane’s mouth. “You’re here as an observer only, mon frere. Lucifer’s orders.”

No doubt Lucifer intended to torture Kane by forcing him to watch.

I circled the demon slowly, sizing him up. Muscular but not overtly so. Lean and languid. His amber eyes hinted at a life of pleasure and leisure rather than grunt work. The bowed legs made the knees obvious weak points, and the hoop nose ring was just begging to be ripped out.

“Kane’s right. This doesn’t seem like your specialty. What’s the incentive?” Lucifer must have dangled some sort of carrot in front of him, something enticing enough to draw him away from his supernatural creature comforts.

“What makes you think I’d need motivation to toy with the object of Kane’s affection?”

I caught it in his inflection, a brief glimpse of his reason—jealousy. I seized that understanding with both hands. “Oh, I see. No toys of your own to play with, so you need to steal Kane’s. Gee, maybe you really are brothers.”

His amber eyes cooled, glinting in the gloom like two hard stones. “Lucifer and I are the true bonded brothers.”

“More like Kane left a vacancy at Lucifer’s side, and your pathetic, people-pleasing ass rushed to fill it. Got it.”

Belphegor cut a glance at Kane. “Is she always this mouthy? I guess I can see the appeal for you.” His jaw set as he looked at me. “I prefer my women more docile, personally.” He extended an arm and pushed the air .

Despite the lack of contact, I felt the weight of his hand on my head. The pressure forced me to my knees.

I glimpsed his ragged teeth as the demon grinned. “That’s better. Exactly where a woman ought to be.”

“Come closer,” I urged. “Now seems like a good time to test if my teeth are as sharp as yours.” I snapped my jaws.

He roared with laughter. “You think I won’t enjoy that? Pleasure and pain are my two favorite feelings, especially at the same time.” Another smile unfurled, slow and easy. Menacing.

He strode toward me with his hand still outstretched to hold me in place. “You’re fun,” he told me, as if I didn’t already know.

“Tell me that again when I’m using your head to score the winning goal.”

“I’d seal your mouth shut, too, but that will defeat the purpose of putting you in this position.”

Kane strained against the power that held him in place. It was both surprising and impressive that Belphegor was managing to restrain Kane and I at the same time. I associated the demon with sowing the seeds of discontentment and a love of money—but I got the distinct impression that he was operating above his pay grade at the moment. It seemed like Lucifer had sown similar seeds in Belphegor’s heart and waited until now, when it would serve him, to water them.

“What’s with the tattoos of doilies on your arms?”

“Why don’t I give you a closer look?” Belphegor turned to look at Kane. “If you get time off for good behavior, I may allow a conjugal visit, as long as you promise to include me.” The demon blew a kiss at the former prince.

“Like you’ll be in charge,” I scoffed. “Lucifer doesn’t share. Not power, not people, and certainly not his domain. ”

Belphegor’s head snapped toward me. “Shows how little you know. He’s going to need me to fill in when he’s busy…” He stopped abruptly and threw out a hand instead, propelling me backward against a jagged rock. Pain bloomed in my shoulder blade and shot to the hinge of my jaw.

Apparently, my comment hit a nerve. Good to know. “You like it rough,” I said. “Great. So do I.”

“I hope you also love an audience.” He sauntered toward me with a gleeful hop in his bowed step. “Welcome to your nightmare, mon cheri.”

His words struck a chord that reverberated throughout my body. My nightmare.

Mine.

“You should know with whom you’re having the pleasure,” I said.

He edged closer. “Oh, it’s become quite clear who you are, Lorelei Clay.”

“Obviously, you haven’t been paying close attention in class. The name is also Melinoe, goddess of nightmares and ghosts, and you’re trying to control the game on my playground.” I clucked my tongue.

“I’m doing more than controlling it.” He patted his chest. “I’m winning.”

“You seem to have forgotten one thing.” I didn’t need to stand in order to gather my strength and focus my will on the thin veil between this realm and the next.

Grin still intact, his eyebrows inched up. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“My playground. My rules.” With all the ferocity I could muster, I punched a hole through the dark wall and pulled us straight into the harsh glare of reality.

We tumbled to the ground. The refreshing scent of evergreen filled my nostrils as I staggered to my feet. I’d dragged us out of the nightmare realm and straight into the center of Wild Acres. I could hear the familiar thrum of the Falls nearby; its rhythm matched the beating of my heart.

Home.

I scanned the area for Kane and spotted him across the clearing, dusting off his clothes. My gaze met his and I gave him a triumphant smile.

Still on the ground, Belphegor groaned. I saw the end of the demon’s lip curl into a sneer. It was only a slight movement, and I might’ve mistaken it for an involuntary twitch, a mere spasm, except my body reacted to it before my mind had a chance to catch up.

I lunged to the right. The demon was faster. Belphegor managed to get a firm grip on my neck and slammed me against the trunk of a mighty oak with such force, that the branches shook. A metallic taste flooded my mouth.

Kane rushed forward. Arms thrust from Belphegor where no arms had been a second ago. Six… No, eight of them. Four of them attacked Kane while the other four held me in place. Flames licked Kane’s sleeve as he produced his mythical sword, but Belphegor was ready with more weapons of his own. The clang of steel on steel rang out in the forest.

Using the toe of my boot, I tried to drag the fallen scythe closer. Taunting laughter rippled from Belphegor as he hoisted me higher off the ground, scraping my back against the bark. The demon not known for his strength currently dangled me like a rag doll with one arm while seven other arms played both offense and defense.

This shouldn’t be possible.

And yet it was.

Was this the carrot Lucifer had offered the demon, a massive influx of power? A primal scream erupted from me as he drove a spear through Kane’s side. Crimson petals fanned outward across his white shirt .

The demon’s coffee-colored eyes twinkled with barely suppressed glee. “You lose, mon amour.”

My head was a cloud of chaos as he cut off my supply of oxygen. Under different circumstances, I would’ve calculated my odds, but there was no need. This monstrous version of Belphegor had the advantage. We couldn’t beat him. The realization lodged in my chest like a bullet. All that I’d achieved in the trials and it would all be for nothing. Lucifer would win, I would die, and Kane would be lost forever.

No.

I refused to let that happen.

Fighting to stay conscious, I kicked and clawed at the demon. If I could get in his head, inflict madness—although a mad Belphegor seemed even more dangerous than the one about to kill me.

And then I felt it—the sharp corner of the golden ticket given to me by Posy, still tucked away in the leggings I’d worn to the meeting and hadn’t washed. It poked my skin through the fabric of my pocket, a reminder that I still had one hand left to play. A fix for a very dire problem.

I’d insisted that I’d rather die than join The Corporation—but would I rather Kane be tortured in hell for eternity?

Kane would object, I knew that much, but the demon wasn’t in a position to argue. If my freedom was the price I paid to save him from eternal torment, then I would gladly sacrifice that and more.

Our gazes locked. Kane’s whisky-colored eyes seemed to plead with me, although it had to be my imagination. He couldn’t possibly know what I intended to do.

I’m sorry , I tried to mouth. But I wasn’t, not really. Not when I knew what the outcome would be. With every ounce of strength left in my body, I thrust my fist at the demon’s face and jammed my knuckles into his eyeball. The move didn’t free me, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think I could get away. I was only seeking a momentary reprieve.

As my lungs were granted a wisp of air, I choked out the magic words.

“There’s no place like home.”