Page 2 of Malice: The Mate Games (Apocalypse #3)

Chapter

One

LILITH

Five minutes earlier

“ I f you want to leave this room alive, you will tell me everything there is to know about one Meredith Deveraux.”

My blood ran cold as the devil I knew far too well stared me down. The last thing I would ever do was betray Merri to the likes of Lucifer Morningstar. I’d outsmarted him before, but there was no way out of this one. He had me cornered, quite literally.

I met and held his stare, my heartbeat erratic but my face expressionless. I knew better than to give myself away. Even a twitch of my eyelashes could be used against me.

“Well? I’m waiting.”

Drystan threaded our fingers and gave my hand an almost imperceptible squeeze.

“Oh, how sweet. He’s not only a pet, he’s an emotional support faerie.” Lucifer’s taunt—as lighthearted as he made it seem—had a thread of steel running through it. “I think I’ll make him watch me take you apart piece by piece.”

Lucifer shoved away from the desk, his eyes flashing with the promise of agonizing torture. The chair toppled backward, and it was all I could do not to flinch from the anticipation of what was sure to be a future filled with misery now that he’d come to collect.

A hint of ozone was my only warning before Drystan’s palm burned against mine.

I didn’t have the opportunity to consider what that meant before it occurred to me that I had yet to hear the clatter of the chair against the floor.

“Lilypad, let’s go,” Drystan urged, giving my hand a tug.

My gaze drifted to Lucifer, who, by all rights, should already have his fingers around my throat. He was still as a statue, his luxurious mane swept back from his face and held in place as though he’d been carved from wax. In fact, everything in the room was frozen aside from my fae and me.

“What did you do?” I breathed.

“Is now really a time for questions? We have to go. I can only suspend time for so long before I’ll be forced to release him.”

“You’ve been keeping secrets, pet.”

He tightened his grip on my hand. “So have you. Now, darling, take us to safety.”

If this were any other situation, I would have corrected his insolence and reminded him of exactly who was in control, but he was right. We needed to get out of here.

My gaze flicked to the broken chain dangling from his neck.

Then again, perhaps I wasn’t in charge at all any longer.

Now that the one thing connecting us was severed, I had no say over what he did.

Our deal was all that had ever given me the upper hand.

He’d just effectively ended it, and there was no way to know if he’d continue to cede his control to me.

The thought was as terrifying as it was thrilling.

“Lilith!”

I blinked, knowing that shock was the only reason I was operating so slowly.

Where the bloody hell could we go that wouldn’t endanger us or Merri?

She was my first thought, but if I attempted to find her, I’d likely lead Lucifer directly to her.

Gabriel had been unreachable and would be no help, even if I could locate him.

The few other souls who bore my mark were either dead or useless—except for one perky little Blackthorne princess.

“I hope you’re up for company,” I muttered, closing my eyes and homing in on the connection between Rosie and me.

“Ouch! Cheese and rice, that hurt.” Rosie’s sweet, lilting voice hit my ears before I opened my eyes.

Relief flooded me as the unfamiliar room came into focus. I honestly didn’t give a twig where we were as long as Lucifer wasn’t in the room.

“A-are you o-okay, sugar?” Bentley Mercer asked, his large form protectively curling around his mate. “I-is it th-the pups?”

“No. It’s this blasted mark from...” Rosie’s amber eyes lifted to meet mine. “Oh my stars. Lilith?”

“Yes, it’s me. No time to explain. I need to speak to Asher.”

“And you had to hurt my mate instead of calling like a normal person?” Ben growled, his voice pure alpha wolf and lacking his usual stutter.

The air grew heavy with Drystan’s power, his palm coming to rest on the small of my back as he let out a low, “Watch yourself, wolf.”

A growl rumbled in Ben’s throat before Rosie got between them.

“Ben, I’m fine,” she insisted, pressing a hand to his chest. “It mostly startled me, to be honest.”

I could have apologized, but what was the point? It wasn’t like I wouldn’t do it again in a heartbeat if the need arose.

“We don’t have time for posturing. Where is Asher? I need to speak with him.”

“He’s in the den. He should be done soo—” Rosie began, but I turned away from her and stormed into the hall.

“This way?” I belatedly asked, not knowing exactly where I was going but trusting that the soft murmur of voices was a good indication.

“Well, yes, but—” she called as she chased after me. “They’ll be out in just a moment.”

“This can’t wait.”

All right, poppet. Now that you’re up to speed on what happened to me, we can pick this back up where we left off. No need to rehash a conversation you’ve already witnessed. Make sure you’re comfortable, darling. Things are about to get intense.

“Wait! That’s expensive equipment,” Asher protested as the camera fell to the floor and let out a pathetic burst of sparks before smoke curled into the air.

“I’d say I was sorry, but that would be a lie, and the fae don’t lie,” Drystan drawled.

I waved a hand. “Just send me an invoice, Asher. Or, if you’d prefer, I can make a donation to one of your beloved penguin sanctuaries.”

“Puffin,” Remi corrected, his confidence faltering on the tail end of the word as I locked my eyes on him.

“What was that?”

“It’s . . . uh . . . You know what? Penguin is fine.”

Asher snorted. “If you were in wolf form, your tail would be between your legs. You sure you’re an alpha?”

“Fuck you, man. She’s terrifying.”

I smirked. “Thank you.”

Striding across the room, I took a seat on a leather club chair and let my gaze roam the room.

The decor seemed very out of place for Asher Henry.

Everything in here screamed old money. Old conservative money at that.

There was a ship’s wheel mounted over the fireplace, along with taxidermied animals displayed on shelves and hunting trophies staring lifelessly back at us.

The bookshelves were filled with tomes about the Alaskan wild and explorers who’d ravaged the land but glamorized it as heroism.

History is always written by the victors. Human nature at its finest.

“Sure. Go ahead and make yourself at home. We can wait for you to get comfortable, and then maybe you’ll do us all the courtesy of telling us why the fuck you finally decided to show up.”

I raised a brow at Hades’s tone. “Is that any way to speak to an old friend, Cain ?”

“I love it when she gets like this. Her voice goes all... Yes, Mommy ,” Remi whispered to Asher.

“My voice is always like this, pet. You just haven’t had the pleasure.

Now be a good dog and shut up.” I trained my gaze on Asher, the need to understand exactly how much they’d achieved burning a hole in my belly.

“Lucifer is gaining ground. Drystan and I barely escaped with our lives, and you’re all sitting here making ridiculous videos and having a campout. What is going on over here?”

Asher’s chin lifted defiantly. “That’s rich coming from you. You’ve been almost as MIA as Gabriel. I understand you two can’t interfere and all, but the world is fucking ending, lady. It’s a little too late for you to ride in like the cavalry now.”

My temper ignited, and I knew the mortals could tell because they all collectively flinched. “Once again you prove just how little you know, hacker. That’s actually the exact reason I’m able to be here at all. Now that the apocalypse has begun, the rules of engagement have changed.”

“Oh yeah? So where’s leather feathers, then?” Remi challenged.

That was a brilliant question. Alas, it was one I didn’t have the answer to.

“We have bigger fish to fry. I’m sure he’ll make an appearance when it suits him.”

Asher snorted in disgust. “It’s probably never going to suit him. The angels have been so uninvolved if I didn’t know he existed, I’d think they were nothing more than a myth.”

“And, you know, you’re one of them,” Remi pointed out. “Go, go Lavender Lantern!”

“So not the time, Remi,” Asher muttered, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

“What? Every hero needs a name.”

“Lavender Lantern?”

“What’s wrong with that? Your hands get all glowy, and you pew-pew your purple lasers?—”

A heavy sigh came from beside me as Drystan’s hand found purchase on the small of my back. “This is already exhausting. Someone gag him so the grown-ups can get this conversation over with.”

Remi ha the good sense to blush. “Sorry. The higher the stress of a situation, the worse my ADHD gets. I’ll be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.” He gave us a little three-fingered salute and then sat on the edge of the sofa.

“Humor is his defense mechanism,” Asher grumbled. “Have you seen the videos? That should tell you everything we know so far. We’ve kept them really up to date.”

Disappointment settled inside me. I’d hoped they knew more and were prepared for a fight sooner rather than later. “Well then, you’d better make yourselves comfortable because if all you know is in those videos, then you are woefully uninformed.”

Asher raised a brow but did as I asked. Hades, the insufferable arse, purposefully ignored me. He was lucky I was in a hurry, or I would have forced the issue. With the heel of my stiletto.

“Go on, then. We’re listening,” Asher said when I hadn’t looked away from Hades’s challenging stare.

“Oh bloody hell, where do I even begin?” My thoughts were scattered in a way I wasn’t used to. I always had it together. I was strong and composed even on my worst days, but seeing Lucifer and nearly being caught by him had put me off balance.