Page 12

12

July 20, 5654 BC

T horn knew the minute the Malachai entered Azmodea. There was a disturbance so profound that it felt as if the entire realm had been ruptured. It shook his castle like an earthquake.

Before he could rethink his actions, he went to his father’s palace.

Sure enough, he heard Adarian’s shouts and demands for release long before he reached his father’s throne room.

Somehow, they’d done it. They’d captured the uncapturable.

And the Malachai’s full powers were on display. Demons were dropping dead all around while Azura and Noir did their best to corral the beast.

Falling back into the shadows, Thorn knew better than to make his presence known at this time. Having gone up against Adarian already, he had a healthy respect for the demon’s abilities. Simi wasn’t here this time to pull him out of the fire. And he had no desire to be beaten that badly ever again.

While he might not care if he lived or died, he definitely didn’t want to be in pain.

“I won’t serve you!” Adarian growled at Noir and Azura.

Thorn could respect that.

Noir cracked his whip at the king of demons. “You will do as we say.”

He’d give it to his father, he was …

Remarkably stupid.

And it took an entire team of their demons to get the Malachai out of the throne room to where they intended to keep him stashed for the rest of …

Eternity.

Unless the Malachai had a son who would replace him, he’d live here in their dungeon forever. That was the theory, except for a prophesy that said there would be a Malachai born one day who would destroy the world.

Or one who might save it.

Competing prophesies because the gods never made sense, and they never wanted to make anything easy on anyone.

All this because his father and Azura were jealous over Apollymi. Jealous because she’d been lucky enough to find someone to love her in spite of her flaws. For that alone, they’d sought to punish her by killing her husband, Kissare, and cursing their son Monakribos—the first Malachai.

Adarian was an innocent victim of that curse.

As were all the Malachai. Conceived in violence to do violence and to die violently. All cursed to die by the hand of their own son once he reached adolescence.

The only way to avoid that fate was to kill the son before he hit puberty. What an awful fate to be condemned to.

Thorn couldn’t imagine anything worse. And all caused by his own father’s jealous cruelty. The fact that he was descended from that beast wore at him.

How could anyone be so vicious?

No wonder Apollymi had hesitated to save him. It was a wonder the goddess was even sane after everything they’d put her through.

“What are you doing here?”

He jumped at Jaden’s whispered question. He hated whenever someone snuck up on him.

And honestly, he hated the god who’d bargained for his birth. Just being this close to Jaden made his skin crawl. But at the moment, he had more important things to concern himself with. “I’m spying. You?”

Jaden snorted at his honesty. “Wondering how long it’ll be before the Malachai escapes and what the fallout for this travesty will be.”

“That’s easy. Bloody.”

Jaden nodded. “I don’t know what they’re thinking. This won’t endear Apollymi to them, and even if she could leave her prison, she’d only come here to kill them for what they did to Kissare and Monakribos.”

“Sounds about right.”

“So, what’s their purpose?”

Thorn arched a brow. “You’re asking me? You’re their brother.”

“If I could understand them, I wouldn’t be enslaved here, and my child wouldn’t be cursed.”

Only it wasn’t really his child who was cursed. Jared was his grandson. Shadow had told Thorn of the farce that Jaden created to protect his son, Xev, who had an illicit affair with Jared’s mother.

Not that it’d been enough to save her or Xev for that matter. Xev was enslaved for eternity to the Malachai while Xev’s wife, Myone, had been killed in battle.

Their son, Jared, had been tied to the Malachai’s life. Damned to live out eternity with the knowledge of what he’d done and that his life had been bought in blood. All because of Noir’s cruelty.

Everything came back to his father’s insanity.

“Such a mess,” Thorn whispered.

Jaden nodded. “They won’t stop until they rule the world and we’re all subjugated under them.”

“I’ve never understood that mind set.”

“Because you’re not insane.”

Maybe. But it seemed like there ought to be more. What was the purpose of ruling over those who hated you?

Jaden met his gaze. “Look, kid. Nothing that came out of the Primus Bellum was good. We were all scarred by it. And that’s the saddest part about war?—”

“No one walks away unscathed,” Thorn finished for him. “I was a warlord. I know that better than anyone.”

“Exactly. Most learn that lesson while some, like your dad and Azura, just never seem to get it.”

How could they not understand something so simple? But then his father could be a bit thick. “Where does this leave us?”

“I don’t know. Noir is always scheming. They think the Malachai will feed their powers. Even if he does, it won’t be enough to let them out of here.”

That left him with one basic question. “What could release them?”

“Lilith has the ability, but that’ll never happen. She hates them even more than I do.”

Thorn appreciated his conviction, however he knew one universal truth. “Never say never, Uncle.”