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November 1, 2030

A lone in his study, Thorn felt the sickly presence that never failed to make him nauseated. Why could he never have peace?

“Paimon. Come to slum?”

“Gloat, actually.”

That didn’t sound good. “Gloat about what?”

“The fact that you have no idea what you’ve done.”

Thorn turned toward the demon, ready to splinter him into pieces over this imbecilic game. “I don’t have time for your games. Get out.”

“Suit yourself.” Paimon vanished.

Thorn was happy for a half second until he allowed those words to get to him.

Had he done something he didn’t know about?

Stop it. The bastard’s playing with your head.

That was what Paimon excelled at. The only thing he did well, point of fact.

But what if he wasn’t just messing with Thorn’s mind? What if something else had happened?

Given his life, it was a good bet that he’d run afoul of something with power.

Paimon’s an idiot. Ignore him.

Granted it was true, but what if he was being honest this time?

When has he ever been honest?

Rarely. Rarely didn’t mean never. There had been times when Paimon had been honest. What if this was one of them?

“I hate you, Paimon,” he growled under his breath. Because the sad truth was, he believed him.

Grim caught sight of Paimon the moment he entered their abysmal castle. “Well? How did it go?”

“Idiot wouldn’t listen to me. I accomplished nothing.”

Grim cursed. “We need Thorn neutralized.”

“I’m open for any and all suggestions.”

So was Grim. “Look, Laguerre has a plan for us. Thorn is the only one who can mess it up.”

“I still don’t see how.”

Because Paimon was an idiot. Right now, the Malachai had his powers restricted because Nick Gautier didn’t want to be Ambrose. Nor did he want to end the world.

The Malachai had no idea what was coming, and it gave them the perfect opportunity to kill Nick, once and for all. Since Nick wasn’t a true Malachai like the others before him, he was weak.

And Laguerre had come up with a way to create a new Malachai. One they would be in charge of raising. A Malachai they could turn mean and make more powerful than anything this world could handle.

They wouldn’t be like Cherise, coddling and petting the Malachai. Teaching him how to love and be good.

They could create the monster the world deserved.

The monster Malachai who would actually end the world as everyone knew it. That was what they wanted. A Malachai they controlled. Then the gods would fear them, and they would be the ones in charge.

But first, they had to get Thorn out of the way. And Grim knew exactly where to put him.