Page 52 of Stalked By Pestilence

The fire in his eyes had completely faded. In its place was pure, unfettered amusement. “If there’s no mortal world left, then what does it matter if there’s a war?”

I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t rebuke.

Thanatos seemed to gather what he meant, his hand tightening around my bestie’s. “What are your terms for her release?”

I heard a growl behind me, but Lucifer flicked his hand and the demon who’d stolen my soul to be his bride was gone.

“Nothing you don’t already want,” he mused. “Her soul is yours as long as you ensure the apocalypse does not come to pass.”

Zelus came over and swept me into his arms, holding my face in his gentle hands. “Did he hurt you, love?”

“You mean after he killed me?” My joke didn’t get the smile I wanted, so I sighed. “No, he didn’t.”

Whatever that confirmed for him, he put his arm around my shoulder. “We accept your terms.”

Thanatos shot him a look, but Asha spoke before he could, “You got yourself a deal, Mr. Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s smile was all bad, and I almost worried we’d done the wrong thing by agreeing, but I didn’t want the world to end either. I might hate the assholes I worked with, but good people like Dom, Alexa, Ginny, and Becky existed. They were worth fighting for.

“Very well. I’ll deal with my brother’s indiscretion and ensure it doesn’t occur again. No doubt he thought he could wield the power of God to defeat me.” That made him chuckle into his fist.

Ah, so Astaroth thought I had some God-given superpower being a Counter Soul. Go figure. It’d explain why he suddenly wanted me after claiming my soul was his over three decades ago. What a douche.

“But what is it you intend to do from here? She can’t be returned to her body. Her mortality is gone,” he pried, casting his eyes my direction with another knowing glint. The bastard was enjoying every bit of this.

Thanatos didn’t answer, just gestured for us to go through the blackhole he’d summoned in a room of fire and stone. “As long as we make good on our part, it’s of no consequence to you.”

Lucifer huffed a small laugh and bent his head in agreement. “Then, by all means. I look forward to the war you wage with Heaven to rebuke God’s plan.” His leg bounced as if an embodiment of his delight. “Should prove to be the best entertainment of the century.”

Zelus ushered me toward the blackhole, and with his arms around me, we fell through.

Chapter Twenty-One

Emily

Ifled Zelus’s arms for Asha’s after we made it to the weird and spooky greyscale land with a castle perched on it. She wrapped me in her warm embrace before pressing her forehead to mine.

“Wasn’t one of us dying enough, Ems?” she murmured.

A large hand touched my back, but I ignored it. “Guess not. Death’s a greedy bitch.”

That got a laugh out of everyone, and I beamed. It sucked that I couldn’t get my body back and I’d remain in this weird grey world, but I’d count my blessings. At least I got to stay where Asha was and I wasn’t the forced bride of some throne-seeking asshole.

I peered around. “This place is abit…”

“Creepy? Gloomy? Dark? Depressing?” Asha supplied a little too readily.

I giggled and nodded. “Yeah, all of the above.”

Zelus’s stare was burning a hole into my back, so I finally threw the bastard a bone and glanced at him. His throat bobbed, and for the first time since we’d met, he was at a loss for what to say or do. His eyes pleaded with me to give him a sign, so I grabbed him around the jaw and yanked him down to my level.

“You should know that if not for my bestie being a forgiving and insanely wonderful human—er, Spicy Death—you’d have something sharp and pointy buried in your chest right now.”

He didn’t dare smile, only nod. “I’m sorry for hurting someone so important to you, love.”

“And?”

“For planning to take your soul,” he mumbled cutely.