“Because in order for this all to move forward in the direction Fate has determined, and for the Princess to ascend to power, you needed to be paraded in front of the entire city. Your presence here had a purpose. It was meant to launch the demons into a civil war—to separate those who believe in the old Scriptures from those who will embrace the new. Your birth has been marked in our books for centuries. And every demon in that audience knew this day would come. Now that it has, and your presence is known, you have triggered a huge, unstoppable change. One that was meant to happen. But now it means you must leave the Underworld quickly, or run the risk of dying. There will be upheaval and turmoil for years to come. This is just the beginning.”

I was livid. My eyes flashed as I demanded, “Do you mean to tell me that it was your goal all along to ‘parade me’ in front of the demons to launch a civil war? If that was your ultimate plan, you weren’t ever leading me to my brother or any real escape. Why bring me through the Sholls if I had to end up in there”—I gestured angrily to the coliseum doors—“and why not let me in on what was going on from the very beginning? I would’ve agreed to aid you in a plan to defeat the Prince and put the Princess on the throne. I despise the Prince!”

She stared at me like I had lost my mind, which I was beginning to think was quite possible. “Fate is at work here,” she cried. “And in case you haven’t guessed, it’s not as easy as you think to defeat the Prince of Hell. But if you must know, I only uncovered the Scripture a few days ago when I was in the Great Library searching for something else. There was no time to formulate any solid plans, and as I told you when we parted, I guessed you would be caught. Again, I never lied. How you were going to get to this place”—she pointed toward the doors—“was just as much a mystery to me as it was to you. But you’re here. The die has been cast, you’ve done your part, and now it’s time to leave.”

Tyler stepped in, placing a hand on my arm. He rang with tension. “Jess, I know all this is important and we need to solve it, but I hear movement and smell something rancid in the air. Let’s move out of this area. We can figure this out as we go.” He eyed Lili up and down. “And, honestly, one wrong move from you, demoness, and we take you out, understood? I don’t comprehend everything that’s going on here, but if my sister doesn’t want you on our plane, you’re not invited. Got it?”

I began to hear shouts and movement too. I sighed, addressing Lili. “Take us somewhere safe, if such a place actually exists here. I’m going to process everything you’ve told me, but I’m not going to make any decisions until I have all the information. And I mean all.”

“I will lead you to safety, which was granted by the Princess,” Lili agreed. “And, once there, we can settle this. But lingering in the Underworld is not advisable. As I’ve told you, we only have a short time to escape.”

Rourke tugged me to the back of our procession by the hand as we followed Lili down a tunnel carved out of rock that had been polished with care. “I understand what’s going on up to a point,” he murmured. “But if the demon Scriptures say Lili goes with us, it might be unavoidable.”

I smiled at him, braiding my hand through his tightly. Gods, I’d missed him. “I agree, but I’m sure you noticed that she hasn’t divulged any particulars of what the writings actually say, only the doomsday disclaimer that I will start a civil war.” While we walked, I gripped Rourke’s forearm with my other hand, leaning in to him and drinking up his scent. “When I first met her, she assured me she could free me and Tyler and get us out quickly.” I filled him in on what had happened and shook my head. “We are definitely missing pieces to this puzzle. She and the Princess must’ve had a prior agreement. What’s worse is my wolf is rabid whenever she’s around. That’s a very bad sign.”

Up ahead Ray asked Lili, “So what gives with these demons? They can’t fight worth a damn. I thought once we got here we’d be ducking and running, trying not to get ourselves killed. But it’s like a comedy skit out there. They have no idea what they’re doing and have no business being on the front lines.”

Lili inclined her head toward him. She was likely trying to figure out what kind of supe he was, but a vampire reaper wouldn’t be on her radar. Ray was one of a kind. “Only demon guards are taught defense. Much like everyday humans, we have no need to learn to fight. We are well protected here and are insulated from outside threats. Not many supernaturals, besides witches or sorcerers, ever come here. Most wouldn’t know how. You were fighting the equivalent of the home guard. Not our army. The troops who fight for the Underworld lie outside of She’ol.”

“But demons have raw power, I can feel it,” Ray continued. “They should naturally pack a better punch than that. Back there was like taking down women and children. It was just sad.”

Lili chuckled. “Well, we also depend on our beasts for our protection. The demon guard will bring them out shortly if we don’t hurry, and then you will be able to see how demons really defend themselves.”

Tyler turned. He was dressed in the same sort of jumpsuit as I was. “We should take these things off,” he said, fingering the zipper. “They can track us, right?” He’d directed his question to Lili.

The demoness stopped and motioned to my brother to come forward. “Here, turn around,” she ordered. Tyler obeyed with a skeptical look. He didn’t trust her. Instead of grasping the zipper, she placed her hand along the metal strip running up his side and said a few words under her breath. The thing literally melted off into her hand and she tossed it away. It made a pinging noise as it bounced off the rock wall. She beckoned to me. “Let me free you too.”

I walked over and she did the same thing. This time I heard her words. They were in Demonish. “You can spell in both languages.” It was a statement, not a question. Crafting spells was technical. Just how technical, I had no idea, but words, names, and pronunciation mattered. Spells were attached to the very sound of the words uttered. The language used needed to be precise.

She met my gaze and her pupils pulsed, elongating, reminding me she was very much a demon no matter how human or half witch she appeared. “Yes. I’ve been here for too many years to count. More than enough time to master demon spells.”