“I don’t care if you fight,” she scoffed. “Remember, demons love to play with their food. I prefer you kicking and screaming.”

“I want in,” Selene interrupted as she took a step forward, “to whatever you’re going to do to her. In fact, I want be part of it. This mongrel has ruined my life, robbed me of my future, and sent me to this godforsaken plane.” She smirked at me. “I will take great pleasure in seeing her suffer.”

Lili apprised Selene with a cool glance. “I don’t trust you. You have too much at stake here to betray her now.”

Selene took another bold step forward. “I have nothing at stake. There is no life for me anywhere. I have no magic. I have no status. I am nothing but a shell of my former glory. The only joy left for me in this lifetime is to see her die”—she pointed a finger at me—“in the most a cruel and unusual way you can dream up.” She was gleeful. “Inflicting pain is what I have always loved the most. Have you not heard anything about me in all these years? All my cooperation up until now has just been a show, much like yours, and because of that I can appreciate your deception like no other. Death and destruction are what I truly crave. I always have. So where do I sign up to see the female wolf fry?”

Ray spit in disgust. “I knew there weren’t any redeeming qualities left in you. You’re nothing but a useless coward! A shrew, a waste, and a burden. I hope you rot in the Hell forever.”

“I never claimed there was anything redeeming about me,” Selene replied, unfazed. “Now”—she nodded to Lili—“how do you want me to show you I want nothing more than to see her suffer?” Selene waltzed up to me, my wolf snarling fiercely.

Well, I guess it appears you were right about Selene too. From now on, I will not second-guess you. My wolf clacked her jaws.

“How about this?” Selene reached up, cool as could be, and tried to rake her fingernails down my face.

I batted her hand away so hard she spun, smashing face-first into the wall behind me, collapsing to the ground. It was lucky my mate was still down or he would’ve torn her head off for the second time. “Selene,” I growled. “Do not test me—”

“Fine,” Lili chirped, my head snapping back to hers. “Selene, you can attend the ceremony, but one wrong twitch of your fingers and I’ll fry you in your seat. You may not die from my assault, but I’ll just kill you again. Your knowledge of witchcraft, once I become Queen of the Underworld, will be beneficial. If you aid me without error, you may find a welcome home in the Underworld after all.”

Selene picked herself up off the floor and made a show of dusting herself off. “I’ve spent my entire life crafting unique torture spells. They are a particular favorite of mine. They are… absolute perfection. I would gladly share them in return for a safe haven in this wretched place. There is nothing for me on the human plane.”

“I’ll find a place for you among my staff,” Lili replied. “And with good behavior, who knows, maybe I’d let you up to the surface for a little fun and chaos once in a while.” Selene’s face broke into a wide grin. She hadn’t looked that happy in a long time. She edged by Lili in the doorway, smiling a particularly evil smile back at me.

A perfect match made in Hell.

I placed an arm out toward my brother, halting his forward motion. Don’t attack Lili, I told him. Let me go, and once I’m gone, formulate the best plan you can. When Rourke wakes up he’s going to be in a rage, but don’t let him come after me until you make sure you have something solid that might actually free us from here.

We can take them, Jess, Tyler insisted. The demons aren’t good fighters.

No, if you haven’t noticed, Lili has been cloaking her power the entire time. I knew she was strong, but now I sense something else. Plus, by my best guess, there are several thousand demons already out there in the audience, and the guards she has now are skilled. I nodded once to Tyler so he knew I was serious and took a step forward. “What can I do to ensure the safety of my family?” I asked Lili. “I will do anything.”

“Nothing,” the demoness replied in a flat tone. “Seize them all and bring them forward,” she barked to her guards as she met my gaze. “If anyone resists you shall see why they call me the Unforgiving here in Hell.”

Demons streamed in around us in the cramped space. I nodded at Ray to comply. We were going to fight, there was no question, but we would fight to our advantage.

Two demons took me by the arms, jostling me forward. “Lili, you certainly went to great lengths to make me believe that the only thing you wanted was a ticket back to my plane,” I said wryly. “I think you might deserve an Oscar for that performance.”

“Oh, I am going back to your plane,” she gloated. “Once I am the most powerful supernatural the world has ever seen, I will have the freedom to punish those who have wronged me. I have waited for this for almost a thousand years. It will be the sweetest revenge. But I’ve never lied. I told you I could go back to your plane on my own, and once I’m the Queen of the Underworld, and ruler of all supernaturals, it will be my right to go as I choose.”

We filed out of the small space into the back of the arena. I couldn’t see the crowd yet because the benches were still in the way.

As we rounded the corner, I pulled up short, causing the demon guards to stumble beside me.

The coliseum was packed.

Three times as many demons were in attendance as last time. This time they varied in size and shape as well. Lili had called the entire Underworld in to see her spectacular rise to unmatched supernatural power. The unglamoured ones stuck out the most, appearing decidedly reptilian, with luminous skin, scaly but smooth, short hair, and beady eyes.

The crowd quieted as it took me in for the first time.

The demon guards firmly escorted me to the front, where I’d stood before during my short trial. The demonesses’ chairs had been cleared away and there was a lone chalk circle etched into the stone floor. To the right of the circle sat a table covered with paraphernalia—lots and lots of sharp-looking blades and some crude buckets, likely to gather my blood. “You’ve been a busy girl, Lili,” I said as the demons shoved me over the chalk line and centered me inside the circle.

“I’ve had a millennium to plan this. When you’ve had that long, there’s really nothing left to orchestrate. Tie her up,” she commanded with a swish of her hand as she turned to address the large audience. “Behold! I have captured the female wolf! Justice will reign and a new demon order will begin!”