Page 32 of Grave Consequences
I snort at his declaration.No shit, he’s prideful.
“That’s exactly what they were trying to do when I stepped into this whole Hellgate mess,” I tell him, exasperated. “The issue is that no powerful demons want the job. Outer Ringers don’t sustain the gate long enough before they’re completely drained and die. And no one else is stepping up. The Hellgate needs a stronger demon to help sustain it. I’m a Nihil, which means I’m more than up to the task,” I argue, upset that he just doesn’t seem to get it or care. How can Hell’s upper echelon of demons not understand the importance in what I’m saying?
“You should be leading armies and preparing for end times, not living in the Mortal Realm, protecting ungrateful humans unworthy to stand in your glorious presence,” he declares, completely serious.
My eyes feel like I could shoot lasers out of them and burn his stupid hair right off his head. “Thoseungrateful humansdeserve our protection. If all of you in Luce’s littlecirclewould get off your pompous asses to help, maybe the Gates wouldn’t be in such bad shape, letting unauthorized demons sneak through to the Mortal Realm all the time.”
His eyes harden like cement. “Careful, daughter. I may not be able to punish you, but I still outrank you, and you will treat me with respect.”
I take a deep, calming breath. “Fine. I’m sorry,” I say, trying not to grit my teeth as I say it. “But the Gate is breaking. Maybe I’m not leading an army, but I am helping to prevent one from storming out and fucking with the balance you swore to adhere to. Isn’t that good enough? Isn’t balance and all this sin and sacrifice supposed to be for the greater good?”
“If things are as bad as you say, then Luce will take care of it,” Tazreel says dismissively, and I can practically feel steam shoot out of my ears. I’m so damn frustrated by his blasé attitude. “There is more to the realms and maintaining balance than you know, Delta. Yes, the Hellgate is important, but so are a great many other things that you have yet to learn. Those things are what your bloodline is intended for. Not Gatekeeping.”
“Gatekeeping is for the Gatekeepers, right?” I press. “Too bad there aren’t any of them left. Guess it’s up to us to guard it and help as much as we can.”
He stares at me hard, and a disappointed growl leaves my chest at the same time the fight does. I’m not going to get anywhere with him, especially not by slinging retorts back and forth. He’s too set in his ways. “Regardless of what you think I’m worthy of, I gave my word that I would help these Guardians. That trumps any sense of misplaced duty you think I should have,” I say evenly, suddenly tired and completely over being here. I want to go home, curl up in the realm I know and love, and work through what all of this means for me and my future.
“Duty is important.”
“I agree,” I reply. “Which is why we need to leave and check on the Gate. So how do we get out of here?”
He doesn’t speak right away. He just watches me, unnervingly. I take a fortifying breath, forcing myself to say nothing. I don’t want to go another round with this demon, but he doesn’t seem like the type that’s down for a littleagree to disagreetruce.
We stare at each other, neither one of us sure what to make of things. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out a way to make me come to heel. I’m just trying to figure out why he thinks his vision for my life should trump my own. He doesn’t even know me.
Judging by his reaction in the dungeon, he doesn’t even want kids. So why can’t he just let this go, let me go? His gray-gold eyes flash with frustration, and my heart starts pumping faster, my nerves getting the better of me.
What if he won’t let us leave? What if he keeps us here just to spite me? A little loophole in Luce’sno punishing herrule. He could simply keep us all here, letting the Gate fall, and teaching me a lesson about obedience. My teeth grind together.
Would he do that? Would Lucifer let him?
He finally lets out a sigh and scrubs a hand over his suddenly weary face. “Fine. I’ll transport you back. For now,” he says firmly. “But I reserve the right to pop in whenever I feel like it, and when I summon you, you will answer and return immediately. Is that understood?”
I repeat his words in my mind, trying to see if there are any obvious tricks or loopholes that I should be concerned with. “I’ll answer when summoned, but the Gate is the priority, so if something is going on with the Hellgate, that supersedes your summons. Oh, and you can’t keep me in Nihil longer than I want to be,” I counter offer.
“Agreed,” he tells me a little too quickly. I suddenly wonder if I missed something. I review the wording again, but I’m just not seeing what it could be.
“Agreed,” I finally relent.
“Good.”
He flicks his hand, and then off to the side, a wall that looks similar to the veil of gooey metallic liquid like in the Vestibule appears out of thin air, like a doorway.
I stare at it in open-mouth shock. “You mean, we don’t have to go back to the Vestibule, up the stairs of doom and through the Hellgate to get out?”
“No. Luce’s inner circle can go where they please, when they please,” he states smugly, studying his nails, and implementing a hair flip that only his pompous ass could get away with.
I take in the portal, and relief floods me. I’m not ready to set foot back in the Vestibule. I don’t know if I ever will be.
“Thank you,” I tell Tazreel quietly, beyond grateful that he’s doing this, even though I can tell it’s the exact opposite of what he wants to do. Maybe he’s not as irredeemable as I thought.
Taz gives a curt nod and then casts one more warning glare at the guys before turning on his heel, the doors slamming behind him as he returns to the party.
All of us are quiet for a moment, reeling from the exchange. Crux is the first to break the ice. “So. He seems nice,” he says conversationally, the snark bringing a small smile from my lips. “You think he’ll give us his blessing if we ever want to get hitched?”
A bubbling laugh comes out of me as I turn to him. “Nope. Not in a million years.”
Crux grins. “Good thing we’re immortal, then.”
