Page 95 of Crimson Tears

“Draven clan, you have done well finding and protecting the Crimson Demon,” he addressed the guys facetiously before he narrowed his eyes at them.

My brows furrowed.The Crimson Demon was...me? That doesn’t sound right.

“But I didn’t say you could sleep with my daughter.”

I bit down on my cheeks hard enough for blood to seep into my mouth.Wait a second, they knew who I was this whole time?

“As for you, Aziel, you were toprotectLilith, not fall in love with her again,” he snapped. “You’ve proved your worthlessness when you allowed her to be killed.”

Drawing in a slow, steady breath, I stepped in between my father and the guys. “Aziel did no such thing. He did everything he could to save me, but Gabriel had at least ten archangels backing him.”

His eyes swept to me and softened. “You were killed, Lilith. All because your guard didn’t do the one thing he was meant to do.”

I swallowed hard. “You’ve never questioned my judgment before—”

“Except when you chose a demon as your loverandguard,” he slipped in with a huff.

I shot him a stern look as I finished, “—so trust me when I say it wasn’t Aziel’s fault. Gabriel was the one who pierced me with the sword.”

He pressed his lips together. “We will agree to disagree, daughter.” He turned toward the guys, seething. “Can someone explain to me how you fell under her charms even when I specifically told you not to?”

Thaddeus lifted his eyes to meet mine with remorse. “We fell for Lilith before we found out that she was the Crimson Demon.”

He snarled. “All three of you?”

My chest squeezed. “Dad, please. Stop interrogating them. I chose them, okay? Leave it be.”

His gaze cut to me. “Very well.”

The guys blew out relieved breaths from behind me, but what my father said next pressed the familiar feeling of responsibility onto my shoulders.

“You have a lot of work to do to fulfill the prophecy, Lilith.”

It’d be nice if someone could tell me what the damn prophecy is and how I’m connected to it.