Chapter Thirteen— idiot
Daemon's POV
I kissed her.
I actually kissed her.
I made it three corridors away before I had to stop, pressing my forehead against the cold obsidian wall. My hands were shaking. When was the last time anything had made me shake?
A thousand years ago. When they ripped her from my arms and cast me down.
"Idiot," I muttered to myself. "Absolute fucking idiot."
The plan had been simple. Keep her caged. Keep her distant. Watch her corrupt from afar and use that corruption to fuel my revenge. Turn her into a weapon against Heaven, proof that even their most perfect creations could fall.
Instead, I'd kissed her. Freed her from the chains, pulled her close, and kissed her like I was drowning and she was air.
Worse, I'd meant what I said in the memory room. Every word. I still loved her. After everything she'd done, everything she'd chosen, I still loved her with an intensity that should have burned itself out centuries ago.
Pathetic. Lilith had been right about that much.
I hated that fact.
I pushed off the wall and continued walking. I had responsibilities. Kael would be waiting for my answer about Michael's proposal. The scouts would have new reports on Veilstone locations. Hell didn't run itself.
But all I could think about was the way she'd looked at me when I opened that cage. Like I was someone worth trusting. Like I was more than the monster I'd become.
The throne room doors opened at my approach. Kael was there, along with three other demons I used for intelligence gathering. They all straightened when they saw me.
"My lord," Kael began. "We have updates on—"
"Not now." I moved past them to the throne. "Clear the room. Everyone except Kael."
The others fled without question. Smart. They could probably sense my mood.
Once we were alone, Kael approached cautiously. "My lord, is everything alright?"
"Define alright."
"You seem... distracted."
"I'm fine." I dropped into the throne, trying to focus. "Michael's proposal. I've made a decision."
Kael waited.
"Tell him yes. We'll work together to find the rogue collector." I held up a hand before he could respond. "But on my terms. He shares all intelligence with us. His scouts report to me as well as Heaven. And I want full access to Heaven's research on the Veilstone ritual."
"My lord, that's asking for a lot. Will he agree?"
"He's desperate. He'll agree." I leaned back. "And once we have their research, once we understand exactly how the ritual works, we use it ourselves."
Understanding dawned on Kael's face. "You're going to betray the alliance."
"I'm going to use it to our advantage. There's a difference." I smiled coldly. "Michael wants to stop the ritual from being completed. I want to be the one who completes it."
"Brilliant." Kael hesitated. "But if Heaven discovers what you're planning—"
"They won't. Not until it's too late." I stood, pacing. "What about the scouts? Any new Veilstone locations?"
"Two possibles. One in the northern territories of Earth, buried beneath a human city. The other..." He paused. "The other is in the Void."
I stopped walking. "The Void? You're certain?"
"The energy signature matches. But my lord, the Void is..." He trailed off.
"Deadly. Unpredictable. A place where even demons fear to tread." I turned to face him. "Which makes it the perfect place to hide a Veilstone fragment. No one would dare go looking."
"Will you?"
Would I? The Void existed outside the normal realms. A space between spaces where reality broke down and reformed according to no logic anyone understood. Angels and demons who ventured there rarely returned. And those who did return were never quite the same.
But if there was a Veilstone there, if I could claim it before anyone else...
"Not yet," I decided. "The Void is a last resort. Focus on the location in the human city first. Gather intelligence. Find out exactly how well-guarded it is."
"As you command." Kael made to leave, then turned back. "My lord, if I may speak freely?"
"Have you ever needed permission before?"
"The angel. Angelina." He watched my expression carefully. "The court is talking. They say you're spending too much time with her. That she's making you weak."
"The court can talk all they want."
"They're planning something. Lilith has been meeting with some of the older demons. The ones who remember before the fall. I think..." He hesitated. "I think they're planning a coup."
That got my full attention. "How certain are you?"
"Seventy percent. Maybe more. They're being careful, but I have sources." Kael moved closer. "They think removing the angel will restore your focus. Make you the leader Hell needs instead of..."
"Instead of what?"
"Instead of someone still hung up on a love that died a millennium ago." He said it gently, but the words still cut.
I could have punished him for the insolence. Should have, probably. But Kael had always been honest with me. It's why I valued him.
"Let them plot," I said. "If they make a move against her, I'll know who's loyal and who needs to be replaced."
"And if they succeed? If they kill her before you can stop them?"
The thought made something cold settle in my chest. Angelina, dead. Erased from existence. Gone before I could even figure out what we were becoming.
"They won't succeed." I met Kael's eyes. "Double the guards around her chamber. Triple them. No one gets near her without my explicit permission. Not Lilith. Not anyone."
"That will only confirm their suspicions that she's made you weak."
"I don't care what they think." The words came out harsher than intended. "Just do it."
Kael bowed and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
A coup. Of course. I'd been so focused on Heaven, on the Veilstones, on Angelina, that I'd stopped paying attention to my own court. Let dissent fester. Let Lilith's jealousy turn into something actionable.
Dangerous.