Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy #3)(83)

Their selfish motives worked in our favor, and for that I was grateful. Kaidan watched me as his father moved us from side to side in a sickening dance.

“Brother Pharzuph,” said the dapper Astaroth, “I’m afraid this is more dire than we thought. Your son and the traitor’s daughter are quite . . . in love.”

“You jest,” whispered Pharzuph, squeezing my throat harder.

“Not in the least,” Astaroth said. “And they’ve acted on it. They’re married.”

The Dukes let out scandalized sounds of disbelief. Even surrounding Neph gasped.

“So, that’s how you did it,” Pharzuph hissed.

In a careful voice Astaroth said, “Marna and Ginger, move away from the son of Pharzuph. You will have nothing more to do with him.”

The girls stared at their father, unmoving.

“I said, get over here!” Astaroth commanded.

“No,” Ginger said.

Astaroth’s stunned expression was priceless.

“What the hell is the problem here?” Thamuz snarled. “Andre, Ramón!” His two sons stepped forward, standing just outside the circle. “At least one of us can control our children!” Thamuz bragged to the Dukes, then looked at his sons. “Take care of him!”

Both of the guys turned toward Kaidan and hesitated.

“Do it!” Thamuz yelled.

“We have no weapons,” one of them said.

Thamuz’s eyes went wide with anger. “Since when do you need a weapon? Two of you against one knife is no contest. Kill him!”

As they moved toward Kaidan, panic welled up inside of me and I pressed my will out to them: Do not harm him! You don’t have to obey your father! Their steps slowed and they stopped. I could not believe it. One of the sons grabbed his head as if it hurt.

Thamuz let out a terrible yell and punched his nearest son in the temple, knocking him out cold. The other one fell to the floor and cowered before him.

“I don’t know what’s happening, Father! I think we’re being influenced!”

“Idiota! Your will to kill should be stronger than any influence.”

Rahab shook his head. “No Duke would dare to influence you against your father’s wishes, and no Neph is powerful enough—” He stopped, and his head slowly turned to me. Then all eyes were on me. Pharzuph’s grip tightened to the point that I could barely breathe. It wouldn’t be long before I passed out if he didn’t loosen his hold.

“You did this!” Thamuz said to me. I was feeling so faint I could hardly manage an ounce of fear.

Until Rahab stepped in front of me.

“Do not forget with whom you are dealing, child,” he said. His demon self came half out of the top of his body, leaning into my face like a wraith and shrieking. His gigantic horns twisted around the shadowy spirit head, making me shrink back into Pharzuph.

I felt Rahab pressing into my mind, and though I fought it, he was too strong. A chilling sense of evil filled me as his words rang out in my head. How does it feel to know you’ll be burning in hell this very night as we bask in your suffering? You chose wrong when you chose against the stronger force.

I remembered the peace of my mother, Mariantha, and her words of love.

You’re wrong about the stronger force, I silently said to him. Now, get out of my head! With huge effort I pushed my mind, like moving a brick wall, and I forced him out. His demonic eyes bore into mine, shocked that I was able to extract him. He pulled his soul completely back into his body. Pharzuph was clutching painfully hard around my throat. I grabbed his forearms, trying to pry him away or at least loosen his hold before I suffocated, but he didn’t budge.

“Your feistiness was endearing at first, but it’s starting to wear thin,” Pharzuph said.

“Her mind and will are strong,” said Rahab, “but there are ways to disable any person. Everyone has a weakness . . . something that makes them question their Maker.”

I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. Like he had some knowledge or secret that could “disable” me.

“Excuse me, Duke Rahab,” called Marek from the doorway.

All heads spun to him.

“I apologize for the interruption, but I believe Duke Belial approaches.”

Just then a loud knock sounded. The faces of the Dukes hardened, and my heart soared high above the summit.

“By all means,” Rahab said. “Let him in.”

The door was quickly opened, letting in a wash of sounds from the club, then closed and locked again as my father strode in wearing a navy blue pin-striped suit. His hair was neatly cut and he looked amazing. At his side was Zania in designer jeans and heels. She crossed her arms and glared at the Dukes. Her father, Sonellion, let out a growl.

“Now you just hurt my feelings,” Dad said in that gloriously deep voice. “I didn’t even get an invitation.”

“Traitor!” Sonellion yelled. He looked poised to strangle my father, but neither he nor any of the other Dukes made a move to seize him. “You were behind all of this! You stole my daughter!”

Dad laughed at the ridiculousness of that.

“You came here to mock us?” Pharzuph demanded, and in his preoccupation with my father, I felt his hold on me loosen. My lungs filled with air, and a surge of energy accompanied the oxygen.