Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(16)

I frowned, not sure why the demons wouldn’t at least have fought to get back to the Underground.

“Before they were taken down, one of them left that. It was rolled up.” Roger gestured at the square.

“Excellent job keeping it in its original shape,” I said, reaching for it. I showed Darius the broken seal, but he shook his head, indicating he didn’t recognize the design. I wondered if Vlad would have known it. After opening it, I read the short, scratchy words out loud, my heart speeding up. “‘The Great Master requests an audience with his heir. Summon her.’”

I showed Darius and then tossed it to the natural dual-mages.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Roger asked, that dual-colored gaze pinning me to the chair.

“Why don’t you tell me what you know, and I will tell you what I know,” I replied.

His gaze flicked to Darius. “You’ve been hanging out with him too long.”

“Annoying, right? But it gives Penny an outlet to explore her voyeurism, so who am I to say boo?”

Penny’s face closed down, her cheeks getting even redder. Teasing her just never got old.

“Obviously the heir it is talking about is Lucifer’s,” Roger started.

“Obviously,” I replied. No sense beating around the bush. It would just eat up time.

“Lucifer had a meeting with the elves shortly after Charity came into her full power. We don’t have the exact details, but it seems he was questioning the elves about the disturbance in the Underworld. The elves aren’t supposed to go there without approval, just like his people aren’t supposed to visit the Realm. The elves were tight-lipped about the situation, and it seems Lucifer got the idea they were trying to hide something.”

“In other words, he thought they were guilty,” Emery surmised.

“Yes, exactly.” Roger adjusted his position. “I think the elves know less than Lucifer, other than that the woman in question isn’t Charity. They want to find this other woman, though, and they aim to do it before Lucifer can.”

“Why is that?” Penny asked.

“The elves won’t want Lucifer meeting his heir. They won’t want a possible repeat of the past,” Darius said, steepling his fingers, “because this time, they might not win. Unrest in the Realm is at an all-time high. If the vampires join Lucifer, and I’m sure they’ve gleaned Vlad’s interest in such a connection, the elves would be in a poor position.”

“Except they have the warrior fae as a fighting force, newly trickling out from the Flush.” Emery stared straight ahead. “And they have the shifters.”

“Yes.” Darius turned his attention back to Roger. “What about the shifters? Will they stand by an increasingly power-hungry and corrupt ruler in order to secure their assets?”

“As opposed to being ruled by a different power-hungry and corrupt ruler, like Vlad?” Roger shot back.

“Both good points, but let’s table that for now.” I dropped my hand to Darius’s knee.

Roger rolled his shoulders. “The vampire does have a point. The warrior fae used to be the peacekeepers of the Realm. They offered fair, impartial judgment on the elves’ rulership and prevented them from abusing power. Romulus wants to reestablish that, but he can only do that if he surpasses his mother and becomes the new ruler. He also needs to present Charity to the elf royalty. Hopefully we can reestablish a fair system in the Realm. He did mention, however, upon receiving that note…” Roger’s gaze bored into mine again.

“The suspense is absolutely killing me.” I lifted a finger. “Wait… No, it’s boring me, not killing me.”

“He is concerned that if an heir were to step forward, Lucifer’s ambition would once again blossom. He also expressed a concern that the elves and vampires might both try to use the heir as a pawn to bring Lucifer to heel. Romulus had to own that the elves might seek to snuff her out to prevent any possible repetition of the past.”

I was careful not to move a muscle, but there wasn’t much I could do about the sweat suddenly coating my forehead. I’d largely stayed out of the Realm to help keep my magic a secret. I hadn’t wanted someone figuring it out and blabbing. I hadn’t considered the elves might paint a target on my back, though. Even though I now knew the history with Lucifer and the elves, it hadn’t dawned on me that they might want to kill me.

My enemies were multiplying, and they were the most powerful enemies in all the worlds.

“Did you know about that?” I asked Darius softly.

I considered the possibility, he responded.

“Time to clear the air…” Roger leaned forward onto his elbows, his stare predatory. “You are demon spawn, correct? I’d already surmised that much.”

I hesitated. It felt like the future was bearing down on me. Threats were materializing, enemies circling, and I was teetering on the edge of a fate that I’d been hiding from my whole life. Regardless of how bored I’d been here, and how much I wanted to get back to my life, it seemed like an impossible feat to take that step.

Courage is not about the absence of fear, but finding the fortitude to push on in spite of it, Cahal echoed within the walls of my mind. This is the beginning.

I will stand by you through everything, mon coeur, Darius thought. I will let you choose the path you take, and I will step forward with you.