Ruby Shadows (Born to Darkness #3)(129)
He spoke the word as if it was a curse, making me flinch.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a low voice. “As I said, I don’t know why he did it. If it makes you feel any better he took half my power with him when he went.” I still didn’t want to think of his betrayal—it seemed so strange that he would do something like that to me and then sacrifice himself to save me. Such a contradiction…
“A pity he didn’t take all of your power,” Belial said grimly. “Perhaps if he had, he might have broken the spell you had over him and saved himself instead of you.”
“I didn’t have him under any spell,” I snapped, goaded into feeling angry instead of sad for once. “He just showed up when I did a summoning and then he wouldn’t leave me alone. I never expected him to really care for me, any more than I expected to…to care for him.” The last word ended in a sob and I had to stop and clench my jaw tightly to keep from crying again.
“Of course you had him spelled—you have the scent of the Eternal Flame all around you,” Belial said, frowning. “At first I didn’t know what it was—it’s so subtle it’s easy to miss. But when I did a little research, all became clear.”
“The Eternal what?” I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“The Eternal Flame.” He made an impatient gesture. “Do not pretend you don’t know all about it.”
“But I don’t,” I protested. “What is the Eternal Flame? What does that even mean?”
“Very well, since you choose to play the innocent,” he growled. “The Eternal Flame is what happens when the flames of Hell consume the life of someone you love—someone who loves you more than anything—when you are nearby. It is the scent of sacrifice and love and death. The creatures of the Infernal Realm find it irresistible, as I’m sure you know.”
“No, I don’t…I don’t know anything about it.” I felt sick to my stomach. “But…my mother—she was killed by a fire demon she summoned when I was just a little girl. I…I saw the whole thing through a crack in the closet door.”
“That’s it, then.” Belial nodded, as though he’d been vindicated in some way. “I knew it had to be the Eternal Flame. When a mortal creature comes that close to death—especially death at the hands of one from the Infernal Realm—the scent lingers, like a subtle perfume. Sometimes so subtle that those affected don’t even know they are being drawn by it.”
I felt numb. “Laish did say he didn’t know why he…he cared for me.” He had said it right here in this room, as a matter of fact.
Belial sighed and rubbed a hand over his ancient, wrinkled face.
“I thought he knew of the Eternal Flame, but perhaps not.”
“He must have though,” I protested. “I told him about how my mother died.”
“That is assuming he knew about the lore behind the fragrance you are oh-so-subtly emitting my dear,” he snapped. “It is not common knowledge. I only found it by digging into the most ancient lore books after the two of you had left for the Sunless Sea.” He frowned at me. “I wondered how you, as a mere mortal, had come across it.”
“I didn’t,” I said wearily. “I didn’t have any idea that the way my mother died could have given me some kind of…of aroma.”
“It is more an aroma of the soul than one of the physical body,” Belial said. “But whether you knew of it or not, it seems my Lord Laish was unwittingly caught in your snare and sent to his doom by it.”
“Great,” I said dully. “So he never really cared for me at all. He just liked the way I smelled and it got him killed. Thanks, I feel so much better now.”
“Enough of your flippant comments,” Belial snapped. “Whether you did it on purpose or not, you have been responsible for ending the life of one of the greatest demons ever to roam the Infernal Realm.” He made a disgusted face. “It sickens me to even look at you.”
“Well you’re not going to be winning any beauty pageants either,” I shot back. “So why don’t you just let me go back home to the Mortal Realm and we can agree never to see each other again.”
“I don’t think so,” he snarled. “You’re to be held here for the hearing. After that, the Council of Elder Demons can decide what to do with you.”
“But you can’t do that to me,” I protested, feeling panic well up in my throat. “Laish specifically told me to come back to you so that you could send me home.”
“Lord Laish is not here anymore, thanks to you,” the old demon said stiffly. “For the sake of his memory, I will allow you to stay sequestered in his rooms here at the top of the Citadel until the hearing instead of locking you in the dungeon. But that is the last kindness you can expect to get from me or anyone by invoking his name.”
“But—” I began but he was already calling for some guards.
“Conduct Ms. LaRoux to Lord Laish’s private living quarters,” he instructed the burly demon who came at his summons. “And then stand guard at the top of the stairs and see that she does not leave.” He turned to me. “Your hearing will be held at first light tomorrow. I suggest you enjoy your comfortable quarters while you can. I very much doubt you can expect such living arrangements when the Council hands you over to Druaga.”