Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Such a feat would at least require three of the cage’s creators, and Saul was presently AWOL. As Cain had pointed out to Abel, the rogue Aeon would do neither Abel nor Adam any favors. Saul wouldn’t be content with doing something as simple as reduce the size of the prison—he wanted violence, blood, death, destruction.
“Whether he’s bluffing or not, this isn’t good.” Dantalion placed an empty tumbler on the small bar and then thrust a hand through his hair. “We need the little shit to come to us, not bark out threats to make our situation less comfortable.”
“He’ll come when he realizes his children are here,” said Cain.
Inanna cocked her head. “He did not mention them?”
“No.” Cain sat on the sofa beside his brother. “I would have mentioned them myself if he hadn’t vacated the psychic space so abruptly. It would seem that he hasn’t yet realized they’re missing.”
“He will not assume that Rima and Noah are here,” said Seth. “It won’t even cross his mind until he sees that Eve is also gone. Abel will know that, after the amount of punishments she’s endured at the hands of Adam, she wouldn’t leave without having somewhere she could go where he’d never get to her. Devil’s Cradle is one such place.”
Ishtar raised her hands. “Let’s not be so quick to believe that the brats and Eve are truly not part of some plot, Seth. How have they behaved?”
“They’re edgy, for the most part,” he replied. “They have reason to be. They know we don’t trust them and that they’re currently at our mercy.”
Ishtar began to slowly pace. “Have they asked to wander the city?”
Seth shook his head. “Nor have they acted in any way suspicious. They haven’t done any sneaking around, haven’t asked one too many questions, haven’t tried subtly testing if my loyalties just might be turned.”
“How Abel reacts when he learns they’re here will tell us a lot,” said Azazel. “If their presence turns out to be enough to lure him here, then they definitely aren’t here on his say-so. Or Adam’s, for that matter, since Abel would never go up against him.”
“But what if they are not enough?” asked Ishtar, her hands fisting. “I could not take it if our prison shrank. The walls might not be visible, but I feel them.” She placed her hands on her head, her breathing speeding up. “They badger the edges of my consciousness all the time.”
Inanna put a reassuring hand on her sister’s arm. “Abel has to be lying. He cannot possibly do as he threatens.”
“You don’t know that,” snapped Ishtar.
“Calm yourself,” coaxed Inanna. “Don’t let him do this to you, it is what he wants.”
Ishtar lowered her arms to her sides, balling up her hands once more. “What if we just give up the witch?”
Both Cain and his creature stiffened, anger tearing through them. “I’d advise you not to repeat that.” The warning was low. Dark. Menacing.
Ishtar sighed. “You assume I propose it because of my personal feelings—”
“It is a correct assumption,” Cain interrupted.
Standing, she shook her head wildly. “This is about how utterly unwilling I am to let our situation worsen.” She swept her panicked gaze over the others. “Do you all really want to risk that Abel is bluffing? He was right on one thing. Her life is not worth any further suffering on our part.”
Cain unfurled from his seat and stalked toward her, his jaw tight, his monster furious. “Let me make myself very clear,” he said slowly, emphasizing every word. “No one will be relinquishing Wynter to the Aeons. Not under any circumstances.” He’d kill anyone who tried.
“But she—”
“Is mine. I will not give her up to Abel.”
“You are not considering the long-term consequences,” Ishtar clipped. “If Abel manages to shrink this cage, we will finally all lose our minds. We will eventually turn on each other. We’ll all die, Cain. And everyone in Devil’s Cradle will get caught up in our personal battle—they will then all die along with us, including your precious witch. If she was anyone else, you would consider sacrificing her.”
“But she isn’t anyone else. She’s Wynter. My consort.”
“Yours, not mine. So do not expect me to put her safety before my own wellbeing. No one else in this room will do it either.”
Cain kept his eyes on Ishtar as he called out, “Lilith, in my position, would you have ever given up your consort?”
“Not for anything,” Lilith replied, no hesitation. “Not even to prevent our prison from being resized in such a way.”
Ishtar whirled on her. “You cannot possibly mean that.”
Lilith folded her arms. “So you would sacrifice Inanna?”
Ishtar spluttered. “Of course not, but that is different.”
“Why?” asked Lilith, winging up a brow. “Because it’s you who would then be affected?”
“It is not simply that. What would be the point in us enduring the trauma of a smaller prison merely to save the life of a mortal? She will be dead within a few decades. But us? We will still be here, suffering for our sacrifice. Assuming we have not already killed each other by that point.” Ishtar straightened her shoulders. “I say we take a vote.”