"How would we do that?" I asked.
"Lucifer had a key to Void long ago," Oberon said. "Given to him by his father. Perhaps he still has it hidden away somewhere?”
"I don't remember anything about the location of a key." I turned to the others who'd come with me. "Do any of you?"
All of them murmured no or shook their heads. Damn. Another dead end. Even if I wanted to send Lucifer to Void, which I would only do as a last resort, the places he might have concealed a key were too numerous to count. It would take far longer to search for it than it would take Pestilence and War to destroy the realms between them.
I drew in a breath as the path ahead became clear. "Then we have no choice but to release Famine."
"Do you have someone willing to make the sacrifice?" Oberon asked.
Azazel stepped forward. "I'll do it."
"I also volunteer," Belial said.
"As do I," Damien chimed in.
Oberon drummed his fingers on the throne. "Perhaps one of you is strong enough to control Famine. Perhaps not. I'll be sending some of my own people with you to be certain it's handled correctly."
"I wouldn't expect anything less." In truth, I'd worried he might come with us. After all, he was one of the people who had trapped the Four Horsemen originally, and I thought he might want to be there when the one in his realm was released. I supposed Oberon didn't like getting his hands dirty anymore. He'd been different back when I was Eve. Not such an asshole. A real leader to his people.
The High King raised his chin. "I can't have a Horseman of the Apocalypse traipsing about my realm. We've kept Famine contained so long due to our strong ties with nature, but once that tomb is open, there's no telling what will happen to our realm."
"You know I will not allow Famine to harm Faerie," Damien said, with a small bow to his uncle. "If I must be the one to make the sacrifice, I would do it to protect our people."
"I know you would. That's the only reason I'm allowing this endeavor at all." Oberon's eyes hardened and his voice turned sharp. "And if all else fails—make sure to open a portal to Earth so Famine can destroy that world instead of ours."
Yep. Still an asshole.
9
Lucifer
Las Vegas was sprawled out below me, all the lights, all the power, all the greed. I breathed it in, using it like fuel before turning my attention to The Celestial and my penthouse at the top. It wouldn’t take me long to amass my demon warriors and lead them forth into battle. As soon as the angels arrived, we’d wreak havoc and destruction upon them, and on the unsuspecting mortals residing in the area. None would be spared my wrath.
My wings beat against the night as I soared over the city, concealed by darkness. Something about flying by the Stratosphere tickled my mind, like a memory I couldn't retrieve, but then War's presence crushed the feeling. He was always there, entwined with my own self, and soon I forgot anything except overwhelming rage.
I dropped down in front of The Celestial, sheathed my wings, and adjusted my suit. This time I planned to enter my kingdom properly, and I would announce myself to my people so they knew who they truly served. As for the woman? I planned to lock her away, keeping her caged like a songbird until she gave birth to my child. Then I would decide what to do with her.
But as I stepped inside my casino I noticed it was disturbingly empty, and heard shouts and screams up ahead by the bar. I walked quickly, passing human bodies on the ground around the blackjack tables and in front of the slot machines, each one an unnatural color and covered in putrid boils. A few were still alive, groaning and clutching their heads or chests, their features set in grim masks as they writhed on the carpet.
Pestilence. The name slithered through me, my whole body reacting to the slimy feel of it. Yes, he was here. Another Horseman. A brother of sorts, though not one welcome at my door. But why was he here? What did he seek? Did he plan to ally with me—or challenge me?
I found him at the Styx Bar, surrounded by gargoyles in stone form, who were managing to hold him off and resist his attacks, though I suspected that wouldn't last for long. They paused when they saw me, some of them opening their mouths in shock and fear, though some turned hopeful eyes upon me, as if I might save them from their fate. Save them I would, but only because they belonged to me. I wrapped my power around them, bending them to my will, taking away all their thoughts except those of combat and violence.
Pestilence turned toward me and snarled, his eyes glowing white and filled with madness. The body he'd claimed had not fared well under his control, and his skin was yellow and blistered, his hair white and thin, and his body reeked of decay and disease. Just being this close to him made me feel contaminated, though my powers protected me from much of his sickness.
“Why are you here?” I asked in a way that stiffened Pestilence’s shoulders. "This is my domain."
"You know why." He cocked his head with a manic grin. "Or perhaps you don't. Have you forgotten our ancient feud as well?"
His words stirred something inside me, but once again it was just out of reach. The body he'd taken had belonged to Gadreel, a Fallen who had once served me, who turned out to be the reincarnation of Adam. I remembered all of that, though not why he'd betrayed me, nor why I carried such immense hatred for
