He laughed and fixed me with a fond gaze. “I don’t want to bring my armies here, silly little girl.”
My eyebrows knit together in confusion. If he didn’t need me to release his armies, then what did he need me for?
“You see, Earth isn’t the only realm in need of my help.” He stroked the smooth lines of his jaw with his fingertips. “Over the years, my brothers and I have failed to see eye-to-eye. As a result, Hell has been thrown into a civil war. After I assist this world, I will return to Hell, stronger than ever. My brothers will tremble before me. And only then will the pain end.”
His face changed into a sorrowful expression that tugged on my heartstrings, despite my head telling me to guard my feelings. This guy was good. He didn’t need force or torture. He could manipulate with words alone.
Pushing out his lips into the most masculine pout I’d ever seen, he gazed deeply into my eyes. “So, you see, Lizzy Redding. I will need you when the time comes. Without you, I cannot return home to claim my birthright. You’d be doing everyone a favor. Sending my armies and me back to Hell. That’s all I desire. And you shall have your freedom.”
Teetering on the balls of me feet, I stared wide-eyed at him. My brain was whirling, trying to make sense of all that he had just said. It sounded great to my ears. Sending the Prince of Hell and his armies back to where they belonged: in Hell. But something didn’t feel right. I was being manipulated. Somewhere within his smooth promises, there were lies and half-truths. Luke had warned me of this. Never trust a demon. They were evil. And Seth was the worst of them all.
Finally, I came to my senses. Shaking my head, I bared my teeth and practically spat at him. “Never. You won’t control me.”
Mona raged in the back of my head, causing a slight headache to form between my eyes. I squinted through the pain at Seth as his skin changed from light pink, to red, to purple. And then, he leaned back against the tree and became the picture perfect example of calm.
“Good thing for you,” he said with a flourish of his hand, “is that you have time to consider my offer. I still have several phases of my plan to complete until you become of use. Until then, you can think about your response.”
I flinched as he held up Psyche’s Box, his fingers on the latch.
“I suggest you think good and hard,” he added, his black eyes hardening. “Or, your friends and family might just pay the cost of defying me.”
In that brief moment, all his charms and good looks faded into something menacing and horrifying to look at. It was like staring death directly in the face. A shudder went through me, although I refused to look away.
“Until then, I require my servant returned to her post,” he said in a monotone voice. “My eyes on the ground. Think about my offer, Lizzy Redding. Don’t underestimate me or my destiny. I will prevail, one way or another.”
With a twist of his slender fingers, the box popped open and once again, I found myself diving into the black.
Chapter Sixteen
It didn’t take me as long to recover this time. By the time I came to and found myself once again locked in the recesses of my mind, Mona had just exited the forest and approached the manor. Right away, I could tell something was wrong. People were running around. Warriors carried multiple weapons across their backs as they lined up on the lawn. Laramie had saddled the horses and tied them up outside the corral.
What’s going on? I demanded from Mona.
As far as I could tell, there were no ferals on the property. The board had managed to properly secure the land once again. But for how long, no one knew.
“It’s Seth’s plan, set in motion,” she said with a cocky sneer. “Just you wait. You’re going to love this one.”
I didn’t like the venom in Mona’s voice. Still, there was nothing I could do to make her talk. My time was better spent thinking of a way out of here. A plan B. Some way to alert my friends of my captivity. Surely, I hadn’t run out of options yet.
“Lizzy!” Laramie waved from the barn.
With a sigh, Mona put on her best smile and jogged toward her. “What’s going on? What’s happening?”
Laramie huffed, her cheeks rosy as she dropped a saddle on the last remaining horse. “The demons are attacking your hometown. The warriors have been called in to assist.”
“They are?”
The mock shock in Mona’s voice made me cringe. Surely, Laramie could see right through her.
“I’ve saddled Reba for you.” She waved her small hand at my horse, prancing just feet away.
“Oh, thanks...”
Mona grimaced as she surveyed the animal. Her gaze trailed up its long legs, to the hard leather saddle, and finally settled on Reba’s fiery eyes. She inched her way over to the horse and reached out a hand. I could’ve shouted for joy when Reba snorted and tossed her head violently, her nostrils flaring in anger. At least the horse knew something was off.
“What’s wrong with her?” Mona demanded, whipping around to face
Laramie.