Chapter Twenty-five
“I can hear them inside,” Briathos whispered as he paused outside a set of double doors.
“Let’s do it.” Russell grabbed a door handle, and Roman took the other. Connor and Howard lifted their swords, ready to charge in.
“Hold on.” Briathos tilted his head a moment, concentrating. “All right, I’ve alerted the others. They’ll be coming soon. We should wait—”
Russell flung open the door and rushed inside, followed by his friends. They came to a quick halt when several dozen armed demons hissed at them.
Howard winced. “Guess we should have waited.”
“Impatient mortals,” Briathos muttered as he extended a flaming sword toward the demons to keep them back.
Russell spotted Jia immediately, and a surge of relief spread through him. Even though she was surrounded by demons, she looked well. She immediately grinned, her eyes sparkling, but then she glanced nervously at the guy at the head table. That had to be Lucifer. And there was Darafer, seated at the first couch. A few of the other guests were recognizable—Casimir, Corky, and Rhett Bleddyn—but Russell’s gaze shifted quickly to the last couch on the left where a human form was hunched over the table, his head bowed.
“Markos,” Russell whispered, and the lifeless shadow that resembled his brother raised his head.
Russell’s breath caught. He’d expected to see rage or hatred in his brother’s eyes, not shame and despair.
“Markos,” he repeated, stepping toward him.
His brother lifted a hand to stop him, then glanced quickly at the armed demons and back to Russell.
A warning? Russell’s chest tightened. Was Markos worried about his safety? Damn. A wave of anguish struck Russell hard. He’d wanted so desperately to connect with his brother while he’d been alive. It seemed to be happening now, but it was too damned late.
“Aw, a family reunion,” Lucifer murmured. “How touching.” He motioned to the empty couches positioned along the end table. “Take a seat. Keep your brother company. It’s the least you can do after murdering him, don’t you think, Russell?”
Bile rose up Russell’s throat. The devil knew him by name. And knew his crime.
“Release Jia, the were-tigress,” Briathos demanded as he pulled Russell back. “Give her to us, and we will be on our way.”
“Why the hurry, Briathos?” Lucifer’s eyes narrowed. “Have a seat. Join us.”
Briathos gritted his teeth. “I will never share a table with you. Give us the captive.”
Lucifer snorted. “Such manners. Really, I expect an angel to be better behaved than that. Can’t you see I have guests? They’ve been waiting for you.” He motioned to the seven guests. “What do you think, Casimir? Isn’t it marvelous to see Connor again? After all, he’s the bastard who beheaded you.”
Casimir sneered at Connor. “I’ll make him suffer for that.”
Connor scoffed. “Ye can try. How fortunate that ye found yer head again. Are ye sure it isna screwed on backwards?”
With a snarl, Casimir leaped to his feet. “You fool, you think you can mock me? You and your friends are trapped here in hell. We will torture you until you beg for death!”
Another guest rose to his feet. “Roman Draganesti, this time when we duel, I will be killing you.”
Roman sighed. “Ivan Petrovsky. While it is true that I bested you in a duel, I didn’t kill you. You were stabbed to death by those two women there.”
Ivan glared at two of the other guests. “Katya, Galina, I have not forgotten. I will make you pay.”
Katya lifted a knife. “Try it, asshole. I’ll kill you again.”
“With pleasure,” Galina added, raising her knife.
“Hello, Howard.” Rhett Bleddyn sneered at the were-bear as he tested the sharpness of his knife. “Welcome to hell.”
Howard glowered back at him. “I see you’re right at home here.”
“He should be,” Corky grumbled, scowling at Rhett. “That bastard slept with me and then killed me!”
Casimir stiffened, giving Corky a stunned look. “You slept with that disgusting werewolf? You were my mistress!”
“You were dead.” Corky shrugged. “And not all that good in bed, either. Your crooked arm was useless.”
Casimir huffed. “It was broken in the Great Vampire War and healed this way in my death-sleep.”
Rhett snorted. “You should have broken it again. I’ll break it for you.”
“Don’t bother,” Corky hissed. “He prefers to look like a freak.”
“Bitch!” Casimir threw a knife at Corky, who’d already thrown her knife at Rhett.
With a cry, Corky wrenched the knife from her chest and plunged it into Casimir. “Bastard!”
“Bloody whores!” Ivan hurled knives at Katya and Galina just as they retaliated.
Within seconds, all six guests collapsed on the tables, dead.
“What the hell?” Russell muttered.
With a sigh, Lucifer lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s so hard to find intelligent help these days.”
Howard scoffed. “Anyone with any sense knows better than to side with evil. You’re a bunch of losers!”
The demons hissed as they brandished their swords.
“Not a good time to be insulting them, Howard,” Roman muttered.