Labyrinth: Acropolis Series Book II Read Online Free PDF Page A

hybrids. I am their king, but the
kingdom is primarily ruled by the people. The hybrids have been
given a voice, and a home. I'm well aware of the difficulties
hybrid Demons have faced both in Hell and out of it. Hybrids are
dying at the hands of their Demonic parents as well as by the
people sworn to protect them."
    Marcas' words are cutting, a direct insult to
Demons and gargoyles alike. Will, Marion, and Grace stiffen, but I
don't move. Our races have both made mistakes.
    Marcas gestures at the hybrids. "Our kingdom
in the Outer Levels is a new one, and realistically, it is doomed
to fail . . ."
    "And this is supposed to mean something to
us? Until today, we didn't know we had a king and we're supposed to
care about your kingdom?" a voice breaks in, and I'm surprised to
see it's Gray. He's sitting forward now, his hood back, his fingers
steeped on the table in front of him.
    Marcas doesn't look at him. His eyes remain
on Bruno's, but I notice the small tick in Marcas' jaw, and I know
Gray's interruption has annoyed him.
    "I'll give you that, Hybrid. Until recently,
I didn't know of your existence either. I am the son of the
she-Demon, Lilith, and as much as I despise the woman, her power
still runs through my veins. Each of you is the product of an
equally powerful Demon. You're hybrid blood is different, more
potent than the average hybrid."
    Bruno glances quickly at Gray.
    "And this is supposed to mean something to
us?" Bruno asks, repeating Gray's previous inquiry.
    Marcas doesn't move, his gaze unwavering.
    "Only if you want it to. Your parentage
affords you a certain responsibility to your own kind. The Outer
Levels of Hell are now a hybrid sanctuary, a kingdom full of
half-Demon men, women, and children. If it fails, we all die."
    His words trail off dramatically, leaving
behind a silence filled with thoughts. The Acropolis' hybrids know
about survival. While Marcas was starting a riot in Hell and
marching on Lucifer, they were escaping the Acropolis and settling
into their new home in Italy. They don't care about Marcas'
politics. They do, however, care about their race and it's
longevity.
    "Why would your kingdom fail?" a quiet voice
asks, the sound breaking the silence, and I feel tempted to
shudder. Emma's voice is soft. Hearing it is like having a feather
brushed across the skin.
    Marcas finally looks away from Bruno, but he
avoids Emma's face. She seems nervous and unsure, and her gaze
moves skittishly around the room.
    " Our kingdom," Marcas says firmly, "only inhabits one layer of
Hell, and even though our numbers are strong, we are still weak
compared to Lucifer and his followers. We can only endure so many
battles before we will be overtaken."
    Lyre laughs, and Marcas' eyes go black.
    "You have so little confidence in yourself?"
she asks.
    Marcas' abrupt smile is menacing, his hands
settling firmly on the table before him, his sharp gaze on
Lyre.
    "Confidence in myself is beside the point,
Hybrid. It's plain logic. You have a nation of half-Demons
inhabiting the corner of a region in Hell twice as small as the
rest of the Underworld with a hybrid population outnumbered two to
one by full-blooded Demons."
    An arm brushes mine, and I look down to
discover Emma has moved up to the table. Her hands are shaking, and
she clasps them together tightly in front of her. I'm not sure if
it's fear making her shiver or if it's the tension in the room.
Something is different about her, but I can't place it. I want to
speak with her, but this isn't the time or the place.
    "Then why did you do it?" she asks, her eyes
on Marcas. His head swings in her direction, and she takes a deep
breath. "The kingdom, I mean. Why did you fight for it if you knew
it would fail?"
    Marcas pins her with his gaze.
    "For freedom."
    His answer is simple, but powerful. If there
is something the hybrids understand, it's the need for freedom, for
choice, for free will. Emma exhales. The urge to touch her is
strong, but something about the way she