Ties That Bind: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

at my back. My element instinctively reached for his, exploring, entwining.
    “It seems only fitting you should claim his throne. No?”
    Hell, no. I didn’t want to claim anything of Akil’s. I certainly didn’t want his netherworld fortress or to be anywhere near the Dark Court, if I could help it. I locked my expression down and internally trampled on the panic nipping at my thoughts. “I already have one title. I don’t need another.”
    My father drew up alongside me, his wing curled around behind, embracing me without touching. He lifted his protruding chin. His eyes narrowed before he glided his attention down to me. “You reduced Gluttony to lava. You assisted in the infinite destruction of Envy. Greed stood by your side, and perished. Your mistake is believing you have a choice. You belong among the Dark Court.”
    Where better to meet with Jerry? To ascertain what the princes were planning? To figure out how to restore Akil and the veil? I’d be at the top of the demon food chain. The demon part of me curled a smile across my lips. A half-blood Princess of Hell. Oh, yes, that would do nicely. But I swallowed back the purr of agreement. “You didn’t bring me here for my benefit. What do you want from me?”
    Asmodeus’s lips hooked into a sly grin. “Baal seeks to restore the veil. The Dark Court is not in agreement. You will assist in his destruction.”
    I managed to maintain my smile. It was the demon thing to do. But inside, I recoiled. The court wanted me to help destroy Jerry, the King of Hell? Human loyalties screamed refusals. But this was the netherworld. Loyalty played no part there.
    Asmodeus waited for my reply. The longer I delayed, the less likely he would be to believe me. I needed to get inside the court. Perhaps I could help Jerry from inside their ranks. At the very least, I’d be able to study my enemies. There were too many unknowns. To many ifs, buts, and maybes. Asmodeus was right. I didn’t have a choice. “Very well. But I will not adopt Greed’s title. I have my own.”
    Light slid along his sharp teeth. “Agreed.”

Chapter 5
    M ammon’s fortress crawled with demons. Most were of the lesser variety. They clung to the polished stone walls, nestled around exposed beams, and generally filled every nook and crevice. All eyed me warily, ducking leathery heads low. Hisses slipped through clenched teeth. Armored skin rattled. They no more liked me than I liked them. Higher demons had made the fortress their home, and the battlements enclosed a settlement of sorts. Those demons eyed me as they might their next meal. Unlike their lesser brethren, the higher demons saw only a one-winged half-blood whore. Never mind what the Mother of Destruction had reportedly done in the human realm. The netherworld would need proof by way of spilled blood. One, or many, would try to kill me and soon. My skin itched with anticipation. Let them bring it. I’d cremate any demon who tried.
    Asmodeus left me to wander the fortress. I roamed the halls, as I had once as a naïve half-blood. Despite my missing wing, I threw off enough heat to project a formidable presence. I oozed control, while inside, panic pulled on frayed nerves. Sure, I could bluff my father to a point, but the truth was, I had no idea how to manipulate him or the court. Akil had told me he’d manipulated the princes for years, but he’d never imparted any of that useful skill to me. I was going to have to wing it, so to speak. Not a particularly comforting thought. First things first: gauge how deeply in the shit I was, meet the court, and feel out their plans. Find out how to bring Akil back, and when I was armed with the facts and hopefully with Akil by my side, we’d make for Jerry and tell him everything. If all went well, he’d know how to restore the veil. If I couldn’t find the information beforehand, he’d definitely know how to resurrect Akil, and given how they’d been buddies, I could trust his words. Asmodeus