Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Cain poked his tongue into the inside of his cheek. “I don’t trust them. Not even a little. But I don’t believe they’re lying about why they came here.”
“Oh, you cannot be serious,” snapped Ishtar. “Surely you are not getting sentimental just because they are your relatives. Perhaps spending so much time with the witch has made you go soft.”
Ignoring the childish outburst, Cain went on, “Adam’s greatest goal was to keep me and Eve apart. He would never want to reunite us. He also wouldn’t trust that she wouldn’t betray him—he’s a paranoid bastard, and he’s hurt her enough that he knows her love for him has long since died. She was always under his thumb, yes, but not to such an extent that she didn’t have her own mind. What she lacked was a way to exercise it.
“Plus, I agree with Azazel: Abel wouldn’t want his children in our grasp. He’d never credit us with enough mercy to believe we’d let them live, let alone allow them to stay here and have the opportunity to end us. I’m not saying he gives much of a fuck about them, only that he wouldn’t want me to have the ‘victory’ of killing any of his offspring.”
Inanna hummed. “You do make good points.”
“Another thing to consider is that, assuming they’re truly not here by design, Adam and Abel will be furious that they have left and will no doubt guess that they’re here,” Cain went on. “They’ll want them back. Perhaps even badly enough to come here themselves to retrieve them.”
Dantalion cocked his head. “You would use them as bait?”
“If it meant getting out of this cage, absofuckinglutely.”
Azazel smiled and slapped Cain’s back. “Your mind is a merciless place; I like it.”
“I am inclined to see just what good bait they might make, but there is only one way I would consent to them staying here,” said Lilith. “They would need to pay the usual price.”
“That would be enough to make me agree,” said Dantalion. “I would not trust them, I would want them monitored, but I would permit them to stay.”
“As would I, but on the condition that they are not present for meetings,” said Azazel. “I wouldn’t trust them with any of our plans.”
“Neither would I.” Seth twisted his lips. “I am fine with them staying at my Keep.”
Ishtar groaned. “Of course you are. You are already buying that they are telling the truth and you are raring to play happy families.”
“Think, Ishtar, this is the most logical option,” Seth told her. “If Abel has sent them here, if they are firmly in his camp, they will believe as he does—that Cain poisoned my mind. They will try to turn my loyalties. It will be very subtle, but it will happen.”
“I can see Abel asking that of them,” said Cain. “He would want you to betray me, Seth. He would get a kick out of it.” And it would mean that Abel could declare war on Devil’s Cradle without fearing that he would cause Seth’s death.
“If they do try twisting my loyalties, we will know for sure that they are here on behalf of others,” said Seth. “Another good reason for them to stay with me is that I can milk them for information in a way where it will simply seem like I’m trying to get to know my relatives. I also have plenty of hirelings who can help watch over them—some will be visible, some won’t be.”
“You don’t completely trust them either,” Azazel sensed.
Seth lifted his shoulders. “I do not know them. I didn’t have a relationship with my mother until I was an adult, and we never really formed a bond. I won’t lie, I want them to be here for the right reasons. But I am not blind to the possibility that they’re not.” He switched his focus to Cain. “Do you have any conditions to them staying here?”
Yes, he did. “They will not be welcome at my Keep—particularly not in my garden. And they will not be introduced to Wynter. Not until I feel positive that they are not plants or here to cause harm to her.”
Ishtar folded her arms, sulky. “I’m not comfortable with this. I want them gone.”
“Why?” asked Seth, clearly on the verge of rolling his eyes.
She sniffed at him. “They might be your blood, but they are still our enemies.”
“They never fought in the war that led to our exile,” Seth reminded her. “Rima and Noah were babes back then. Eve refused to fight against us.”
“She also didn’t fight for us,” Ishtar shot back.
“To be fair, she was placed in an impossible situation,” Lilith cut in. “Two of her sons were on one side of the war. Her other son and two daughters were on the opposite side. And Eve, well, she’s never been a fighter, has she?”