“Well, there’s no way I’m in the goddamn Book, since I was just made. And the demons can’t have anything on me yet,” Ray interrupted, pushing himself off the wall where he’d been standing. “So I’ll go.”
I shot him a look of surprise.
Tally sized him up with a skeptical eye.
“Ray,” I said. “I appreciate your willingness to fight demons on my behalf, but there’s no way you’re strong enough—”
“He’s in,” Tally said, her voice resigned. “It’s perfect, really. He’s a reaper and a vampire. A supernatural who technically should never have been created. He will muddle their monitors naturally, and the fact that he’s a reaper can only help you. His signature also feels strong enough—in fact, it feels a lot like yours.” Her eyes were shrewd. “But we won’t know until we test him fully.” She addressed Ray. “Vampire, can you suck the absence of a soul from a demon?”
His eyebrows shot up. “How the hell should I know?” he answered. “I just figured out I was a reaper two hours ago.”
Tally tapped her foot patiently. “Not all reapers are created the same. Some are tailored especially for certain jobs. It depends on your genetic line. What did the Demon Lord look like to you?”
“Its skin was made of smooth shiny scales and it had an ugly face, like some kind of serpent man,” Ray said.
My eyebrows shot to my forehead. The demon’s glamour hadn’t worked on Ray. I’d seen a few snippets of its reptilian side, too, so I knew he was telling the truth.
“Good.” Tally nodded. “You saw its true nature. That’s promising. Very few are able to do such a thing.”
I shook my head. “If Ray is willing to come on his own free will, that’s fine.” My eyes found Rourke. “But I’m not willing to risk anyone else I love accompanying me. Tyler being taken overwhelms me on all levels and I refuse to let someone else I care about be lost to the demons.”
“Jessica,” Rourke said, turning toward me. “You have to be reasonable. Letting you go alone, with only a new vampire to aid you, is insanity.”
“We won’t be alone,” I assured him. “And Tally will prepare us the best she can. If we have a chance to take the best tactical attack, we need to use it—I agree with that.” My voice was strong. “Please don’t ask me to abandon my brother.”
“Of course I’m not asking you to do that,” he reasoned. “But there have to be other ways around this we can discuss.”
His fear and uncertainty rang inside me. Letting me go to the Underworld without him would be the hardest thing he’d have to do in our short time together.
But I had something that would help.
“How about I make you a promise I won’t go unless I can fortify the odds in our favor?” I told him.
“How are you possibly going to do that?” Rourke asked. “A brand-new vamp who has no idea how to work his powers and who else? Who is strong enough to aid you?”
I paused, taking my time with the announcement.
It had to have the desired effect.
“Eudoxia.”
There was an audible gasp from everyone in the room.
Rourke’s face flashed surprise, my father blew out a long breath, and the Queen’s voice tinkled with laughter. “You are delusional, as usual,” she almost purred. “I just finished explaining why it would never work, Little Wolf Girl. But let me try again because it’s clear your brain has been jarred from all the heavy lifting: If I go to the Underworld, the demons will swarm us the minute we arrive.” Her face elongated and her fangs snapped down. “But, even if they didn’t”—her eyes went dead black—“there is no way I would go to hell for you.”
“I saved your life out there,” I said, pacing forward, “again. That makes it twice in one day.”
She hissed, her face still cruel.
“This is it, Eudoxia. It’s your chance. Once we come back, all debts are wiped clean. You are the only one strong enough to give us the best odds of getting Tyler back, and your power combined with mine is lethal. It managed to wipe out even the Prince of Hell’s magic. Together we can defeat anything down there.”
Her power jumped out before her, pressing against me. It licked at my face and pushed at my chest. But I was ready, my power wrapped up inside me like a coat of armor.
Molding my power had become second nature and it felt good to master it.
“You’re as foolish as you look,” she snapped. “Even if I owed you another favor, which I do not, I would never agree to accompany you to the Underworld.” Her face slid even farther, her control slipping. “My debt to you has been paid. The ward went up and, as an extra token, one for you taking the demon magic—which would not have killed me—I gave you my power freely. It was not my fault the opposition was too strong.”
My father walked toward me. “Jessica, I don’t know what you’re getting at, but taking the Queen won’t work because of everything we’ve outlined so far. If she’s the one you pick, you can take your mate or me just as easily.” His voice was wary. “We need to think of someone else.”
“He’s right,” Tally agreed. “I’m not sure why you picked her, but the Vamp Queen will sound the alarms. She’ll be like a lighthouse flashing a signal in the darkness.”
“No, she won’t,” I said confidently.
Tally inclined her head at me in question, clearly thinking I was presumptuous, but smart enough to hear me out.
“Are you calling me a liar?” The Queen’s fury radiated outward. “I should’ve ended you when I had the chance! You are nothing but a nuisance.” Her hands fisted at her sides. “Just like the Prince of Hell stated in front of us all. You are a blister on the heel of every supernatural ever created.”
“But you didn’t kill me, did you?” I said as I took a bold step toward her. “You could’ve killed me when the Prince threw his power at me, but there was a reason you aided me.” I leaned forward and whispered, “It’s because I have something you desperately want and without it you will be stuck here to rot for a thousand more years.”
“You’re wrong. I want nothing from you,” the Queen spat, her face barely contained.
“You’re not fooling anyone. You need my blood. And I want my brother. Sounds like a fair trade to me.”