Genesis Queen (The Road to Hell Series) (21 page)

He took off with the Ark of Heaven without a backward glance.

Zennyo Ryuo dumped hash browns and breakfast casserole onto a piece of toast. He folded it like a taco. “I’ll go find Madison and apologize.”

“I’ll go instead.” Elias pushed out of his chair. “You and Micah should work out the details on maintaining our princess’ security.”

A black eyebrow rose high on Zennyo Ryuo’s forehead. “
You
are going to apologize?”

His brother shrugged. “More or less.”

Chapter Twenty

Elias located Madison in what he’d call the study. Cleaning weapons. The slow, meticulous movements indicated self-control, which irritated him. As always, he just wanted to rumple her self-righteousness.

Madison looked up from the pistol she oiled. “You got something to say or are you planning to take notes?”

“Bullets won’t kill any demon.” He sauntered into the room, noting the furniture pushed to the walls.

“Thank you, Sherlock Holmes.” She threw a bullet at him.

He caught it. After a scant inspection, he tipped her a confused expression.

“Minor details aren’t your thing, huh?” He frowned and she went back to stroking the cloth along the metal. “Pay attention to the tip.”

Etched into the slug was her sigil. This mortal spawn continued to impress him. It wouldn’t do to let her know that, though, so he said dryly, “Inventive.”

“They’re only used if I don’t feel like wasting my breath to send them back to Hell.” She set the weapon aside and watched him.

“Yeah, I’ve met up with a few”—more than a few, to be honest—“that you commanded back.”

She’d used her royal directive too freely. Not that anyone asked his opinion.

“What do you want, Elias?”

She sounded tired as she ran her fingers over her brow.

“Maybe I simply want to talk.”

“You don’t chat.” She watched him like he was a marauder who planned to conquer her territory. Who knew? With Madison anything was possible. “Never have. You bait me, talk down to me, and issue snide comments. So, I repeat, what do you want?”

Yeah, he’d committed all those offenses against her. Too bad she didn’t fear him instead of just dislike him. He could work with fear. “We’ve resolved our issue with Zennyo Ryuo.”

“So?”

That made him stutter. He thought she’d be pleased they’d pushed aside their differences. “We will move beyond our hatred of him.”

“I don’t care.” Tight little lines extended from her eyes in a heavy frown. “Got to be the weirdest conversation with you, ever.”

“I didn’t come to fight with you. I’m here to help save your scrawny, ungrateful ass.”

A scant smile hit her lips. It didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s more like it, Elias, but I sense you can do better.”

“You rub me the wrong way.”

“Ditto.”

“I’d enjoy getting in your personal space just to make you uncomfortable, while making sexual innuendos about guns and cocks…I will refrain.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down his nose at her. Micah’s fucking princess was a pain in his ass. Yet, he’d do anything he could to save
her
pretentious ass.

Madison angled her head, studying him with narrowed eyes. “Why do you enjoy making me uncomfortable?”

“You don’t adore my brother the way he does you.”

A long pause, as she collected a blade and a whetstone off the coffee table. She pointed at the door with the knife. “Get out.”

“Honesty makes you uncomfortable, too.” He whistled. “Even more uptight than I realized. We’ll need to work on that now that you’re Hell’s Genesis Queen.”

Mutiny flashed in her eyes to the perfect shade of Lynx pink. Madison flung the blade as she leapt to her feet. He could’ve dodged it, but instead he took the steel to the shoulder.

“That only stings.” Fingers curled around the handle, he gripped the hilt and yanked. “If you want me dead, you’ll have to be a little more imaginative.”

“If I wanted you dead, I would suck your seraph out of you like I did earlier.”

He graced her with an ironic grin that tilted one side of his mouth. Reminding him of his near-death experience at her hands less than twenty-four hours later was a miscalculation on her part. “Thanks for refreshing my memory.”

Elias went after her with a series of portal hops and demonic speed, nothing she could follow or defend. He came out of the last jump right in front of her. He grabbed her by the back of the head and buried the knife to the hilt in her belly.

Stunned by his violence, a loud gasp fell from her rounded lips. Eyes wide, she stared at him.

“I owed you one.” He winked.

Half a breath later, Zen teleported into the room as Phoenix and Micah came through a hellish portal together.

Betrayal came in the form of her brother-in-law. She would’ve never suspected.

Elias stepped away, yanking the knife Nix had given her out of her stomach. She wasn’t sure which hurt more, the blade piercing her body as it entered or abrading her flesh as it exited. Her fiendish brother-in-law coolly tossed the weapon to Zen as Nix rushed her.

Eliel’s smirk lasted as long as it took Micah to grab him by the shoulder, swing him about, and face-plant him with his fist. He slammed into the bookshelf, tomes crashing down on his head as her Sherlock ripped her shirt upward.

He would heal her, nothing to worry about.

Then silence. Utter stillness.

Madison caught his stare at her belly and she looked down to discover the horror he witnessed. The wound began to repair itself, stitching back together again like a bad sci-fi movie.

“No. No.
Li
!” She slapped at her belly, tears blurring her vision as blood coated her palms. The cut was gone, only the red evidence she’d bled remained.

One look at Nix’s expression and she knew he was already aware of what she suspected. The concern on his face almost made her lose all level-headedness. Trembling all over, she crammed the fingers of one hand through her hair and swiped at the tears with her other.

Nix stepped closer. “You’re getting blood all over yourself, baby.”

“Tell me it’s not true.” She’d have gone to her knees and begged him if she thought it’d make a difference. She’d have sworn allegiance to God if she thought He would alter her circumstances.

“You jackass,” her husband snarled. “What were you thinking?”

“I thought she
knew
she was immortal.” Elias plucked books off him with indolence, while she felt like her world had shifted into the darkest pit yet. “I mean, fuck, how can she go demon and expect to remain human?”

Blackness fringed her vision and Nix grew to a tiny circle in her sight.

Breathe, Madison
.

Her Sherlock moved to grab her and she threw her arm up, stepping out of his reach. If he touched her she
would
lose all self-control. And cry. No, nothing that dignified. She would sob.

She shook her head hard enough her hair flew and stuck to her bloody cheeks. “Im—Immortal?” She looked to her husband for answers. “As in never die?”

Forever, if they were able to thwart whatever came to take her down anyway.

“You are no longer human, kitten.” She’d expected smug satisfaction; instead, concern etched fine lines about his eyes.

Madison burst into tears. So much for not crying.

Arms whipped around her, snuggling her against a solid chest. The scents of sea salt, sulfur, and sunshine hit her nostrils. Micah.

“I don’t want to outlive Amos.” The very thought made her want to put a bullet in her brain. And yet that wouldn’t suffice. That reality turned her cries to the sobs she’d predicted. With all the noise she made, she knew she wasn’t a pretty crier. Not that she cared.

The King ran his palm down her back, holding her tight with the other arm about her shoulders. “You won’t. Amos will enjoy immortality when he hits maturity.”

“I don’t want to stay young while Nix grows old.”

Her husband stiffened, his hand halting a fraction before resuming its glide up and down her spine.

“Mads, baby.” Nix’s hand tangled in her hair and titled her head back. She blinked at him, his face blurry. “All I asked for was a handful of tomorrows with you. I’m not so selfish as to expect eternity.”

She left Micah’s embrace and collapsed into Nix’s. Gold saturated her. His messian. She appreciated his effort to soothe her, but nothing could heal the way her heart broke. “Y’all should’ve told me.”

“I’d planned to, baby.”

“I had, as well.” Her husband’s palm continued to caper along her back. He’d been a comfort to her a long time ago. His efforts to console her felt as natural today as they had in the past.

Zen, what do you have to say about this
? She sent the question telepathically and even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he’d have some sage wisdom.

Congratulations
.

Not what she expected or needed to hear.

Please, Zen
. How could he joke when her world went topsy-turvy? Again. She couldn’t take much more. The last five years had been one constant revelation after another. Nix would grow old while she’d stay young. It wasn’t fair; nothing about her life had ever been fair. She wanted a break, just one—

The immortal tugged her out of her Sherlock’s hold and enveloped her in a hug. The comfort of his friendship doused her better than Nix’s messian, because he soothed her with friendship, rather than magical aid.

“Shit.” She could imagine the shock on Elias’s face as he cursed. Outward displays of affection weren’t Zen’s style. “I’m inclined to believe Zennyo Ryuo won’t betray her as quickly as I thought he might.”

No, he wouldn’t. Of that, Madison had complete faith.

We’ll get through this together, Madison
. That promise consoled her in ways neither of her men could.
Like we always do
.

He was right. They had been through much together over the last four years. Nix had been her friend, the person she thought of when she wanted to give in to her demon. Zen’s role in her life was very different. He assisted her in finding resolutions to her obstacles.

Crying and hysterics solved nothing. Not that she could alter this immortal quandary. Some might relish the idea of never dying, but it’d never been on Madison’s bucket list.

You’re like the most amazing brother a gal could ever hope for
, she said to her friend and met his eyes as she pulled out of his embrace.

Thank you
. A small twitch to the corner of his mouth.
I’m always here for you, Madison
.

She was grateful for and counted on his support, maybe to the point of taking him for granted.

Zen thumbed the tears off her cheeks as she glanced at the men vying for her future. Deep grooves between Nix’s eyebrows articulated his concern. Micah viewed Zen with an unreadable expression.

“One more notch against you, Micah.”

Blaming him isn’t just unfair, but rude, too
, Lynx scolded with a tsking sound. Even the tenseness in Zen’s body next to hers hinted he agreed with her demon.

Her husband’s gaze smashed with hers. Smoldering brimstone drowned out his human eyes. “If it’s easier to blame me for all your struggles, go right ahead. My shoulders are broad enough.” He stepped closer, crowding her personal space. Finger and thumb placed to her chin, he jerked her head back enough to stare straight into her eyes. “I feel no remorse for prodding you to accept your DNA. You’re stronger with it.”

She knocked his hand aside. “I’m guessing no apology for your monstrous deeds is forthcoming, either?”

“Fuck no.” He made a face, suggesting she’d lost her mind if she anticipated one. “Kings don’t apologize. Ever.”

Madison shook her head.
So pompous
. Nothing charming about the trait. Whatever had drawn her to his arrogance? “Stay away from me, Micah Dominus.”

“Not a promise I’ll make…
Mrs
. Dominus.”

Unable to maintain her dignity, she stomped toward the exit. Micah caught her near the door and snatched her around by the arm. “Go ahead, hit me with your magic.”

Madison blinked. Her hand elevated at chest level, a blue-white mix of electricity sparked between her fingertips. She’d been unaware she intended to attack until he pointed it out.

Her husband flicked a hostile glance in Nix’s direction and warned, “Not another step closer, Phoenix.”

“I got him.” Elias offered backup like always.

“I’m certain you can lay me flat on my ass with your mojo, kitten.” Fingers in her hair jerked her just enough to emphasize his next statement. “But
nothing
will alter the fact that you are
my
woman,
my
wife, with your life interlaced with mine. When I return to Hell, you’ll join me or I
will
burn this goddamn world to cinders to claim you.” He shoved her away. “Be sanctimonious about your genetics, about your hellish status, but
you
are more demon than many of the monsters I create.” He held her lofty stare. “You, my dear bride, are the
only
demon in this room. Get over it.”

Being dragged naked across gravel couldn’t have hurt worse than his honesty. She wanted to cry all over again and that pissed her off.

Hands balled into fists at her sides, Madison pivoted and walked away.

Zen fingered the bangs off his forehead and ogled the fallen angel. He’d snagged snippets of Madison’s thoughts just before she departed the room in a huff.

“What are you smirking over, immortal?” Fire drowned out Micah’s blue gaze.

“That display of barbarism did not win you any—what’d you call it, Phoenix…brownie points?”

Phoenix hid his smile behind his hand and nodded.

Beliel’s confidence bothered Zen more than a little. Mostly because he knew Madison’s intimate thoughts on the fallen angel, and she was as divided in her opinion of him as she was her status as Lynx succubus.

If Madison went with Micah, he’d have to kill her. There’d be no other choice.