the scythe confirms what I probably should have figured out when he created the little sun and fused the portal magic into cuffs. No wonder Morax has kept him all this time.
He wants Toreon to make a portal to Heaven. This next move isn’t just Morax attempting to take over Hell. He’s aiming for Heaven and then the Mortal Realm too. He’s going for the big trifecta, all in one ugly swoop.
Morax carelessly announcing what Toreon is makes Vudu tense up and Toreon’s face harden. But I see the raw vulnerability that flashes through Toreon’s gaze before he shuts it down and lets the outrage he’s feeling take over.
I wish I could look over and share a holy shit look with Medley and Delta as they reel with this news too. But there’s no way to communicate a what the hell without giving ourselves away.
“I want all the Brogue demons with the Gatekeeper,” Morax orders, and the red-skinned demons immediately move to surround Toreon.
Their large bodies block him from my view, and my chest aches as though he was just ripped away from me.
“You will not let anything interfere with him or his portal. When the Sins and Lucifer are nothing but ash, we will join you, and then we will take on Heaven and the hosts that have plagued us our entire existence,” Morax goes on, looking around the room as he draws himself up, gaining the attention and crazed devotion of his followers as he looks at each of them in turn. “We will finally do what we have been planning for so long. We will take all the realms and make them ours. No more rules of balance. The greater species will prevail!” he exclaims, and all the demons in the room roar their approval, my ears pulsing with their unrepentant enthusiasm.
Not if I can help it. That thought rings through my mind, and I take a deep, fortifying breath as I square my shoulders.
I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we’re going to take the Ophidian and his murderous followers out. I’m going to rescue Toreon. Then we’re all going to get out of there and hide away before anyone else can decide they want to pick up where Morax left off.
Morax turns to look at Vudu. “Pave the way, Terra demon,” he orders, and my eyes shoot over to the gentle giant.
Vudu nods and walks forward, while Toreon watches his friend with a frown.
Vudu’s arms swing at his side as he stalks over to the wall, making guards scurry out of his way. Stopping in front of the stones, Vudu raises both hands in front of him, the gray plated armor on his shoulders shifting with the move as his back muscles bunch.
With both of his palms pressed against the wall, I watch as something crackles beneath his hands, and then Vudu seems to part the wall like someone parting curtains. My eyes widen a fraction before I school them again, and Vudu steps away, showing a long, dark tunnel behind the facade he just peeled back like an orange rind.
Morax grins. “Excellent. And you’ve finished it?”
“Just one last section left,” Vudu confirms, and my mind whirls. Was this how he was planning on sneaking Toreon out?
Morax makes a pleased hum. “You have been busy.” He jerks his chin up. “Go clear the way.”
Vudu bows dutifully before turning on his heel and instantly stalks into the tunnel. The tunnel is the perfect height for his large body, which comes as no surprise, since apparently, he built it. I watch as he disappears from view after only a few steps, his body being swallowed by the shadows.
Morax turns to the red-skinned demons again. “The Terra demon will clear the last part of the tunnel, and you’ll lead the way to ensure our entry point into Nihil is clear before escorting the Gatekeeper inside. Don’t fail me,” Morax growls, and with that, the Brogue demons surrounding Toreon lead him into the dark walkway.
I hold my breath and send out a silent plea that Vudu and Toreon will be okay. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shateel strutting toward Morax, decked out in a shiny bronze dress, her snakes slithering around in a live updo that makes me feel like I have something crawling over my skin.
Morax looks around at the Abdicated. “Go.”
They begin to file out, moving around him, just as Shateel reaches Morax. “Ready, my Liege?”