you?” I asked. “Before you came here.”
Levi said nothing.
“Where were you?” I repeated.
“In Hell,” my brother replied, still glaring at Satan. “In every nuanced sense of the word.”
“A penance of your own choice,” the Devil snarled, standing up. “I take no blame for what you have elected to do with your eternity, Leviathan.”
“I call bullshit, old man,” Levi said, rising from the chair with eyes glowing as red as the Devil’s. “You had the final call, you son of a bitch. You always have.”
“And I always will,” Satan said flatly, then turned his back on his nephew and focused on Ethan and me. “I will tell you this for free. No favors required. Everything is connected. Don’t discount small details that seem unimportant. The old are wise. Where the heart is involved, follow it. The enemy is within and the goal is large.”
“Cryptic,” Ethan ground out.
“It’s the way of the Immortals,” Satan said, sounding tired. “You know this as well as I.”
It wasn’t enough. The stakes were incredibly high, and I was pretty sure a few of those stakes were aimed at Ethan and me. “What are the right questions?” I demanded of Levi.
“You sent Lizard?” Levi asked the Devil.
Satan rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. “That has already been established. You have three more questions and then it will cost you.”
“Me,” I cut in. “It will cost me. Not Levi.”
“The one who asks the questions shall pay the price,” Uncle Fucker announced smugly.
“You will owe him nothing,” Levi growled. “I will owe him.”
“Nope. No can do, brother. Plus, Uncle Fucker owes me at the moment, so it’s a wash,” I replied. “Although, your assistance would be greatly appreciated.”
“Not. A. Problem. It would be my pleasure to screw with Satan,” Levi said, with a humorless smile.
“I’m standing right here,” Satan said with an eye roll. “And while I adore being the topic of conversation, I’m not enjoying this one.”
Levi stood and took a step toward the Devil. The Devil took a step toward Levi. It was looking like we might have bigger problems than Zombies.
“Enough,” Ethan said, moving between the two men. “I’d prefer the Cressida House stay in one piece. We have two more questions. I would like them answered.”
“Fine,” Satan huffed. “You have five minutes.”
“Ask him how many Zombies Lizard found.”
“How many Zombies did Lizard find?” I asked.
“You’re cheating,” Satan shouted, stomping his foot and setting a priceless rug on fire.
I waved my hand and doused the flames. “Yep. Learned that from you.”
“Compliments will get you nowhere,” he growled, trying to bite back a smirk.
He failed. Any and all kinds of unsavory behavior delighted the Devil.
“Answer me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest, mimicking Levi’s stance.
“Ten living dead as of this morning.”
I glanced at Levi as he considered the next question.
“Are you aware of the why, or who, as well as the motive of the Zombies or their creators?” he coached.
“Damn you’re good,” I told him.
“Yes,” Levi agreed. “I am.”
“That is a four-and-a-half-part single question.”
I turned to Satan and waited. He could hear Levi as clearly as I could. There was no reason to repeat.
Satan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Levi. “You’re playing with fire, boy. And the answer to the question is no.”
Without moving a single muscle or body part, Levi threw a bolt of glittering blood-red voodoo at the Devil. It sent Satan flying across the room. His huge frame slammed into the wall with a sickening thud.
I screamed and threw up a barrier of magic between the men. It was crystal clear and shimmered with power. “Really not smart,” I snapped at Levi as Satan got to his feet and began to laugh.
“You’ve wanted to do that your entire life. Congratulations. It was outstanding and hurt like a motherfucker,” he said.
Levi walked right up to the enchanted boundary and flipped the Devil off. “Very magnanimous of you to push it too far. It was quite enjoyable.”
I had no clue what they were talking about, but if I could breathe, I would have sighed with massive relief. If anyone else other than Elle had attacked Satan like that, they would be a pile of ash.
“Okay,” I said, my gaze bouncing between the two Demons. “No more games. No more trying to end each other. I really don’t have time for that kind of shit today. According to the gossip magazines, our own people are trying to remove us from the throne. We have Zombies eating Vampyres and apparently Vampyres creating the Zombies.”
“Harsh,” Levi