The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) - Cassandra Clare Page 0,137

there could just as easily be two chairs as one, since they were in a place beyond place and all that. But he didn’t like to get involved.

Asmodeus, obviously the strongest of them by most measures, still maintained his loyalty to Sammael. Luckily for Sammael. When he bowed his head in acknowledgment of Sammael’s superiority, the others took note, and Sammael didn’t think he would have too much trouble with them.

“If that’s the way it’s always been, then that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” said Astaroth. There was nodding from the others.

“Recently,” Sammael said, “as some of you surely know, the love of my life, the great Mother of Demons, Lilith, was killed by humans on Earth. It has destroyed me,” he went on sharply. “I grieve with a grief to make stars collapse.”

Azazel rolled his eyes.

“I see that, Azazel!” Sammael snapped. “None of you perhaps understand, as you believe love is incompatible with the goals of the demonic realms. But I am here to tell you that you are wrong,” he said. “Lilith was the greatest of my strength,” he said, choking up a little. “And only now that she is gone do I feel a part missing from me.”

There was a silence. Belial said, “Sammael, have you brought us all here, disturbing our activities across the entire universe, in order to tell us that love is real?”

“No,” said Sammael. “Well, okay. Love is real, so if you’re capable of taking any insight from that, there it is. But no, I have a more concrete reason for gathering you.

“Recently,” he went on, “I had a series of strange encounters with humans—with warlocks and Nephilim—in the broken courts of the realm of Diyu.”

“Diyu?” rumbled Mammon. “Yanluo’s old place? We had some parties there.”

“Yes,” said Sammael, “and you should see the state it’s in now. Not. Good.” He gave them a significant look. “But that’s important to my point. All my plans there came to ruin.”

“You have brought us here,” said Belial, his diction as elegant as always, “to tell us that love is real and that you are terrible at your job?”

Sammael ignored this. “I failed not because I lacked power, and not because the realm of Diyu was unable to serve me. I failed because I did not account for the power that a group can have, working together and having each other’s back.”

The other Princes of Hell exchanged puzzled glances.

“I really found it quite inspiring,” Sammael said. “And so I come to you with a proposal, dear brothers.

“Too long have we gone it alone. If we are ever to truly achieve our larger goals, we must recognize that we are more alike than we are different. We must put aside our old grievances, forget them, and work together.”

Asmodeus looked astonished. “You mean—”

“Yes,” said Sammael. “I want to talk about Lucifer.”

Acknowledgments

I WANT TO THANK NAOMI Cui for her thoughtful read of the manuscript. Otherwise, this acknowledgments section is a little different from most. Ordinarily, I use this space to thank my friends, my family, and my cowriters and editor. While I am deeply grateful to all of them for providing a nurturing community for The Lost Book of the White, this time I want to use this space to acknowledge my readers.

Dear readers, thank you for sticking with me and Magnus and Alec and all their friends. Thank you for sharing stories, adventure, and magic with me. Your enthusiasm and affection for the inhabitants of the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders never ceases to amaze me. I am so fortunate to have readers who are as thoughtful, joyous, and delightful as you. Thank you for being a part of my story. I couldn’t imagine it without you.

—C. C.

I’M NOT SAYING THE ELDEST Curses put a spell on me or anything, but before I worked on this series, I had zero children. We welcomed Hunter to the world while I was working on The Red Scrolls of Magic, and then my second son, River, while working on The Lost Book of the White.

Coincidence? Mayyyyyybe.

I’d like to think that this has less to do with correlation or causation, and more to do with the fact there was just an abundance of joy and love in my life during those Eldest Curses years. It came from my growing family, and it came from my work writing Magnus and Alec’s (and Max’s!) adventures. It was especially entertaining to witness Magnus and Alec go through the same growing pains we went through raising