it. The prince had clearly had other issues, one’s that Walker himself wasn’t facing, but maybe I’d played a part in his death. At his side, Prince B’nar watched me carefully. No matter the reason I was here, Walker, or perhaps B’nar, was my only way back to Connor, so for now I would play their game.
“How? I can’t do any more than any other shifter. Sure, I can be reborn, but that’s all. Save Connor and Zander, both of them are far more powerful than me.”
“They aren’t, but we will get to that.” Walker crossed his arms over his chest.
I ground my teeth together, trying to be patient. I needed to know what he thought I could do, but my soul cried out to get back to Connor. “Fine. What was that demon thing in the prison?”
“Berith.” Walker’s tone was sharp.
Ava gasped.
Lance tipped his head back and exhaled. “Shit.”
My patience snapped.
“Enough! Who the fuck is Berith and what the hell is he doing with my mate?” Fury surged through me. I’d been forced to abandon him before, but this time I would not leave him to his fate. I glared at Walker. “You’d better give me a good fucking answer, Majesty. Or I’ll burn more than the gates of hell to get him back, I’ll incinerate your whole fucking world.”
“Whoa, calm down, Ems.” Blue dropped her arm from my waist and shook out her hand. “You’re getting a bit heated. And I don't mean figuratively.” She raised her brows.
“I don’t care. I have no idea what a phoenix really is, or what I can do, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t some weird assed version of big bird when I got up and looked in the mirror this morning.”
From his position by the table, Lance laughed. I ignored him and glared at Walker. “I’m not asking for your help. All I need is a portal back to that prison, then I will return and help you however you wish.”
Walker ignored my request and chose to answer my question instead. “Berith is a general of Hell. A powerful demon whose sole purpose is to incite chaos and murder. He somehow entered this world and has used the prison as a means to make himself stronger. Forcing shifters to kill each other has fed that strength. He consumes negative emotion; hate, fear, self-loathing, all of it. But he thrives best on death itself. Like many demons, he can consume the souls of those who die, but he can also keep them as his slaves, particularly Weres. Their shifter-spirits and souls cannot leave their body in Were form, the half-shift binds them to their body.”
“If he can control their souls and the animal they house, what happens to their bodies?”
“He will use them as vessels for his demons. Shifters in Were form are the only species strong enough to house hell-spawn. The most powerful shifters will become what Werewolves were originally created for; to be the sentinels of the Hell gate and protectors of the key—the phoenix, and that is you.”
I shook my head and blew out a heavy breath. “Damn, anything else?”
Walker continued, his icy gaze not moving from my face. “Once a general of Hell finds a way into a world, he can use a rift between that realm and Hell to bring a hell-spawn through. But the rifts are always fleeting and although they re-occur they are not permanent; he can only bring one or two demons through each time. That’s why he needs you. Satan and every one of his generals will hunt you down now that they know you exist.” His gaze was piercing, sending goosebumps over my skin. “If Berith ever lays his hands on you and drags you back to Hell, he will use you to release the might of Hell’s army. He will destroy Earth and then move onto our world—and he won’t stop there.”
I blinked, trying to process his words. If Hell was real, did that mean Heaven was, too? Then where were the angels when you needed them? So many people had suffered and died because Hell wanted out onto Earth. I cracked my neck, my nostrils flaring. And it needed me to do it. Well, Satan could go fuck himself! I had other plans for my life.
“Really? Well, like I said, I want out of here. I’m going back to get Connor and you’d better hope he’s still alive.” I eyed the Winter King, baring all the rage in my soul.