to disseminate this list of names among the former slaves. If anyone recognizes a name on it, I want them sent to me immediately.”
Gerard rubbed a thumb along his eyebrow as he took a quick look over the list. “Lots of names.”
“Yes. Thousands.”
“Who are they?”
“That’s what I need to know,” Elise said. “I suspect they might be humans that were brought down to Hell for slavery, food, or…” Maybe something worse. Demons were creative. “Just make sure everyone reads the list.”
“Consider it done, ma’am,” Gerard said.
She took a step toward the stairs, and then paused. “Why did you contact Lincoln without asking me?”
His eyes widened. “Neuma asked me to do it. I thought it came from you.”
So it hadn’t been a stroke of Gerard’s brilliance after all. “Forget about it.” She’d ask Neuma about it later, when she wasn’t preoccupied.
He swept a hand toward the stairs. “Want to talk with Sallosa?”
There were few things that Elise wanted to do less right at that moment. “Lead the way.”
The centurion had taken the entire top floor of the building as her quarters. Her furniture all looked like Walmart specials—a couple of fake potted plants, a tacky leather sofa, that kind of thing.
Sallosa herself didn’t suit the setting. She was a full head taller than Elise, ripped with muscle, red-skinned, and hoofed. She looked elegant in a linen shift. A pile of plate armor had been arranged on the floor nearby by a servant, who was tying the back of Sallosa’s dress.
“Father,” Sallosa said, bowing briefly. Her servant kneeled to place the shin guards over her furry legs. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“The warehouse. I need to know how the insurgents burned it when I’ve ordered double patrols around all supply stores.”
“I’ve already spoken to Gerard,” Sallosa said.
Elise had left him outside the door with his squad, just in case it got ugly with Sallosa. She didn’t want to have to worry about accidentally devouring the wrong people. “I want to hear it from your mouth.”
Sallosa spat. “Waste of my time.”
“Tell me.”
She huffed as the servant wrapped a heavy belt around her waist, strapping the cuisses into place. “As I told Gerard, the insurgents have simply become more cunning. We have patrolled as ordered. My men are doing exactly as they should. How they slipped past us remains a mystery, but it’s not because of a flaw in methodology on my part.”
Elise disagreed. However the supplies had been lost, it most definitely was Sallosa’s fault. The scent of a lie rolled off of her.
“We caught Gremory attempting to take a centuria to the House of Volac,” Elise said. “Do you know if Belphegor’s been in contact with your family?”
Sallosa had the nerve to look offended. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Belphegor and the House of Volac haven’t been allied since Aquiel ruled the Palace. We have major philosophical differences.”
The headache throbbed in Elise’s temples. “Whatever he’s offered you guys, let me counter it. I can do better. Is he giving you more farmland? Artifacts? Slaves?”
“You offend me,” Sallosa hissed.
So much for trying to win her over.
Elise couldn’t focus through the pain stabbing into her skull over and over. She needed someone smarter, someone charming, someone who could figure out what Sallosa wanted and promise it to her. Someone like James.
Since that wasn’t going to happen, Elise would just have to deal with what she had. Not charm, but brutality. “I’m going to remove your century from this part of the city. I’ve sent the twenty-sixth into the wastelands, and I want you to accompany them.”
“The wastelands?” Sallosa scoffed. “You can’t send us into the wastelands.”
“Afraid?” Elise asked.
“You insult me. You insult my family and my honor.”
Sallosa wasn’t done talking, but Elise was done listening. Her head was throbbing
Gerard rubbed a thumb along his eyebrow as he took a quick look over the list. “Lots of names.”
“Yes. Thousands.”
“Who are they?”
“That’s what I need to know,” Elise said. “I suspect they might be humans that were brought down to Hell for slavery, food, or…” Maybe something worse. Demons were creative. “Just make sure everyone reads the list.”
“Consider it done, ma’am,” Gerard said.
She took a step toward the stairs, and then paused. “Why did you contact Lincoln without asking me?”
His eyes widened. “Neuma asked me to do it. I thought it came from you.”
So it hadn’t been a stroke of Gerard’s brilliance after all. “Forget about it.” She’d ask Neuma about it later, when she wasn’t preoccupied.
He swept a hand toward the stairs. “Want to talk with Sallosa?”
There were few things that Elise wanted to do less right at that moment. “Lead the way.”
The centurion had taken the entire top floor of the building as her quarters. Her furniture all looked like Walmart specials—a couple of fake potted plants, a tacky leather sofa, that kind of thing.
Sallosa herself didn’t suit the setting. She was a full head taller than Elise, ripped with muscle, red-skinned, and hoofed. She looked elegant in a linen shift. A pile of plate armor had been arranged on the floor nearby by a servant, who was tying the back of Sallosa’s dress.
“Father,” Sallosa said, bowing briefly. Her servant kneeled to place the shin guards over her furry legs. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“The warehouse. I need to know how the insurgents burned it when I’ve ordered double patrols around all supply stores.”
“I’ve already spoken to Gerard,” Sallosa said.
Elise had left him outside the door with his squad, just in case it got ugly with Sallosa. She didn’t want to have to worry about accidentally devouring the wrong people. “I want to hear it from your mouth.”
Sallosa spat. “Waste of my time.”
“Tell me.”
She huffed as the servant wrapped a heavy belt around her waist, strapping the cuisses into place. “As I told Gerard, the insurgents have simply become more cunning. We have patrolled as ordered. My men are doing exactly as they should. How they slipped past us remains a mystery, but it’s not because of a flaw in methodology on my part.”
Elise disagreed. However the supplies had been lost, it most definitely was Sallosa’s fault. The scent of a lie rolled off of her.
“We caught Gremory attempting to take a centuria to the House of Volac,” Elise said. “Do you know if Belphegor’s been in contact with your family?”
Sallosa had the nerve to look offended. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Belphegor and the House of Volac haven’t been allied since Aquiel ruled the Palace. We have major philosophical differences.”
The headache throbbed in Elise’s temples. “Whatever he’s offered you guys, let me counter it. I can do better. Is he giving you more farmland? Artifacts? Slaves?”
“You offend me,” Sallosa hissed.
So much for trying to win her over.
Elise couldn’t focus through the pain stabbing into her skull over and over. She needed someone smarter, someone charming, someone who could figure out what Sallosa wanted and promise it to her. Someone like James.
Since that wasn’t going to happen, Elise would just have to deal with what she had. Not charm, but brutality. “I’m going to remove your century from this part of the city. I’ve sent the twenty-sixth into the wastelands, and I want you to accompany them.”
“The wastelands?” Sallosa scoffed. “You can’t send us into the wastelands.”
“Afraid?” Elise asked.
“You insult me. You insult my family and my honor.”
Sallosa wasn’t done talking, but Elise was done listening. Her head was throbbing
Similar Books
