Free Kingdom of Lies (Imp Series Book 7) by Debra Dunbar Page A

world of the non-elf fae didn’t have the gateways to Hel like the human realm did.
    “How did you get to and from Aerie?” I eyed Zalanes with a newfound respect. Maybe I wasn’t the only non-ancient in Hel that could create gateways.
    “Orias has some piece of fabric he stole from an angel that opens gateways. Is that not cool as shit?”
    What. The. Fuck. “Orias? The Orias from school?” He was a war demon—a really shitty war demon. And he wasn’t much older than me. “How did Orias kill an angel?”
    Zalanes shrugged. “You killed an angel. Evidently it isn’t such a big deal.”
    Insult aside, it was a big deal. I killed an angel by blowing myself up and damn near died in the process. I doubted Orias used my method, or that he had an ancient archangel willing to swoop in and save his ass at the last moment.
    “Orias killed an angel and stole an ancient artifact.” I was repeating myself, because I couldn’t wrap my brain around this whole thing. “He’s here? In Hel? With the Veil?”
    “No, you idiot,” Zalanes scoffed. “He’s over with the humans. And Aerie isn’t the only place he’s gone to. That fabric thing rocks. It’s better than a chicken wand.”
    No, it wasn’t. I thought about the manticore that most definitely was not from Aerie, and the melusine in the pool. Gregory was going to have a fit that Orias was running around opening passageways left and right. “Can you get word to him? Ask him to contact me?” I searched my brain for a good reason. “That melusine is pretty damned cool. I’ll pay double if he can get one for me.”
    “Sure. I get a finder’s fee, though.” Zalanes walked over and peered into the dark surface. I noticed he was careful to keep his distance. “Hope all that furniture doesn’t kill her. Cost me a lot to get her here to Hel, and the thing wasn’t easy to catch. Luckily it had eaten a few sylphs, and their sisters were happy to give me a hand.”
    Damn. I had a whole new respect for Zalanes.
    “How’d you get to Eresh without getting shot out of the sky?” the demon asked, still eyeing the pool. “There’s a price on your head. I thought about turning you over last night, but I hate those pointy-eared motherfuckers worse than I hate you.”
    “Came up along the Styx. And flew really high.” I cuffed the imp on one of his shoulders, nearly knocking him into the pool. “Plus, I knew you wouldn’t sell me out. Not for the lousy bounty they’re paying.”
    He snorted, backing up a few steps. “Some nirvana shit. Stupid elves. From what I hear, they won’t be our problem for much longer. They’re on the move.”
    “On the move to where?” Not that I would cry a river of tears if the elves left Hel, but they did have their uses.
    He shrugged, turning away from the pool and back toward the door. “Aerie? Although they hate those faeries more than they hate demons. I doubt they’d want to live on Jotunheim with those giants constantly trying to smash their heads in. Maybe since they can’t bring humans here anymore, they’re going to the supermarket itself.”
    Well, that was a chilling thought, although improbable. “Right. With the angels providing loving guidance every second of their lives?”
    Zalanes closed two of his eyes in a weird wink. “Shit if I know. Maybe they just got a travel bug.” He looked around the bare room. “Now get out of here before I decide to toss you in after my furniture.”
    He was kidding. Maybe. I scurried out the door and to the steps, just in case.
    “And you owe me a favor,” the demon shouted up after me.
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    T he sunrise had painted stripes of pink and lavender across the clouds, one moon still visible as it drifted low on the horizon. I grabbed some fried bitey fish from a street-side stand for breakfast then ran like hell because I hadn’t paid for them.
    The Noodles liked to hang out in the center of the city in establishments similar to human bars. They had great