The Angel's Fall (The Fay Morgan Chronicles Book 6) by Katherine Sparrow Page A

through. We could use them in all kinds of interesting ways. I don't think—”
    “Kill them, Marid. For real this time,” Maria said and turned to stare at Diego. “And you. Do not question me.”
    He grew smaller under her gaze, and I saw in that moment that he would never turn against her will. My hope that we might regain our friend and ally would not come to pass. He was gone, in every way that mattered.
    On the other side of the Queen, Lila wiggled her fingers at us as she cast nervous glances toward her master.
    “Marid, what are you doing?” Maria snapped. “Murder them,” Maria said. “Obliterate their existence. Destroy their bodies.”
    Lila took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was high and breathy. “Okay. Wow. There's no getting out of that one, is there?” Tears began streaming down her blue cheeks. “I love you guys. I'm really sorry, but I have to … .” Magic built in the palms of her hands.
    I stared at her and nodded. “I love you, Lila. My only regret is that I won’t be here to help you.”
    “Or perhaps you will,” Merlin murmured.
    As magic built in Lila’s hands, an ancient man appeared beside Maria, older still than when I had last seen him moments ago. Lucifer stood so stooped that he looked almost gnomish. His head was completely bald and covered with age spots. His hands were curled inward and so arthritic they resembled claws. Even so, all the light in the room bent toward him and surrounded his ancient form. He gave his son a withered smile and then put a hand on top of the Queen’s.
    He leaned close to her. He held his other hand up with his fingers dangling down, as though he held the strings of a puppet. When he spoke, his fingers moved about. “Stop, Marid,” he said with a rasping voice.
    “Stop, Marid,” Maria said a moment later, and her face constricted into a horrified scowl.
    Lila dropped the growing blue magic in her hand and let out a long breath.
    Lucifer laughed and sagged forward. His breath rattled in his chest.
    The guards that encircled us watched but did nothing. They looked oddly stilled.
    The Queen paled and shook her head. “No one commands me. I’m the Queen. I—”
    Lucifer said, “I free you, Marid, of your bond.” The wrinkled topography of his face sagged and deepened and Merlin’s dad leaned against Maria.
    She struggled, shaking and gritting teeth, but then uttered, slowly, “I free you, Marid, of your bond.” She spat on the ground and pushed Lucifer away from her.
    The old man stumbled away and collapsed to the ground. Merlin ran forward and sank to Lucifer’s side. He put his hand on his father’s shoulders. The man was half-skeleton. I did not see how he could still be alive. And yet, he patted Merlin’s hand.
    “No,” Maria roared, regaining her voice. “You are mine, Lila. You are always mine.”
    “Um, I’m really not,” Lila said and picked at the rope of magic that circled her wrist. It crashed to the ground, hissing and sparking on the smooth marble floor as it died away.
    “No,” Maria cried out. “I'm the Queen. I'm the highest power in the land and you are — ” She looked down at the shriveled man on the floor. “You are… I have no idea who you are.” Her voice held a fluttering panic inside of it.
    “I’m no one, really,” he said with a quavery voice. “No one and nothing, for so long, though I still have a bit of the old beast in me, and were I you, I would run, small Queen. Little ruler. I would flee far and fast and not look back.” Lucifer looked up at the Queen and smiled.
    Maria turned and ran, fleet-footed and fast. Just behind her sprinted the Spaniard and all of the myriad palace guards, making a swift exit from the grand room.
    Lucifer laughed where he lay. “Such a good day to be alive. It almost makes me wish to stick around and see what comes next. Though it all fades to nothing. It finally fades.”
    “To nothing,” Lila whispered. Her skin had paled. She looked taller and