Chapter 149: Pazuzu’s Scheme
Azriel
My eyes widened in absolute horror. He knows about Seraphel?! How?! Did one of the fallen deities leak the prophecy to him?!
Pazuzu chuckled darkly, clearly enjoying the visible shock on my face. "Look at how your eyes light up with fear. Surprised that I know about your delicate little secret?" He smirked, taking a slow step forward. "A little bird told me... someone who simply couldn’t keep their mouth shut before I ended them."
Pazuzu paused, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back, taking a deep, theatrical breath of the air. "In fact... your mate was standing in this very courtyard only a moment ago... and he wasn’t alone."
He opened his amethyst eyes, a razor-sharp glint passing through them as he stared down at me. "Tell me, cousin... which of your brothers carries the sharp scent of fresh mint?"
My jaw clenched shut.
I refused to say a word. There was no way I was going to hand Luceriel over to this monster, especially while he was traveling with Seraphel.
"I asked you a question, dear cousin," Pazuzu warned, his voice dropping an octave, sending a violent chill down my spine. "Who is he?"
His amethyst eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying silver light.
A heavy, magical compulsion invaded my mind, forcing my jaw open against my will.
"Luceriel," the word spilled from my lips before I could stop it.
"Luceriel... the Sin of Pride," Pazuzu mused softly, the smirk returning to his face. "Ah, I see."
The instant the compulsion released its grip on my mind, I stumbled back, clutching my head in fury. "You forced a mind compulsion on me?!"
Pazuzu scoffed, a light chuckle escaping him. "If you were half as powerful as I expected you to be, cousin, you would have broken my hold effortlessly. But alas... you are weak!" He sighed dramatically, beginning to slowly circle me like a predator sizing up prey. "Still, I suppose I owe you a debt of gratitude. If you hadn’t unsealed me, I wouldn’t have awakened in time to learn that a child is about to be born into this world—someone destined to grow even more powerful than I am."
I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, glaring at his back as he walked. Despite his terrifying aura, I couldn’t help but notice a strange, infuriating resemblance in the way he spoke and carried himself—he possessed the exact same intolerable, supreme arrogance as Luceriel.
"How could there ever be anyone more powerful than Pazuzu in this realm?" he mused arrogantly, letting out a dark laugh. "I simply cannot allow such a threat to exist."
"Don’t you dare lay a finger on my mate or my child!" I bellowed, summoning every ounce of my remaining power as massive black thorns erupted from the earth, aiming straight for his throat.
Pazuzu didn’t even turn around. He simply lowered a single finger, and my vines crumbled into dust while a shockwave forced me back down onto my knees.
"Oh, dear cousin... you truly have no idea, do you?" Pazuzu tutted, shaking his head with dark amusement. "You possess the potential to rival my father if you would actually cultivate your demon blood, but you choose to play Prince instead. I will lift the Mirevale Curse from your land as a reward for getting rid of my annoying rivals, but my feud with that wretched family isn’t over. I hear the goddess left behind a son... Zephyrus, wasn’t it?"
My chest tightened. Zephyrus was currently hiding with Sariel—if Pazuzu went after him next, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
"Though a half-blood prince is nothing compared to the threat of your mate’s unborn prophecy child," Pazuzu added thoughtfully.
"I will kill you..." I growled through gritted teeth, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.
"No, you won’t, Azriel," Pazuzu interrupted smoothly, turning to face me. "Because I am going to wipe this entire encounter from your mind and reset the timeline’s memory. Not even your little friend over there," he gestured casually toward the unconscious Anomas on the ground, "will remember the warning his mother left behind."
He paused, a dark scowl marring his handsome features for a brief second. "That foolish goddess... who would have thought she’d try to outsmart me?’’
In a blur of speed, Pazuzu closed the distance between us, his clawed hand snapping around my throat and lifting me completely off the ground.
"Do not fret... I won’t slaughter your child just yet," Pazuzu purred, his grip tightening until my vision flickered. "I have a far more intriguing matter to attend to first... your brother, Luceriel."
"Stay away... from him..." I choked out, clawing helplessly at his wrist.
"Shh... save your pathetic threats, Azriel," Pazuzu whispered, his eyes gleaming with a strange, dark intensity. "If you weren’t my cousin—and if your late mother hadn’t been one of the few beings kind to mine—I would have snapped your neck the moment I arrived. Besides, you woke me up... you will prove useful when the time comes to overthrow my father."
Pazuzu released his grip, letting me collapse onto the stone floor, gasping and clutching my bruised throat.
"What... what are you going to do?" I demanded weakly.
Pazuzu turned his back to me, placing his hands behind his waist. "I shall journey to Verolona to meet your dear brother... who happens to be my fated mate," he revealed, a bitter, twisted smile touching his lips. "You will remember none of this. Your memories will only return when your child is finally born—and I come to claim it from your arms."
He raised his hand, pointing a single finger at my forehead.
"The Mirevale Curse is lifted. Train your demon side or don’t... It makes no difference to me. Until we meet again, dear cousin."he said, snapping his fingers.
I blinked, taking a deep breath as I stood in the quiet center of the throne room.
The sun shone brightly through the stained-glass windows, casting warm golden light across the polished marble floors. The hall was completely peaceful, devoid of any wind, darkness, or destruction.
I looked around, a faint sense of confusion washing over me.
Malachi stood dutifully by my side, waiting silently for my next command.
I let out a soft sigh, running a hand through my hair. Seraphel had just stepped through Luceriel’s portal to Verolona moments ago, and the throne room felt empty without him.
"Is everything alright, Your Highness?" Malachi asked softly.
"Yes," I replied, shaking off the lingering, strange feeling in my chest. "Everything is fine."