“This is where you are wondering who I am,” the woman said, grabbing my chin and forcing me to stare into the soulless whirlwind of her eyes. “Why I can command Mammon as such, why I am displeased. Tell me, do you know what they called this place?” She gestured at the crater.
“It was the Royal Centre. The capital of Hell.” I took a deep breath. “I almost cannot believe it is gone.”
“It is better this way, if there is one thing I learned from dear old dad, it’s this. Sometimes it is better to start anew.” She pointed at me. “You are the Builder, are you not? You should understand that better than anyone.”
“I am, but I still don’t understand who you are,” I replied, wishing I had Clarent. Everything in me knew it wouldn’t matter, but I wished I had it, anyway.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” she said, stepping forward. In one lithe movement she had me bent backward, cradling me like a dancer. Then she planted her lips on mine, and I knew.
I saw those she called ally and friends turn on her, saw them drag her down and bind her in irons. I saw them build the town atop her in an effort to keep her sealed. Then I saw those seals crack, saw the faintest glimmer of light come in through a crack rent in the world by the Darkness. The same crack that the Empress had used to trade with Mammon. And this woman took advantage, turning eons of hatred and power upon the crack and blowing it open.
“No,” I whispered as she broke away. “It can’t be.”
Her laughter filled the sky, and I could hear the whole of the world respond to her.
“Now you understand,” she said, gesturing at the horizon. “And you also understand you have nothing to fear from me. I need you, Builder. For I will have an army unlike any other, and this time, I will win.”
“How can I trust you?” I asked, looking at her.
“It’s easy,” she said, putting an arm around my shoulder. “You have no choice. If you do not help me, I will kill Samael and Mammon. I will kill everyone. For I am most high.” She patted my head. “I will string Gabriella’s entrails across the whole of the earth while she still lives, and I will force you into an agony so exquisite, even the word Hell, won’t quite cover it.” She grinned then, hitting me on the shoulder with her fist. “Or you can help me, I will help to save Samael and forge your sword. I will gather my sisters to you to defeat the Darkness and its puppets. We both get what we want.” She licked her lips once more. “You know, carrot or stick.”
“But you’re the goddamned Devil,” I said, taking a step away from her.
“I do so hate that name,” she said, reaching one hand out and offering it to me. “I much prefer Lucifer.”
Thank You for reading!
Curious about what happens to Arthur next?
Find out in The Builder’s Pride, coming soon!
Author’s Note
Dear reader, if you REALLY want to read my next Builder novel- I’ve got a bit of bad news for you.
Unfortunately, Amazon will not tell you when the next comes out.
You’ll probably never know about my next books, and you’ll be left wondering what happened to Arthur, Gwen, and the gang. That’s rather terrible.
There is good news though! There are three ways you can find out when the next book is published:
1) You join my mailing list by clicking here.
2) You follow me on my Facebook page or join my Facebook Group. I always announce my new books in both those places as well as interact with fans.
3) You follow me on Amazon. You can do this by going to the store page (or clicking this link) and clicking on the Follow button that is under the author picture on the left side.
If you follow me, Amazon will send you an email when I publish a book. You’ll just have to make sure you check the emails they send.
Doing any of these, or all three for best results, will ensure you find out about my next book when it is published.
If you don’t, Amazon will never tell you about my next release. Please take a few seconds to do one of these so that you’ll be able to join Arthur, Gwen, and the gang on their next adventure.
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The Builder's Greed (The Legendary Builder Book 2) Page 24