Caesarea lay miles from here, but fallen angels had sharp eyes. When the distant city trembled, Beelzebub frowned. A dark cloud rose from those ruins, heading back to Jerusalem. Demons fleeing, Beelzebub knew. So Laila succeeded. The columns of fire sizzled away over Caesarea, and the ash settled over the ruins. She defeated Angor. Beelzebub took a deep breath. A hundred shades perched around him, staring at the distant city with him. The time would come, Beelzebub knew with a sigh, when he'd have to deal with Laila. Sooner or later, he would have to send Zarel on the hunt, or face Laila himself. But not yet, he thought, patting a demon that growled beside him, perched upon the walls like a gargoyle. Not yet. Let's see how things play out. He had Laila's sister captive. He could use that to his advantage. It was always better, he thought, to do things the smart way, rather than the rash, violent way. He walked down the stairs to the courtyard, where dented helmets and shattered swords still lay in the dust.
