Mariel gasped. “That’s awful!”
Themmie slurped noisily on her milkshake. How the pixie could consume so much sugar every day was a mystery, but then again, Calladia didn’t have wings to power. “So,” Themmie said. “We have a wannabe dictator and his violent stooge spreading propaganda and imprisoning the opposition, with plans to kill them. The small group of demons who rule the plane are split between conservatives and liberals, but without Astaroth, they’re leaning conservative, especially since Baphomet is apparently in cahoots with Moloch.”
“Correct,” Sandranella said.
Themmie waved her milkshake wildly enough to slop some on the table. “Astaroth needs to rejoin the high council, but he’ll need to eliminate Moloch first. He theoretically knows how to but has an inconvenient case of amnesia. The plan so far seems to be spinning our wheels while waiting for his memory to return.”
“There’s been more of a plan than that,” Calladia protested. “We went to Isobel to see if she could help.”
“Sure,” Themmie said, “but the goal was all about Astaroth, right? Restore his immortality, heal his brain, get the memories back, defeat Moloch, everyone’s happy. Badda bing, badda boom.”
“Well . . . yes.”
Themmie shook her head. “Dumb plan.”
“With all due indifference,” Sandranella said, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lilith shushed her. “Let the colorful bug speak. I want to hear.” She’d swapped seats with Sandranella and now sat next to Kai, who held a forkful of mystery meat to her lips. When Lilith snapped up the meat faster than a cobra, Kai flinched, then beamed, looking besotted.
Themmie practically radiated sunshine with her vibrant hair and frilly yellow dress. She didn’t look like a master tactician, but Calladia had witnessed her rise as a social media influencer and knew how competent and whip-smart the pixie was.
“A cause needs a movement,” Themmie said. “It isn’t enough to swap Moloch out and sub Astaroth in—there’s still a fundamental issue to be solved. Namely, hybrid rights. You need to sway the minds of the people, build support from the ground up. Otherwise this issue will keep cropping up.”
“I agree,” Calladia said. She looked at Astaroth. “Remember what I told you? Maybe hybrids aren’t just victims. Maybe they can be warriors.”
Themmie snapped her fingers. “Exactly. So we spread word on social media—wait, do demons have social media?”
“Yes,” Oz confirmed. “Or so I hear. I never wasted my time on such puerile activities.”
Mariel practically had hearts in her eyes. “That’s the curmudgeon I know and love.”
Oz returned her adoring look. “As much as I love you, my velina.”
“So,” Themmie continued, “we start a social media campaign.” She pulled out her phone, and her fingers danced over the screen. “I’ll set up a private server for logistics and start recruiting any hybrids I find. We’ll arrange some protests, maybe a march. Ooh, T-shirts!”
“And then what?” Astaroth asked. “Those protestors get thrown in prison, too? I’m sure the matching T-shirts will make up for it.”
Calladia elbowed him in the ribs for the sarcasm.
“Not if there are enough of them,” Themmie said, undeterred. “And not if we can figure out a decent defensive strategy.”
“If that means fighting, count the pack in,” Kai said. The other wolves cheered and pounded their fists on the table.
“I can help with magical defense,” Mariel said. “I’ve always wanted to see the demon plane anyway.”
Oz’s brow furrowed. “It will be dangerous.”
She pecked his cheek. “That’s why you’ll be with me to scare everyone off with your big, frowny face.”
“We also need high-profile allies.” Themmie looked at the two demonesses across the table. “If you would be willing to denounce Moloch’s bigotry and voice support of the hybrid community, it will sway some people.”
“Sounds chaotic,” Lilith said. “Fun!” She pulled a bone out of her hair and started gnawing on it.
“It will be complicated politically,” Sandranella said, drumming her fingers against the table. “The high council has always presented a united front. Publicly feuding with Moloch goes against precedence.”
“So because Moloch got his hateful message out first, he gets to be the only one speaking up?” Calladia asked. “If you don’t oppose him, you’re complicit in what he does.”