Ellie spun around and watched wide-eyed as Belial put Beelzebub up against the wall and intentionally breached his closely-guarded personal space.

Under other circumstances, with other beings, she might have found such a sight provocative. With these two, though, it was just frightening. Too much power, too much repressed violence, and the physical absence of the third party in their perverse little triangle in no way diminished the shadow he cast over the tableau.

"Don't push your luck, Beelzebub," she said, echoing Belial's tone. "I can't speak for Belial, but exile from the Manor is a price I might just pay to see the Morningstar deprived of another Crown."

It was a lie, of course, but the underlying sentiment was genuine, if the implied threat wasn't.