She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The gates swung open as we approached, and a male demon bowed his head in our direction as we passed, heading for the wide stairs that led up to a set of two-story double doors. Those also opened without us having to so much as lift a finger.
A female demon waited for us inside. “His Majesty has requested your presence. I’ll escort you to the throne room.”
Unease coiled low in my stomach at her words, but there was nothing I could do about it right now. I didn’t let go of Laila’s hand as we followed the female demon to a room I remembered well despite the years that had passed since the last time I’d stood here.
Nothing had changed about the throne room, from the dark walls and chandeliers to the ceiling that no light touched. Lucifer sat on his armchair of a throne, looking every bit the golden boy he’d been the last time we’d met. Though at least this time he wore a shirt, a deep purple one with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. One booted foot was resting on his knee as he leaned back in his chair, studying us with sapphire eyes.
I heard Laila’s breath catch and knew she felt the same surprise I had on first seeing the angel who had led a rebellion against Father. She was seeing his youth, his beauty, and the realness of the man who always seemed more like a legend.
Lucifer—the name was larger than life, but the person who sat on the throne before us was simply an angel.
“Your Highness,” the demon said, dropping to her knees on the polished wooden floor. “The Prince of Wrath’s champion and his companion.”
I gritted my teeth against the urge to correct the demon. Laila wasn’t my companion, she was mywife. But the less Lucifer knew about our personal life, the better.
“Fascinating,” he said, the word rolling off his tongue like music. “I never thought I’d see the day that there’d be an angel of the first order here in my palace.”
I tensed as his eyes drank in Laila.
His lips tipped up in a smile that was both beautiful and chilling. “You are lovely, my dear. I can see why Father keeps your kind so close to him.”
Laila pulled her hand from mine as she gave Lucifer a smile of her own. “While I appreciate the compliment, I’m far from a decoration to adorn my Father’s house.” Her jade-green eyes held his without showing so much as a hint of unease, and damn, she was stunning.
Lucifer blinked, surprise showing on his face for half a second before his expression smoothed out. “I apologize for any offense. That was not my intention.” His foot dropped from his knee to the floor. “I hope you enjoy the party, and please do not hesitate to speak up if anything is not up to your standards.”
She tipped her head in acknowledgment of his words.
The Prince of Darkness turned his eyes on me. “I must admit, learning you were Sathanas’s champion this year was an… unexpected development. I simply had to see for myself that it really was you before the party begins and you’re lost in a swarm of admirers.” His tone was polite and relaxed, but every word felt like a threat. We’d most definitely caught Lucifer’s attention, and our time was limited before he would no longer be bound by the laws of Hell.
“And now that you’ve seen me?” I asked.
“Nothing. I was just curious. Enjoy your celebration, angel. It sounds like it was well earned.”
The kneeling demon stood, bowed low to Lucifer, and led us out of the throne room to a great hall with carved wooden walls decorated in bronze sconces and standing candelabras. The floor matched, made of the same chestnut-colored wood, arranged in a zigzagging pattern of slim boards.
Laila gasped at my side, and every muscle in my body tensed in preparation to meet a threat.
“What is it?” I asked when nothing obvious happened.
“It’s a replica of the great hall in God’s palace,” she whispered. “Only darker. In Heaven, the walls are white marble decorated with gold. And there the hall is a blend of different styles. This room only looks like a piece of it. And there’s no table.”
I lifted my brows at that. There were plenty of tables around the edges of the room, filled with drinks and platters of food. I could even see a fountain of chocolate on one of the larger tables.
“In Heaven, there’s a long table that runs through the middle of the room,” she explained. “It was the center of everything, the whole point of the great hall. I wonder why Lucifer would have re-created the hall without it.”
“Most likely because he wasn’t trying to re-create the hall so much as redesign it,” I answered. Lucifer was the prince of pride. He’d believed he could rule Heaven better than Father could. It had led to his downfall, but I sincerely doubted he’d given up his pride since becoming the king of Hell.
I held out a hand to her. “Will you dance with me?”
“Of course,” she said, slipping her hand into mine and letting me lead her into the middle of the room.
The victory party dragged on. Hours ticked by slowly and seemed to race by at the same time. Last night hadn’t been enough time with Laila, and every second of well-mannered conversation felt like torture when what I really wanted was to find somewhere private and bury myself inside my wife. But I still dreaded the end of the party when we’d attempt to leave the palace and Hell altogether, something I didn’t have much confidence we’d succeed in. All I had was a sliver of desperate hope. I wanted a future with Laila outside this realm, and I’d seen what love could do when my brothers met their mates, but that didn’t mean I’d get my happy ending. My brothers had never sold their souls to the Devil.
I stayed glued to Laila’s side the whole party, partially so we could look for an opportunity to sneak to the elevator out of Hell but also because her presence was grounding. She didn’t even need to use her powers to calm me. Just her proximity did that, brought me peace.
Sometime later, Abadon approached us. His usual grin was in place, but there was something off about it. His dimples weren’t present.
