Her tongue flicked out again. “You wouldn’t have me any other way. I have just the outfit for a first meeting with our dear king.”
She disappeared into the other room and returned with a strappy, red sequined dress and a pair of black platform stilettos.
“I am not wearing that.” I gave Discord a pointed look.
His eye twitched, and a series of emotions crossed his face before he shook his head. “As beautiful as she would look in it, I prefer her in something more modest.”
I scoffed. “You prefer…?”
He cocked his head. “With long sleeves to hide my mark on her arm.”
“You’re a fool if you think Lucifer won’t sense it,” Belira said.
“I don’t doubt he will, but I prefer not to advertise my folly to the entire court.”
She pursed her lips and disappeared into the other room again.
“Did you seriously bring me to your old girlfriend’s house?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “You asked me for help. I’m helping.”
“I asked you to help me find my parents.”
“You have no idea how things work here.”
“Because you won’t tell me shit!” I whisper-shouted, throwing my hands into the air.
“Here.” Belira returned with a shimmery black number, strapless on the right side, a long sleeve on the left.
“That will do.” He took the dress and platform heels and laid them on the sofa. “Leave us. And not a word of my…predicament…to anyone.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She winked and slithered toward the door. “Bring her by if you both survive. I promise it will be a hell of a time.”
I waited for the door to click shut before whirling toward Discord. “What the actual…whoa.”
The demon I’d summoned, with his dark green skin and buffalo horns, was gone, and in his place stood a tall, chiseled, completely naked man. “The shower is through that door. Clean yourself, and I will answer your questions.”
“Or you could answer them now.” I crossed my arms and forced myself to look at his face rather than…the rest of him. He had the same dark, moss-green eyes as before, but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of horns, he had thick brown hair, sheared short on the sides, and a peppering of a five o’clock shadow accentuated his strong, sharp jaw.
He curled his lip and pulled on his pants before gesturing to the door in question. “You reek of hellhound and sweat.”
I fought the urge to sniff my pits and grabbed the dress instead. “Fine. I’ll take a shower, but you better be here, ready to talk, when I’m done.” I turned on my heel and strode into the bathroom.
9
DISCORD
Why must women be so infuriating?
I buttoned the dark burgundy shirt Belira had acquired for me and slipped on the jacket. It had scarcely been a day since Cinder freed me from prison, and I had already subjected myself to yet another insolent woman.
Sadly, I had no other choice. To appear in Lucifer’s court in demon form would be an insult to our kind. To take Cinder in her present state of disarray would secure us both reservations in the tarpits for the rest of eternity.
The sound of the shower shutting off drew my attention away from the mirror and toward the bathroom. Cinder would be drying herself, preparing to don Belira’s dress. Temptation to step inside and take her had my cock hardening for the first time in centuries.
The witch was beautiful. Of that there was no doubt, but I had to remain in control of my desires. Until I discovered where I stood with Lucifer, I had to focus on the issues at stake. Freeing myself from Cinder’s blood bond came second only to securing my safety in Hell.
The bathroom door opened, and Cinder stepped out. The dress clung to her curves, emphasizing the roundness of her backside. The single sleeve hid the visible evidence of our bond, and she pulled her damp hair forward, attempting to rake a comb through the tangles.
