“All right, Duke of Darkness. Start talking.” She clutched her hair halfway down and jerked the comb through the ends. “Why does Lucifer want to see us, and how can I find my parents?”
“One of the sentry dogs must have spread word of our arrival. The fact he had the gall to disobey the authority of a prince does not bode well.”
“Is it gall or is he just a moron?” She moved the comb higher in her hair, picking at an unruly knot. “Harpy-hounds aren’t the sharpest daggers in the collection, are they?”
“No, they are not.” I chuckled and held out my hand. “Allow me?” We’d never make it to the palace at the rate she was working.
She arched a brow, studying me for a moment before placing the comb in my palm and turning toward the mirror. “I don’t think demon conditioner is made for mortal hair.”
I lifted a lock and worked the comb through the ends. “Most mortals don’t come to Hell willingly, nor do their corporeal forms survive the transition.”
“We passed a bar full of humans on our way here.” She adjusted the top of her dress. “Or maybe not humans. They could’ve been witches or shifters, I suppose, but they didn’t appear to be writhing in torture.”
I laid the first lock of untangled hair over her shoulder and moved on to the next. “Trust me. They were demons. Only those of the highest levels can assume a human form, so they flaunt it to show their status.”
She watched my reflection intently. “I suppose old Satan will look like a man when we arrive?”
“He will, and I would advise you not to call him by that name.”
“Why not?”
“Lucifer has had many names over the eons, but that one was derived from a misinterpretation of the Christian Bible, and it’s only used in derogatory ways.”
She whistled. “Guess we shouldn’t insult the king on our first meeting.”
“I’m glad you understand.” I continued combing the knots from her hair.
“What about Hades? Is that acceptable?”
“You are about to meet the ruler of the Underworld, arguably the most powerful man in all the realms, and he hasn’t been known for his benevolence in thousands of years. Do not assume yourself so familiar with our king as to call him by any name. Speak only when spoken to. Refer to him only as sire or your majesty until he tells you otherwise.”
She scoffed. “He’s not my king.”
“You are in his realm illegally.” My pupils constricted, the green of my irises billowing like smoke at her insolence. “Your rash decision to vanquish me has endangered both our souls, and I won’t allow you to throw away our chance at making it out intact by running your wicked mouth.”
A growl rumbled in my chest as I worked out the last knot. “I should have killed you the moment you summoned me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Yet here you stand, in your ex-girlfriend’s apartment, brushing my hair as if we were lovers. Where did you learn how to do that?”
“Isabel.” I slammed the comb onto the table beneath the mirror. “We were intimate. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She grinned and turned toward me. “Are you trying to convince me of that? Or yourself?”
If I were honest, I’d say both, but demons weren’t known for their truthfulness. The bare skin on her shoulder appeared smooth, fair, and it beckoned me to caress it. The bitter scent of myrrh shampoo did nothing to mask the sweet vanilla undertones of her pheromones, and the way her dress shimmered with her movement, drawing attention to her curves, had my dick hardening all over again.
I grabbed her left hand and shoved up her sleeve, revealing my mark on her arm. The moment I touched it, my temple tingled, reminding me how strongly we were connected. “Remove the blood bond.”
She tugged from my grasp and pulled the sleeve down. “Send my parents and me home, and I will.”
“If Lucifer hadn’t summoned us, I would have left you in your cell to rot until you agreed.”
“Yet here we are.” She spread her arms in a presenting motion. “We better not keep Luci waiting.”
This woman would be the end of me. I narrowed my eyes and strode to the door, opening it and gesturing for her to exit. “There are fates worse than death…to which Lucifer would be pleased to condemn us both.”
“And now we’re circling back to my questions. What’s going on and why is it happening?” She stepped into the hall and waited as I closed the door. “If what I read is true, you’re the most powerful prince around. Everyone should be cowering in your presence, doing exactly what you command. It should be easy for you to demand the release of my parents and send us home.”
Was she really so simple-minded? “My brothers and I were Lucifer’s most trusted friends. We commanded his army, advised him, and we were his closest confidants.”
