“It’s a tendency of lower-level beasts.”
“Whoa.” I stopped short in the massive foyer, finally dropping my dress and spinning in a circle. A grand staircase rose in front of us before splitting three ways at the second floor, and a chandelier made of red glass and glowing—were those human bones?—hung in the center of the vaulted ceiling.
Seven arched doorways led to who knew where, and Discord gestured to the third on the right. “Follow my lead.”
“Will do.” I started to call him Captain of Crazy, but I deserved the title more than him, seeing as how I’d just waltzed into Lucifer’s lair wearing a prom dress and combat boots.
The hallway twisted and turned for what felt like miles, and an ornate gilded arch stood at the end, opening into a ginormous throne room. Gold and red sigils glowed on the slate floor and walls, and people—demons in human form—milled about in formal attire.
I felt like I’d just stepped into a vampire ball in New Orleans…and I was to be their main course.
A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to a dais at the opposite end of the room, where the most polished, aristocratic man I had ever seen sat atop a throne of gold-encrusted bones. His black pinstriped jacket sported dark burgundy lapels, and his short hair was parted on the side and gelled perfectly into place.
“I never pictured Lucifer blond,” I whispered.
“His appearance changes with his mood.” Discord ushered me forward.
“Is blond good?” I adjusted the top of my dress, lest the sleeveless side give the King of Hell a glimpse of my goods.
“He is at ease for now.” He took three more steps and bowed his head, lowering to one knee in front of the throne.
If I tried that in this dress, I’d never get back up. So I curtsied instead and looked him in the eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
He narrowed his eyes, the icy blue turning stormy before he focused on Discord. “You may rise.”
Discord straightened and cut me a sideways glance. Oh, yeah. I wasn’t supposed to speak unless spoken to. Whoops.
Lucifer gave me a blasé once over, clearly unimpressed, before lifting his hand and signaling with two fingers in a come here motion. Two men came up behind me so quickly, I barely had time to register the shift in energy. They grabbed my arms, their super-uber-demonic strength pinning me to the spot.
“What the hell?” I struggled, but my arms might as well have been encased in concrete. These suckers were strong.
Discord glared at the men, growling low in his throat as he tensed and widened his stance. Another pair came at him, a man and a woman armed with black blades.
The woman lunged, striking out with a dagger toward my demon’s side. Discord clutched her wrist, using her momentum to fling her across the room. The man swung a two-foot-long sword at Discord’s neck, but he ducked, dodging the attack easily.
He grabbed the hilt of the sword with one hand and landed a punch in the center of the attacker’s face with the other. Blood dripped from the man’s nose as he stumbled away. The woman screamed like a banshee and leaped onto Discord’s back, pressing a dagger against his throat.
He let out a slow breath, his expression completely bored, before he dropped backward to the ground, landing on top of the woman. Her head smacked the hard slate, and she grunted, releasing him.
Discord rose and rested a knee in the center of her chest. He snatched the dagger from her hand, flipping it before pressing the tip against the dip at the base of her neck.
“Enough,” Lucifer finally said, and the men released me.
Discord rose to his feet and offered the woman a hand up. She accepted, nodding her appreciation, and then took a seat along the wall. The men joined her, and Discord straightened his jacket, smoothing the lapels and facing his king.
“I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your battle skills.” Lucifer placed his elbows on two femurs and steepled his fingers, resting his ankle atop one knee. “How long have you been home, my son?”
Discord ran a hand through his hair, though it wasn’t disheveled in the slightest. “Two days at most, sire.”
Two days? No wonder I was starving.
“At most?” Lucifer uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his posture imposing enough to make me step backward. “You don’t know?”
Discord cleared his throat and straightened his spine. “My concept of time waned with my imprisonment. I’m still adjusting.”
“I see.” Lucifer leaned back and re-steepled his fingers. “Has your concept of protocol also waned? You should have given me audience the moment you crossed the veil.”
“My apologies.” He bowed his head before looking at the devil. “I was in no shape to appear before you.”
