Page 86 of All's Hell That Ends Well

God, I’d chewed people out a few times in my life, but this might have been the most nerve-racking. While I’d been on a roll and hadn’t wanted to stop, it didn’t mean I wasn’t a mess of fear and discomfort inside.

Running both hands over my face, I stood for a moment just trying to get my bearings.

“Are you all right, my lady?”

At the soft question, I startled and pivoted to the speaker. My breath left me in a rush a second later as I recognized Shemyaza, the female demon who led the protective entourage Azazel had sent me.

Right, she was here. They all were.

Four demons in total, all of them accomplished warriors from Azazel’s top ranks, most of whom I had seen before, when I’d lived in Azazel’s mansion. They’d shown up yesterday to “visit” me—all of them decked out in weapons—and had followed me around since then.

I’d avoided going to crowded places in order to hide their presence as much as possible, and I’d ordered them to wait outside Lucifer’s rooms, lest he find out.

He might still learn they were here, but I wouldn’t tempt fate by shoving them right under his nose.

“Yes,” I replied. “I’m fine. Thank you. I’ll just go finish packing my stuff.”

With a nod at Shemyaza, I headed back to my rooms, my bodyguards trailing me faithfully.

Now that Vengeance stayed behind in Lucifer’s care, I did appreciate the added security my protective entourage provided me. Those moments when I’d deposited Venny with Lucifer and headed to the gate were the times I would otherwise walk alone, not to mention that on Earth, I’d only be in the company of Haniel.

Azazel had been right—as he usually was. Having guards was the smart choice considering the overall situation.

As it turned out, Shemyaza and her buddies also followed me to the gate and over to Earth, which was the moment I had to explain the truth at least to Haniel. Telling him these were my“friends” wouldn’t cut it anymore, because there’d be no reason for them to go on the mission with me.

There was a brief argument about safety and logistics, but I managed to convince him that these guards were simply additional security that benefited both him and me and that I would only go to Earth if they were allowed to come. They were also bound to secrecy about the nature of what I was doing on Earth, so there’d be no information leak.

In the end, Haniel relented with a shrug, after conferring in a whisper with the demon who was on watch duty for the gate.

I stepped through the portal once more, right back into the busy streets of New York. While I’d scoured the entire city proper last time, and would now widen the search to New Jersey, this gate in NYC was still the closest point of entry on Earth from Lucifer’s palace.

Haniel and my guards emerged behind me, and I gave them a nod and extended my wings. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 26

Azazel

Holding the piece of paper as if it might grow teeth and bite me, I stared at the official seal of Lucifer at the bottom, which marked it as a direct means of communication from the King of Hell himself. The last time he’d personally summoned me was when he’d replied to my RSVP to the Fall Festival, ordering me to bring Zoe along and present her to him.

This time, there was no mention of Zoe. No further details other than a request—a command, really—to come see him.

My gut drew tight with dread and foreboding.

Given our contentious history and the precedents of the past, Lucifer summoning me to him most certainly didn’t mean anything good. I had a hunch what it might be about, and I was already laying out a line of defense and potential contingency plans. I’d just sent off a note to Daevi, with the request to inform Naamah as well. Bringing into the loop the two females who had the most influence on Lucifer and might argue on my behalf seemed like the wise thing to do.

Whether an objection from Naamah might actually save my neck when push came to shove was debatable, but I’d try anyway.

I called for my five most trusted warriors—well, most trusted after the ones I’d sent as guards for Zoe—and then we left in a flurry of wings to make the long flight to Lucifer’s palace.

Just like during those recent times I’d visited Zoe in the palace, I took note of the lack of patrols and checks at the border to Lucifer’s territory, one of the most glaring signs of his negligence. His domain used to be the most heavily guarded, with the strongest army, his soldiers well trained and loyal. Together with Lucifer’s power level, that had always been an effective deterrent to any potential aggressors.

Now, I could slip inside the territory, along with an entourage, largely unseen and most definitely unchecked.

In glaring contrast to when I’d landed in the main courtyard of the palace after Lilith had summoned me to pick up Zoe eight years ago, when there’d been dozens of guards and staff controlling the many visitors, we now touched down on the ash-flecked white stone without a single demon coming to ask us our business. The place was deserted, the roar of the dragons above us the only sound.

Consequently, we strolled into the palace without an escort, free to explore the seat of Lucifer’s power and do what we willed.

With each step, my blood boiled at the lack of security, at the obvious dereliction of his duty as lord over this domain. The sheer neglect and apathy apparent in the abandonment of all necessary precautions and regulations galled me to no end—mostly, but not exclusively, because it put Zoe in harm’s way.

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