“Yeah.” Daniel chuckled. “It does make you not like him.” His laughter died. “But he’s not stupid, and this is such an obvious finger being pointed at him. I would have thought if Lucifer had taken Eddie, he would have been a lot smarter about covering his tracks.”

Wrath was really trying his best not to like this guy, but Daniel Lee was so fucking reasonable and clear thinking. Lucifer was smart and cunning and never showed his hand until it was too late to do anything about it. He didn’t want to give what Daniel said credence, but being this clumsy about abducting Eddie wasn’t his brother’s usual MO. Then again, he was as arrogant as he was smart, and he could be using the rebel demon hordes as cover. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I totally understand why you’re going to find him, it makes all kinds of sense. And I get why you are trying to rescue your daughter, but if you could keep a halfway open mind while you’re down there, it would be useful.” He jerked his head toward the portal. “See what else you notice. The one thing we’re really missing is accurate information. From what Chris told me, there’s a whole lot of maybes and what ifs floating around, and we need proper intelligence if we’re going to combat what’s going on.”

“Okay.” That wasn’t too much to ask, and it was exactly what he would have done if he was planning a battle. “Anything specific you want me to look for?”

“Yeah.” Daniel frowned. “These demons that are disappearing and the hordes that attacked you and Shade. It speaks to some kind of organization. Ashe is Lucifer’s second for a reason. He’s as clever as the hell prince he serves. He wouldn’t do something impulsive or stupid, and one could argue that kidnapping the daughter of Wrath is both of those things.”

Wrath wanted to get going, but Daniel had him intrigued. “So far nothing you’ve said doesn’t point to Lucifer.”

“But it does point to some kind of large-scale organization.” Daniel shrugged. “I know Lucifer has called himself the king of hell for centuries, but have you ever noticed him care enough to actually make that come true?”

Wrath let that sink into his brainbox. “Yeah, he’s a lazy turd.”

“Right.” Daniel clicked his fingers. “And whoever engineered the attacks on you and Shade and made them look like you were attacking each other is organized and strategic. Even kidnapping Eddie is the kind of thing that would destabilize hell. And I’m suggesting you consider that perhaps getting you to take out Lucifer could be part of that plan.” He shrugged. “After all, if they can get one hell prince to end another, they can end us all.”

That made Wrath’s head hurt. “Why would anyone do that?”

“And that, Wrath”—Daniel snapped his fingers—“is the million-dollar question. The only party who would do that is one who either had an elaborate death wish, or one who had a contingency plan.”

“What contingency plan?” Daniel was hinting at something so much bigger than warring hell princes and rebel demon hordes. “There is no contingency plan to the end of creation.”

“That we know of,” Daniel said with a weighted look. He held up his hands. “Look, the more I think about this, the more questions come up. All I’m asking you to do is consider the possibility that someone wants you to think Lucifer did this.”

Universe alone knew Wrath wasn’t looking for any reasons not to end Lucifer, but Daniel was making an annoying kind of sense. “You think he’s being set up, and by extension, me as well.”

“It’s a possibility.” Daniel shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “I think it’s worth bearing in mind.”

Wrath didn’t want to believe this wasn’t Lucifer, and that, in itself, was a problem. “Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Daniel cleared his throat and flushed. “Any idea how to avoid Rosabella?”

Not that he had ever tried, but Wrath answered honestly. “Not a clue.”

Having limited power made it easier for Wrath to avoid detection as he made his way across Shade’s demesne heading for Lucifer’s on the other side. His inability to use his wings made walking his only option. Slapping on a reasonable glamour as one of Shade’s lot, he trudged toward Lucifer’s demesne. Word picked up in taverns and from traveling demons was that Lucifer was missing, along with him and Shade. He’d also heard more than a few times that the news that he had lost his power was out. It would still take a brave or a foolish demon to take him on, but you could never underestimate the might of stupid.

And there was a lot of stupid happening across Shade’s demesne. Shade’s demesne was a mess. Even more of a mess than when he’d last been here. Bolder demons ran wild, taking advantage of Shade’s absence. Those demons still loyal to Shade cowered in their dwellings, confused and frightened and staying out of trouble. He’d avoided more than one pack of roving demons made up from all seven hell prince’s hordes.

He traveled through abandoned settlements, homes and livelihoods destroyed. Huge swathes of Shade’s lush jungles had been hacked down and burned to charred remnants. It made him concerned for his own demesne. Some of his demons would stay loyal, but many, like he had seen here in Shade’s territory obeyed only under the steady pressure of a boot on their throats.

Still, the level of chaos from Shade’s short absence gave him pause. Daniel had asked him to look around and take notice of what was happening, and it was impossible not to. Hell was descending into total chaos, and it bore no relation to the amount of time Shade had been missing. For this amount of mayhem to have taken over, a guiding hand might be behind it. Other than the higher demons, most demons were ugly cockhammer stupid. They lacked the brain cells to put something this widespread and quick into action.

He was passing through what had been a prosperous settlement. The riverside tavern still smoldered from a recent fire. A demon and his partner stood by the smoking ruins speaking quietly as Wrath approached them.

They both eyed him with suspicion as he asked, “Was this your tavern?”

The demon nodded.

“What happened?” Wrath indicated the debris.

“Fire.” The demon spat.

His demoness eyed Wrath warily. “Who are you?”

“A friend of Shade’s,” he replied. A friend who’d like to pull the hedonistic shitgoblin’s ass through his nose, but admitting that would get him nowhere. “I am checking on his demesne.”

“Shade.” The demoness narrowed her eyes at him. “Shade should be here.”

“Agreed.” Wrath nodded. “Who did this?”

The demon squared up to him, swelling to three times his size and answering Wrath’s question as to how he had survived when his tavern had not. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“Shade cannot be here.” Wrath hunted for a good enough excuse. “He is chasing a rogue angel.” That would work with most demons. The only thing they hated more than each other were angels.

The demoness nodded as if that mollified her.

Her mate was a tougher sell. “What angel?”

“Haziel,” he improvised and sent a mental apology her way. It was the only angelic name he could come up with in a hurry.

“Haziel.” The demoness squinted her yellow eyes. “Is she not part of Ramiel’s host?”

“Yup.” The best lies needed a touch of truth. “Pretty little thing. Green eyes, lots of hair. Not a lot of brain.”

The demon nodded as if he’d met Haziel. “What did she do?”

“Can’t say.” Wrath nodded.

“Can’t or won’t?” The demon still remained his impressive almost twenty feet.

“Can’t.” Wrath shrugged and toed aside a charred piece of wood. “Shade didn’t say, and I know better than to ask. Hell princes are a cagey lot.”

“Right.” The demoness nodded and touched her mate’s hand.

He immediately shrunk back down. “Still.” He motioned the mess in front of them. “This wouldn’t have happened if Shade had been here.”

“He’ll make it right.” Wrath had no problem promising away Shade’s fortune and power. “Send word to his palace and he will make reparations.”

The demoness gaped at him. She might have been attractive had it not been for that third eye halfway down her cheek. All three eyes were currently staring at him as if he’d recently hatched. “You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?” And Wrath knew worse news was coming. He almost felt sorry for Shade.

“The palace is gone,” she said. “Well, the building is still standing, but the same horde who did this attacked Shade’s palace and ran off any demon who remained loyal.” She growled and all three eyes narrowed. “Most of them joined the mixed hordes who attacked the palace.”

“Mixed hordes.” The demon shook his head. “I never would have believed I’d ever see a time when those of us from Shade rubbed shoulders with Wrath’s scum. It seems like there are more mixed hordes every day, and more and more demons joining them.”