She had finished her second bowl when the door opened, and Ava stepped into the room.
This morning she wore an indigo silk gown that clung to the strong, lithe lines of her body and trailed along the floor behind her. Precious gems were woven through her lustrous dark hair piled atop her head. She smiled as a demon produced a chair for her and set it at the table opposite Haziel. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Haziel waited for Wrath to appear. When Ava selected a berry from the bowl and bit into it, she took the initiative. “Is Wrath joining us?”
“Hmm?” Ava popped the rest of the berry into her mouth. “Funny you should ask.”
And Haziel’s belly fluttered uncomfortably. There was a glint in Ava’s dark eyes that made her nervous. “And why’s that funny?”
“Wrath left.” Ava shrugged and helped herself to another berry. She dipped it in honey and dropped it into her mouth.
Haziel couldn’t have heard that right. “Did you say Wrath left?”
“Yup.” Ava winked at her and licked honey off her fingers. “Seems you and I now have something in common.”
“Eh?” It was the best she could manage. This had to be one of Ava’s games. Wrath would never have—actually Wrath may very well have. He’d made it quite clear from the start that he hadn’t wanted her along with him. Outrage rippled through her. She was a seraph in hell. She couldn’t be here without an invitation, and she wasn’t safe without a hell prince.
“Yes.” Ava ripped into a croissant and dipped a piece in the honey. “Don’t you love honey?”
“Yes.” A direct question always demanded she answer it. “When did he leave?”
“According to my house demon, he slunk away sometime in the early hours of this morning.” Ava dunked another piece of croissant into the honey. She glanced over her shoulder and called. “There is no coffee here. Why is there no coffee here?”
The demon Haziel assumed to be the house demon bowed low. “Right away, mistress.”
“There really should be coffee.” Ava fixed him with a gimlet stare. “If I have to ask for it, then you have already failed me.”
He bowed low enough to scrape the floor with his forehead. “You are right, your highness, as always.”
Good grief. At least Ramiel had never treated her like that.
“Demons.” Ava rolled her eyes when the demon had left. “You have to keep a very firm hold on them, or they get ambitious.” Her expression darkened. “Especially lately. Like the other hell princes, my horde is molting demons.”
Haziel didn’t want to discuss demons, not the lower order ones anyway. “You said Wrath left early this morning. Without me?”
“So, it would appear.” Ava laughed and popped another berry between her full red lips. “Take it from one who knows, angel. He’s good at slipping away from a female.”
The reality of her situation started to trickle through her brain. “But I can’t traverse hell without him. I’m an angel.”
“Yes, you are.” Ava beamed at her like a proud parent. “And you wouldn’t make it two steps outside the palace before a demon took exception to you being here.”
No need to panic. Ramiel knew she had followed Wrath to hell. He wouldn’t leave her here for eternity. “Perhaps I should contact Ramiel?”
“Good!” Ava beamed as the demon entered and put a tray of coffee in front of her. “I can’t start my day without my coffee. Don’t you think humans are ingenious at times? For all their faults, they certainly have a trick or two worth copying.”
“I like humans,” Haziel said. Ava seemed to be taking her unwelcome guest rather pleasantly. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself. “If we contact Ramiel, he’ll arrange for me to leave here.”
“Why would we do that?” Ava poured two cups of coffee and added cream. “When Wrath so kindly left you as my hostage.”
“What!” Haziel was fairly certain she’d never shrieked in her life, but that was the only description she could find for the sound that catapulted out of her.
“Oh, yes.” Ava handed her a cup of coffee. “He left a message for me explaining how he was leaving you here with me as a show of faith that would allow him to travel across my demesne.” She grinned at Haziel. “Isn’t he kind?”
“No.” Haziel shot to her feet. How dare Wrath do this to her. “It’s the very opposite of kind. In fact, I think we can say it’s unkind.”
“Hell princes.” Ava smirked and sipped her coffee. “At least the ones with dicks. Welcome to them, sister. They’re a prize bunch.”
Now that Haziel looked closer at Ava, she noticed a certain grim acceptance to the hell prince. “I thought you were enjoying my discomfort, but you’re not, are you?”
“Maybe a teeny bit.” Ava showed her a small gap between her thumb and forefinger. “But only because that makes us sisters in the struggle.” She grimaced. “And I really can be a bitch.”
“He left me as a hostage.” Haziel still couldn’t quite believe it. She picked up her coffee and drank deeply. Ava was right. It really did help clear the fog in her brain. “Does that mean he’s coming back?”
“Probably.” Ava shrugged. “My guess is that he’s trying to keep both of us occupied while he does whatever he wants.” She leaned forward. “The penis contingent down here tend to think they can do whatever the fuck they like.”
A few female angels complained of the same thing, and what Ava said made too much sense for Haziel to ignore it. “I take it he’s done this before to you?”
“Yes, indeed.” Ava drained her coffee cup and poured herself another. “They’re all the same, you know. Shade, Lucifer, even Zeb, and he’s crazy about Levi and would stab himself rather than piss her off.” She waved an elegant hand through the air. “They march around like having a penis gives them special dispensation to do whatever they like.”
Haziel took a pain au chocolat from the basket. Humans had that right too. Chocolate was perfect for comfort eating. “Even with you female hell princes?”
“Oh, yes.” Ava snorted. “Patronizing, condescending, entitled sons of whores, the entire lot of them.” She rolled her eyes. “And don’t get me started on the mansplaining.”
Now that Ava mentioned it, Haziel could see some parallels. “Archangels aren’t really any different.”
“No?” Ava raised an eyebrow.
“Not really.” As much as she adored Ramiel, she couldn’t not see the similarities in what Ava was saying. “Michael postures around, thumping his chest and pretending like he singlehandedly invented war.
