Daniel appeared at his elbow. “You think it’s a trap?”

“There’s always that possibility.” Dee held her hand out to Daniel. “Give me one of those glamours. No use standing here jawing about it. If it’s a trap, let’s spring the fucker.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Eddie’s new body took some getting used to. She was bigger and stronger, and her senses were sharper. Her vision peeled back the dark like it was daylight, and details became sharper, if somewhat monochromatic. And dear God, her enhanced sense of smell was not a plus this close to other people. It made her feel an all-new level of appreciation for dogs. Part of her wanted to test out this new form and see if she’d inherited Vexia’s neat trick of disappearing into thin air, or maybe she could flip that minivan parked outside a neat bungalow. Options.

Shade flowed beside her with languid grace, his skin a pearlescent white that somehow made her want to stroke it. On her other side, Wrath had taken the form of one of those enormous Rhino-boys and towered over the rest of them casting a shadow like a dump truck on the road. She didn’t have a name for what Dee and Daniel were supposed to be, but they looked disconcertingly reptilian. The glamours worked a bit like a TikTok filter, and if either of them shifted too fast, there was a slight lag before the glamour caught up.

Sophia was giving them both a stern lecture on how to move wearing a glamour. None of which Dee was taking seriously as she skipped along beside Daniel.

Looking over, Dee caught her eye and gave her a wink. Her eyes gleamed with delight. She was enjoying the crap out of this.

More demons slunk around them as they drew closer to the end of the street. None of the other demons made eye contact, and that was fine with Eddie. She moved closer to Shade. “Won’t there be some kind of password?”

“Him.” Shade pointed at Yesterday. “His blood will get us in.”

So not reassuring, and Eddie really hoped this was not another time when Yesterday had a spot of betrayal or double dealing in mind. Nerves fluttered in her belly as they approached a small crowd of demons gathered around a door.

“Breathe,” Shade whispered to her. “If it all goes sideways, you have enough power by your side to flatten this neighborhood.”

It was odd what you considered romantic when you were being wooed by a hell prince.

Two high order demons guarded the door, looking nearly human. One of them had the same horn structure as Ashe, and for a moment, her heart stopped. Then he turned to glance about him, and she breathed a sigh of relief. This demon wasn’t as handsome as Ashe, his features coarser.

Yesterday joined the cluster of demons waiting to be admitted.

The Ashe lookalike glanced at Yesterday, paused, and then studied him closer. “You.” He pointed at Yesterday. “Imp.”

Wrath tensed and shifted his shoulder in front of hers.

“Me?” Yesterday did a classic double take and look behind him combo.

The demon growled. “Don’t try my patience, imp.”

“Hello, Coal.” Yesterday bounced up to the demon. “I told you I was coming, and I would be bringing friends.”

Coal’s dark eyes skimmed their group. He paused on Dee and studied her closer. “What demesne?”

Dee opened her mouth to reply but Yesterday got there faster. He pointed at Dee and Daniel. “Sloth.” Then at Sophia. “Lust.” He jerked his head at Shade. “That one too.”

The demon moved closer to Dee and Daniel. “They don’t smell like Sloth.”

“What does?” Yesterday rolled his eyes. “Sodding hell prince is too lazy to even imprint her horde.”

Grunting, Coal leaned forward and sniffed at Eddie and then Wrath. “Wrath.”

“Yup.” Yesterday bounced on his toes. “Can we go in?”

“Blood mark,” Coal snapped, his gaze still locked on Wrath.

Growling, Wrath flashed a scary amount of fang.

“Fucking wrath demesne.” Coal shook his head. “You try any of your aggressive crap inside, and I will personally end you.”

“He’s fine.” Yesterday patted Wrath’s forearm and then bit into his index finger and held it up for Coal.

Still glaring at Wrath, Coal licked the blood. “Seems good.” He glowered at Wrath. “I don’t like you. You make me twitchy.”

“I don’t like you either.” Wrath’s voice sounded like boulders grinding together. “Pride scum always makes me want to bite heads off.”

Eddie tensed.

But Coal didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the possibility of losing his head to Wrath’s enormous gnashers and jerked his head. “I’ll be watching you.”

“Mmmh.” Sophia glided closer to Coal and stroked her fingers over his cheek. “I like being watched.” She licked her full, sensuous mouth. “Maybe you bring a friend later, and you can all watch if you like.”

Coal lurched back. “Get off me.” He snarled. “Fucking succubus. Don’t try your tricks here.”

“Or what,” Sophia purred. “You’ll spank me?” She giggled. “I enjoy a good spanking.”

“Get in there and shut up.” Coal shoved her through the narrow doorway.

Shade sidled closer to him. “Maybe⁠—”

“Fuck off.” Coal pushed Shade after Sophia.

Inside, demons filled a large, open space, and the combined smell assaulted Eddie’s sensitive nose. Wrath led the way, shouldering other demons out of their path. A few turned around and snarled or snapped, but one look at the size of him, and they grudgingly gave way. They couldn’t risk much conversation in such a confined space, so Eddie concentrated on looking around.

The array of demon shapes and sizes was dizzying. Some of her worst nightmares seemed to drift around the space. There was everything from the almost humanoid to the barely there mist variety of demon. She struggled not to stare.

Sophia was given a wide berth. Demons seemed united in their dislike of succubae. Eddie wanted to know why and added it to her mental tally of questions when they got out of here.

Wrath and Shade kept very close to her. Not allowing any other demon to get between her and them. Dee and Daniel stuck to Sophia, both of them taking things in like Eddie was.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, and a hush fell over the demons.

Eddie felt a power signature prickle over her skin, and she glanced at Shade.

He gave her a barely susceptible nod. Something was going down.

Coal stepped to the front of the room and mounted a small, raised platform. “Shut the fuck up,” he shouted.

Silence followed.

Movement rippled from the back of the room. Eddie craned her neck to see what was happening and made eye contact with Ashe. This time there was no mistake. It was really him. Her heart leapt into her throat, and sweat broke out all over her.