Demons got jammed in the door trying to leave, and Shade scooped Eddie into his arms.

Lucifer grabbed Daniel and tossed him over his shoulder.

Power washed through Eddie, and she knew it was Wrath.

With a boom that hurt her ears, the demons, the room, and the house exploded.

Demon parts flew through the air, blood spattered everywhere, bits of brick, mortar, piping, and electrical clattered to the street.

“Subtle, brother,” Lucifer drawled. He glanced around them at the carnage. “Do you think they’ll know we were here?”

Sophia ran up to them with Dee still cradled in her arms. “We need to get out of here. I’ve called for my host to do clean up.”

Car alarms blared and lights blinked on in the houses all around them. A thick dust cloud blanketed the area.

Shade grit his teeth. “Damage control,” he said.

His power felt completely different to Wrath’s, but calm drifted over the war zone street.

People peering out of windows, dropped the curtains and stepped away. Doors that had been hung open closed and the groans of dying demons silenced.

Up until this moment, Eddie had known she was hanging out with all-powerful beings, but seeing it in action nearly blew her mind into as many pieces as the former house.

A soft shushing sound made her look up, and angels appeared in the sky above them. Their white wings sending warm drafts of air down. Eddie had to blink away tears as she watched them. They were so beautiful and graceful and nearly silent.

One of them approached Sophia and they spoke for a while.

“Let’s go.” Wrath grabbed her arm. “We need to make a quick exit.”

Shade nodded and scooped Eddie into his arms. “We fly.” He turned to Lucifer. “Cloak us.”

With a smirk, Lucifer tapped two fingers to his forehead in a mocking salute. “Your wish, oh mighty one.”

Wrath grabbed Daniel, whose glamour seemed to be disappearing faster than the debris around them, and took to the air.

With her clasped to his chest, Shade hovered in the air above Sophia until she had lifted Dee with her.

“What about my car?” Dee’s head whipped around as she tried to see past Sophia’s wings.

Lucifer shot her a wicked grin. Did he have any other kind of smile? “I’ll meet you at the theatre.” He glanced at Shade and Wrath. “We need to have a little chat.”

Nodding, Wrath swept his great red and black wings and shot high over the buildings.

“The keys.” Dee dug in her pocket.

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Lucifer winked at her. “Enjoy your flight, Dee.”

As Shade lifted Eddie higher, angels worked their magic, and the house, the dead demons, and the damage started disappearing.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Wrath stared at his brother, not bothering to mask his loathing. He might have been persuaded that Lucifer had not been involved in Eddie’s kidnapping, but he still didn’t like the troll fucker. “What were you doing there?”

Smoothing down the front of his black button-down, Lucifer smirked at him. “Why, brother, I am well. I’m so happy you asked.”

Yeah, he wasn’t going to bite. Well, not in the sense of rising to the bait, but his teeth breaking Lucifer’s skin still held dizzying appeal.

“Why were you there?” Sophia folded her arms and propped her hips against the greenroom counter. Behind her, the kettle came to a boil and hissed.

“Tea first.” Dee bustled at the counter putting bags in cups and pouring hot water over them.

Wrath could say with certainty that he did not want a cup of tea, but Eddie had seconded Dee’s suggestion when she’d made it, so he would choke down a cup of fucking tea.

“Ashe.” Lucifer’s face went stony, and retribution chilled his eyes to pitch. “He is mine.”

He could respect that sentiment. If Ashe had been part of his court, Wrath would take his defection personally and want to take care of payback himself. “Why didn’t you take him when you had the chance?”

“Because, unlike you,” Lucifer drawled, “I like to think before I act.” He accepted a mug from Dee with a smile of thanks. “Ashe was my best demon. Him being part of something like this makes no sense. I wanted to know more before I end him.” He smirked. “And I was there incognito. Until you decided to blow the place to shit, that is.”

Wrath took his cup and cradled it between his palms. The warmth did provide a measure of comfort, so maybe there was something to this infernal tea drinking of humans. “What if you don’t get another chance to capture him?”

“I’ll get another chance.” Lucifer’s voice vibrated with malicious intent, and Wrath didn’t doubt him for a second. He knew from experience exactly how vengeful his sibling could be.

“There’s something bothering me,” Eddie said and rubbed at her nape.

Shade rubbed her back. “What is it?”

“Ashe.” She frowned into her teacup. “There were a couple of times in that meeting when I swore he saw me but then…nothing.”

“He can’t have seen you.” Sophia spooned sugar into her mug. “Or he would have called out.”

“Not necessarily.” Shade’s palm moved slowly up and down Eddie’s spine.

The only thing that kept Wrath from ripping Shade’s hand off his daughter was the comfort Eddie seemed to draw from the contact. She swayed into the touch in a way that made Wrath grind his molars.

“Beg to differ,” Lucifer snapped. “The only reason that self-serving piece of shit kept quiet was because he knew she wouldn’t be there alone.”

Eddie’s frown deepened, and Wrath sensed she had more to say. “What is it, Eddie? We’re listening.” He shot a glare around the room to make sure everyone else was onboard.

“I don’t know.” Eddie sipped her tea. “When I was a captive, it was mainly Ashe I saw.”

Wrath’s mug disintegrated in his fist, and tea sloshed on the floor. Before anyone could get pissy about it, he vanished the mess.

“And he was…well there were times when I felt like he was trying to help me.” Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know, because he was also always there whenever they were going to drain me. So maybe I’m suffering from some kind of Stockholm syndrome or something.”

Shade watched Eddie as if he was being paid to do it. “What do you mean tried to help you?”