Haziel indicated her skintight leathers. “You’re going somewhere?”
Ava nodded. “Michael is up to something. He’s entered the earth plane.
As Michael avoided the earth plane like a case of boils, Haziel agreed that Michael might very well be up to something. “Do you know what?”
“Nope.” Ava shook her head, and her long, dark braid snaked across her back. “But when last I heard, he was researching historical reports of Nephilim.”
“He was?” Wrath frowned. “I thought they’d all been…”
Wrath wouldn’t finish that sentence and confirm the systematic annihilation of Nephilim. The practice could have cost him his daughter, who was ironically, now their one hope.
Needing to comfort him, Haziel slipped her hand into Wrath’s. “Did he find anything?”
“Who the hell knows?” Ava threw up her hands. “The cagey bastard wouldn’t tell me if he had.” Her lovely face tightened into a determined mask. “But I’m not going to sit on my ass while we all go up in smoke.” Her eyes glittered. “And that fucker is trying to hide his presence on the earth plane from me. That tells me I have to find out why.”
Wrath held out his hand. “Go well.”
“If Michael can locate other Nephilim, there’s a chance we can repair all the seals.” Haziel shared her thoughts aloud. Another Nephilim would take the pressure off Eddie.
Ava nodded and gestured around her to her palace. “I’ve told Rapace to stay in touch with you,” she said to Wrath. “What’s left of my horde is yours to command.”
“My thanks.” Wrath nodded. “We’ve all been sitting around waiting for shit to get worse, and that is not my way.” He glanced at Haziel as if firming his conviction. “This rebellion is not going away, and it’s time we take the fight to them.”
The envy demesne resembled a large barren wasteland. Hot thermals radiated up from the land and made flying more difficult. “Are we going to war?”
Wrath had never mentioned that before they’d spoken to Ava.
He glanced at her and shrugged. “There may not be any choice.”
Whatever he did, he had her support, so she nodded. She indicated the dark, empty land beneath them. “There’s nobody here.”
“They’re here.” Wrath threw her a quick smile. “Levi likes to keep things hidden.”
Leviathan’s palace was built underground and accessed through a dusty, arid cave. They were led into a large room that looked like it had been cleaved from the rock. There were no decorations or embellishments, and the furnishings were plain and functional. Beelzebub was there with Levi.
Levi stood, her straight fall of dark hair catching the low light. In mint green lounging pants and an off the shoulder shirt, she was breathtakingly lovely. She moved toward them with a lithe economy of movement like a hunting cat.
Haziel had met Levi before but not had much interaction. She was curious.
“Well, this is a kick in the pants,” Levi said as she kissed Wrath on both cheeks. “I don’t remember seeing this fuckery in the contract’s fine print.” Her wide, full mouth split into a grin as she faced Haziel and held out her hand. “It’s Haziel, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Haziel was momentarily dumbstruck by the intense green of Levi’s eyes. And this from a seraph who’d spent centuries staring into Ramiel’s jade peepers.
Beelzebub, or Zeb as the other hell princes called him, sauntered up behind Levi.
Shoulder length dark hair framed the chiseled symmetry of his near perfect face. Amber eyes keenly assessed her and Wrath as he greeted them. “So, what’s the plan? You don’t make it this way often.”
“Wrath always has a plan.” Levi winked at her. “But I’m sure you already know that.”
“Ava is heading for the earth plane,” Wrath said.
“Wow!” Levi snapped her fingers at a nearby demon.
Haziel understood demonic nature, and that hell princes needed to be harsh, but having served in a host, she was never going to be a fan of the finger snapping.
“Hell is emptying faster than a leaky bucket.” Levi motioned them over to a seating area of straight, leather-backed chairs.
Wrath remained standing, energy humming from him. “I am taking command of Shade, Lucifer, and Ava’s horde.” He tapped the chair back impatiently. “We need to put together a combined horde army to end this rebellion.”
Zeb and Levi stilled. Trust didn’t come easily amongst hell princes.
“Is that so?” Levi murmured as her demon placed a flagon of amber liquid and a platter of meat, fruit, and cheeses in front of them.
Zen poured. He flashed a smile at Haziel. “We’re more beer drinkers in this part of hell.”
“Beer works.” After that hot flight, beer sounded the perfect way to ease the dust from her throat.
Zeb handed her and then Wrath a tankard of beer. “Do you have the numbers to conquer them?”
“I will if you give me your hordes as well.” Wrath quaffed his beer and wiped his mouth with his wrist.
Levi pursed her lips and delicately sipped her beer. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”
“I don’t see that any of us have much choice.” The sexy muscle Haziel loved so much ticked in Wrath’s jaw.
“You think the hordes will work together?” Zeb’s eyes looked like beaten copper as he considered Wrath’s proposal.
Well, more of a demand than a proposal.
Wrath grimaced. “If the rebels can do it, we can. And the hordes still loyal will do as their hell princes command.”
“Why you?” Levi cradled her tankard between long, slim fingers.
Wrath shrugged and accepted a refill from Zeb. “Because I’m the best of us at war.”
Levi stiffened, and Haziel suppressed a sigh. She adored the crap out of him, but a touch of diplomacy wouldn’t go awry.
“All the hell princes are good at war,” she said and sent him a hard look. She got an arrogant eyebrow raise in response, but she kept her attention on Zeb and Levi. “Wrath’s seal is still the most stable.” She sipped her beer to loosen her throat and formulate her next words. “If the seals continue to worsen—and with this newest development, that’s a near as dammit certainty—Wrath is best placed to lead an army.” She managed a chuckle to ease the atmosphere. “Believe it or not, his temper will be the most stable with the other seals weakening faster.”
Zeb chuckled and clapped. “Oh, well done, seraph. Well played.”
Levi watched her intently. “Why don’t you raise a host army?” She stretched her long legs in front of her. “Your archangel owes you a massive favor, owes us all, and he could help you put together an angelic army.”
“I intend to ask.” Haziel was tired of the archangels taking a back seat in this crisis. “The wait and see approach is not working for any of us and the angels need to act. Pestilence waking may be what we need to kick them into action.”
Wrath glanced at her but hid any surprise behind a stoic mask.
She would liked to have discussed this with him first, but she had a deal to broker.
