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“I’m fine,” she said, because she was. She didn’t want to snap at him but this overprotective streak of his was making her edgy. She got the feeling he would bundle her in bubble wrap and stuff her in his pocket if he could. And while she appreciated the concern, she wasn’t used to being swaddled and cosseted. Dee had always raised her with a much more get-on-with-it style of parenting. “As you’ve told me countless times, I’m Nephilim, and that means half hell prince.”
Shade stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not that half I’m worried about.”
“Me neither.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and took the stairs down to the theatre. Macbeth had a preview tonight, and she wanted to make sure everything was ready. At least, that was the excuse she’d given Shade to get him to let her out of her bedroom. Her real reason for being up and about, she’d rather not share with him.
“You’re up to something,” Shade grumbled.
Cronus and Xerxes appeared from the workshop and flanked her. They’d returned from hell late the night before, and Eddie had missed them.
“Where are we going?” Cronus did his best to look nonchalant, but the expression didn’t work on a hell hound. These two were almost as bad as Shade in trying to protect her.
“Do you know where Sophia is?” With all the skulking these two did around the theatre, it was a safe bet they did know. “And shouldn’t you two be staying out of sight?”
“The mortals cannot see us.” Xerxes’ long tongue lolled out of his mouth.
That stopped Eddie in her tracks. “Wait. What? You can do that?”
“We can do many things.” There was a ton of smug in his tone.
All this time she’d been worried people would see them, and they could make like a ghost. “You could have told me.”
Xerxes gave her a look that stated clearly that she could have asked.
“Sophia,” she snapped. “Do you know where she is?”
Shade came up behind her, close enough that she could feel his heat. “Why are you searching for Sophia?”
It wasn’t like it was some big secret, but she got the distinct impression trying to bring up her request with Shade would end up in charming and well-considered objections. As a female archangel, as well as being the most approachable of the supernaturals, Sophia was Eddie’s choice to take her request to. “I need her help with something.”
“What?” Shade looked a little hurt. “What can Uriel help you with that I can’t?”
“She prefers to be called Sophia.” Eddie sidestepped his question and stared at the hounds.
“She is in the basement,” Cronus said.
“Good.” Eddie headed off in that direction.
Shade followed.
“Look.” She stopped and turned to him. “I want to talk to Sophia. Alone. I won’t be in any danger, and I promise I will not leave the theatre without letting you know.”
The hounds looked at Shade, and Eddie got the sense they were having a private conversation.
She gentled her tone as she took Shade’s hand. “This is nothing dangerous. It’s more of a woman-to-woman thing.”
He searched her face for a moment and then nodded. “I worry, Eddie.” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “The last time you were out of my sight terrible things happened to you.”
Gah! This guy. He’d found her when she needed finding, taken care of her like she was the most precious being on the planet, and kept saying sweet things. And not once had he brought up their last conversation before Ashe had kidnapped her. She wasn’t remotely ready to talk about them, and he seemed to know that, but there was an endless patient quality around him that reassured her he’d suffered no change of heart. “I just want to talk to Sophia quickly. I promise I will tell you about it after I’ve spoken to her.”
“Then I shall wait right here until you are done.” He pointed to the floor outside the basement door.
“Right there?” Eddie raised an eyebrow at him. “Won’t your ass get cold?”
He flashed her the signature Shade smirk. The one that took her knees out in a twinkle of gray eyes and quirk to the side of his beautiful mouth. “You could always warm it for me.”
“Keep dreaming, handsome.” She patted his cheek and scurried into the basement before she took him up on the offer. Shade did have a spectacular ass. Actually, Shade had many, many things that could be described as spectacular, and she’d seen all of them.
“Hello, Eddie,” Sophia called as Eddie descended into the quiet gloom of the basement.
