Chained every few feet was a Hellhound on a large lead. I was used to seeing them in their human forms, but they were terrifying in their shifted ones. Their sharp ears had perked up, and all of them were staring at us with intense fiery eyes.
There were several other Hell Fae roaming the hallway, too.
Okay, so Melek wasn’t joking about the attire,I thought, noting their formal outfits.It’s like he teleported us into the middle of a hellish art gallery.
All the fae around us wore suits and diamond-studded cuff links. Some had ties with black silk, and others donned vibrant red colors. I didn’t spot any weapons—none that were visible, anyway—but most Hell Fae didn’t need a weapon to be a threat.
And even if there was a concern, I suspected all they’d have to do would be to unleash the Hellhounds in the event of an intruder.
I’d dispatched plenty of Hellhounds when Lucifer had been trying to bring me down for the bride trials, but that had always been one-on-one.
Playing with all of these beasts at once? No, thanks.
Although, their chained-up states suggested that the Hellhounds weren’t allowed to shift in the palace. I wondered what they had done to earn that treatment, or if Lucifer just preferred them in their animal form.
With a quick scan, I even noticed that the Hellhounds wore spiked collars studded with diamonds and black onyx.
Well, obviously no expense was spared for the palace and the members within it.
“No,” Melek said, drawing my attention back to him. “The floor isn’t made of lava.”
I blinked, not understanding his change in topic.
Then I remembered that I’d just asked about the floors and the reason for the necklace. “Oh.” I seemed to be a woman of many words this evening.Er, uh, morning? Afternoon? Whatever time it is.
“No part of the palace does, actually,” he went on. “The walls are made of Hellfire. At least in this wing. But the east wing is flameless, mostly because it’s reserved for business meetings and out-of-realm visitors.”
He tucked me closer to his chest, blocking my view again. My breath caught at the proximity.
“But we’re not in the east wing. Which means you need protection.” He flicked his gaze somewhere behind my shoulder. “You’ll have to reach for the necklace.”
It took me a minute to comprehend what he’d said.Right. He was holding the necklace in his left hand.
He hadn’t answered my question about what would happen if I set foot on the floor of Lucifer’s palace without it, but based on what I’d seen so far, I’d probably be burned alive or set off some sort of Hellhound alarm.
Stretching to twist around and grab the necklace, I brought it to my chest.
“Just hold it up for me and I’ll help you put it on,” he told me, gently setting me down without warning.
Heat instantly shot up my legs as energy zapped through my heels. A wave of immediate exhaustion cascaded over me.Fuck.I clutched the necklace, feeling it tugging at something inside of me. Something I didn’t understand.
Melek had told me once that the talisman was a conduit of sorts. I wasn’t sure if that meant it was a conduit for his power, or mine, or maybe both.
“Is this why Ty—I mean, Lucifer—said you could give me back the necklace?” I asked as Melek took hold of the chain and strung it around my neck.
He clasped it at my nape as he replied, “Ty will want to talk to you first.”
That didn’t answer my question.
And it also suggested that burning me alive or feeding me to the Hellhounds wasn’t off the table, either. Lucifer was just too busy for me right now.
Because he’s meeting with Ajax and Az while Melek distracts me with a tour.
My death was likely inconsequential to Lucifer, too. He’d see to it, but when it suited his timetable.
My eyes snapped up when one of the Hellhounds began snarling at me.
My hand fell to my hip on instinct, searching for a weapon. Except I didn’t have one.
