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"Says the soft bastard who bought her a candyfloss machine and a slushie maker,andwho got up at six this morning to make heart-shaped sweets."
Joseph rolled his eyes. "She deserves the whole damn world."
"And she knows it," Taj muttered, squeezing my ankles where they draped over his stomach. I remembered Dev giving me a piggy back down the Feared Tower, and wondered if I could get one from Jezebel. Then I'd have the full set.
"Are you absolutely sure you have enough weapons?" Joseph asked me when we headed down the grassy slope that led to the wider regions of Hell. "I can go back and get you something else, or you can have this."
"I've got thirteen," I assured him, stopping him from drawing the serrated knife he'd stashed against his back. My eyes trailed it lovingly, but I had nowhere to put it.4"I'm all good. And besides, I shouldn't have to use any of them. They're just for show."
Taj snorted, his shoulders rocking me. Joseph put the knife back; my eyes snagged on the raw redness on the tips of his fingers.
"What happened to your fingers?" I asked, a furrow between my eyes. We wereallbanned from physical activities for a full month—one week to go, thank fuck!—so he shouldn't have had any injuries. But what kind of training only messed up fingertips? I wracked my brain for a special technique or torture and came up empty. Fingernails, sure, and driving nails into the beds obviously, but this was more … an abrasion.
"Do I need to kill someone?" I asked genuinely, my heart beating faster and magic rising scarily, dizzyingly fast. Now I had all my power back, it rushed through me whenever I got emotional.5
"It's nothing," Joseph replied quickly. Too quickly.
"Whoever hurt you is going topay."I seethed, my hands curling into fists. Taj choked and none-too-gently pulled them away from his neck so he could breathe. Whoops. I patted his throat in apology.
"No one hurt me," Joseph muttered, self-consciousness bleeding through the bond.
I narrowed my eyes, but I had plenty of time to press him for answers. Taj's body shifted under me when he opened the gates—and we all jumped in surprise at the sight of a hundred naked, fiery people lounging on the grass. When they spotted us they leapt into bows or knelt before us, heads bowed.
"Your majesties," a rough voice greeted. Oh, hey, it was my never-mother-in-law, aka the leader of the Band of Umber. "We've come to offer our services to you and any who are loyal to you."
"Oh," I replied, blinking.
I exchanged a quick glance with Joseph but he rolled his eyes.You're the devil now, sweetness,that eye-roll said.
Right. Time to put on my big girl pants and lead people.6
"Thank you for your help with the dead lizard tyrant and his enemies," I said, looking across the kneeling people. Through the flickering fire, I saw glimpses of bare skin—tight and saggy, light and dark, and everything in between. The Band of Umber were an equal opportunities nudist colony; no matter what you had dangling or swinging around, you were welcome.
Their leader inclined her head. "We owe you more. We would have been slaughtered under his tyrant reign, so we're here to repay the debt. Our caves were consumed by the noxious green cloud, and since you abandoned your poor, heartbroken fiancée—"
Twin growls argued with that.
I reached around and patted Taj's bare, hot chest.7Joseph got a head pat, because it was all I could reach—and because he went all melty and soft whenever I stroked his hair. I discovered this fact during weeks of lazing around, healing and signing papers. We'd had limitless time to be intimate and affectionate, so I'd made the most of it.8
Our caves were consumed…
"You sneaky bitch," I laughed at the band leader, a smirk on my lips. "Are you trying to blackmail me into giving you a home?"
She drew up with a gasp. "I would never—"
"Ha! You so would. And no worries, I'll find you somewhere to live; it's the least we owe you. If anyone else has been made homeless, send them our way and we'll sort it out."
Murmurs moved through the kneeling naked people—gracious … kind … so generous … our devil is as sweet as she is beautiful.
Noooo! Dammit! I'd worked forweekson building a scary, do-not-fuck-with-me attitude, and these love-soft fools were going to ruin it all. Ughhh. Word would spread. I'd be known as the Benevolent Devil.
Irony was a bitch, and so was the Band of Umber leader. I liked her, and was annoyed by it.
"We have plans right now," I said, "But just … hang around and my mates will find you a place."
Dev…?
Already on it,he replied, his capable mind at work. Man, competence was so sexy.
