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“Shade.” He tutted as he tilted his head and studied Eddie. “Aren’t you a tasty little morsel.”
“Back the fuck off.” Shade stepped between Eddie and the stranger. “She’s mine.”
“Yours?” He raised a perfectly sculpted dark brow. “If you want to get technical about it, then she’s—”
Shade grabbed him by the neck. “What do you want?”
“Don’t be a dick.” The stranger shrugged him off and straightened his dark, button-down shirt. “And I came to offer you my help.” He waved a languid hand to the jungle. “You’re not going to get far without me.”
“And why would you do that?” Shade growled.
“Why?” He laughed, an attractive deep sound that created shivers up Eddie’s spine. “Because anything that pisses off my brother, works for me.” He peered past Shade’s shoulder at Wrath. “And as you’ve done way more than piss him off, I am at your service.”
Eddie couldn’t contain her question any longer. “Who are you?”
“Me.” He turned a beautiful smile of flashing white teeth and deep dimples her way. “Why, sweetheart, I am Lucifer, but you can think of me as your savior.”
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Outside the passage, Lucifer had gathered Shade’s demons. They all looked delighted to see him, and equally delighted to see Wrath’s condition.
Shade looked at the horde surrounding them and frowned.
“What is it?” Eddie wasn’t up for another nasty surprise.
“There are too few of them.” Shade’s frown deepened.
Lucifer straightened his cuffs and led them to a flashy chariot thing drawn by six glossy dark creatures that closely resembled horses. Except for the glowing red eyes and the vicious, sharp teeth. “Noticed that too, did you?”
“Has Wrath destroyed them?”
A towering, ruddy-skinned demon with sharp horns bowed to Shade. “Go, master. We will make sure you are not followed.”
“My thanks.” Shade nodded. “Where are the others?”
The demon growled. “Gone. Their disloyalty has been noted.”
“As much as I’d like to blame Wrath for this, my horde is suffering a similar thinning.” Lucifer swung himself gracefully into the chariot and held a long, elegant hand out to Eddie. “Allow me, sweetness.”
Eddie considered rejecting the hand, but not wanting to appear petulant, she allowed him to help her into the chariot. Strictly speaking, Lucifer was more beautiful than Shade. His features were more finely drawn and clean, his dark eyes pools of mystery, and his mouth a perfectly sculpted sweep, but he was almost too beautiful. It was like trying to look directly into the sun.
Shade dropped Wrath’s inert form into the bottom of the chariot, leapt up beside Eddie, and put himself between her and Lucifer.
“Protective, are we?’ Lucifer drawled. “No need, Asmodeus, after all she is my—”
“Not yet,” Shade growled. “We haven’t covered that yet?”
More secrets. What a surprise! GAH!
Lucifer studied her with his fathomless onyx eyes, and Eddie resisted the urge to fidget. She felt like a specimen on a slide. Then he gave her a dazzling smile and took up the reins of his chariot. “Hah!”
The demonic horses shot away at such a speed that Eddie’s head snapped back on her neck. Stumbling, she nearly stood on Wrath. His eyes were open, studying her through a haze of pain.
Catching her by the hips, Shade steadied her. His voice was rough and deep as he murmured, “Hang on to me.”
As much as Eddie wanted to decline his offer—being close to Shade, touching Shade, gave her ideas she had no business having—the chariot was gathering speed by the second. Her hair streamed out behind her. Shade’s demon horde dropped far behind as they went so fast the ground blurred beneath the wheels.
