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Eddie sighed. “It never fucking is.”
“I am lust.” He broke it down for her as plainly as he could. “I can inspire lust and control lust. If my seal is compromised, I embody lust.”
“And if Levi’s seal was compromised…” Wrath raised both eyebrows as he looked at Shade.
“Right.” Shade took a deep breath. It was way too early to dismiss Levi entirely. “But I still think Lucifer more likely. Especially if his seal is breaking and giving him even more grandiose ideas.”
“Either way.” Wrath nodded as if he’d decided. “They both need further investigation. But first”—he looked at Eddie—“we should stabilize our seals.”
Eddie grimaced and looked apologetic. “I went to Shade’s demesne to do that, but I didn’t know what to do.”
“Wrath is your blood seal.” Wrath beamed at her like…well…like a proud dad. “You are much closer bonded to it, and it would be a better seal to begin with.”
“Ah, Eddie.” A male human of middle to late years strutted into the greenroom. He stopped when he saw the occupants. He eyed Wrath and him like prime meat. “I wasn’t aware you had company.”
A professional mask descended over Eddie’s features, and Shade mourned her former openness. “What is it, Peter? Did you need something?”
“Umm.” Peter circled Wrath, tapping his chin with a forefinger. “I don’t suppose he acts.”
Shade wanted to add that Wrath acted up all the time, but somehow he sensed that was not where this human was going.
“He can hear you and speak for himself.” Eddie stepped in front of Peter. “Now what can I do for you?”
“Right.” Peter gathered himself with a shake of his head and a shoulder straighten. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Bianca? She was supposed to be doing props for me, and she didn’t appear for our meeting.”
“You had a meeting?” Eddie looked guilty as hell.
Shade moved closer to her, aching to reassure her. With all that had happened, Eddie owed this human nothing. Indeed, her actions over the past few days had been to save humans like this one from the worst outcome of all.
“I sent you an email, Eddie.” Peter tutted and gave her a disapproving look. “You really should check your email. I don’t want to be this director.” He spread his hand over his chest. “But you have also not been updating the Google drive.”
Beating Shade to it, Wrath shifted closer to Peter and loomed over him.
“Are you sure you don’t act?” Peter stared up at Wrath in wonder. “You’d make a marvelous MacDuff.”
“He doesn’t act,” Eddie snapped.
Tilting his head, Wrath appeared to give this some thought. “I mean, I could—”
“No, you couldn’t.” Fixing Wrath with a loaded stare, she said, “The play is Macbeth.”
“And?” Wrath frowned at her.
Eddie loaded more meaning in the name. “Macbeth?”
“Oh.” And Shade got it. “You’re thinking the witch’s curse in Macbeth caused all this?”
“There’s a wonderful old wives’ tale about that in the the-ay-ter.” Peter’s eyes sparkled with interest as they locked on him. “And do you act? I can see you as Valmont. You’d be wonderful.” His eyes brightened. “Lillian would be a superlative Merteuil. With Sophia as Madame de Tourvel.” He sighed as if he’d stumbled on Nirvana. “Oh, Eddie. We simply must stage Dangerous Liaisons.”
“He’s right.” Shade couldn’t resist looking at Eddie. If ever a human character embodied him, it would be the Vicomte de Valmont. “I would make a perfect Valmont. You could even say I was made for the part.”
Eddie clenched her jaw. “Let’s talk about that later, Peter. And no, I haven’t seen Bianca. It’s not like her to miss a meeting.”
This Bianca might merit further investigation. The curse of Macbeth was true only in as much as it needed a witch to activate it, and such a witch would then have the power to summon a hell prince through the hell gate. Many witches had given that one a go over the years, only to regret messing with what they didn’t truly understand.
“That’s what I thought.” Peter stared at him, his gaze still holding their gleam of Dangerous Liaisons visions. “But she hasn’t attended rehearsal for the last couple of nights either.”
“I’ll track her down.” Eddie motioned Peter to the door. “In the meantime, isn’t rehearsal starting now?”
