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“She is under my protection,” Wrath bellowed.
This wouldn’t end well. “She’s standing right here,” Eddie snapped. “And she has hell hounds to do the protecting.”
Xerxes and Cronus threw back their heads and howled. The genuflection Eddie could do without, but a girl with hounds could go anywhere and pretty much do anything.
Cronus looked at her, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as if he were laughing. Damn straight, she and the hounds understood each other perfectly.
“And I’m her grandmother,” Dee yelled with a raised fist. “Mess with one of us, and you mess with both.”
Eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed, Dee seemed to be having a whale of a time.
With a grin, Shade looked at Dee.
“What?” Dee straightened her utility belt. “Been a guardian my entire life. Never got to do anything interesting until now.”
Dee was dressed the part, as well, in combats and a camo long-sleeve T-shirt. Biker boots laced halfway up her calves, and all manner of tools and weapons dangled from her belt.
When Dee had reached for the bandana to tie around her forehead, Eddie had stepped in and stopped her. There was a limit to GI Granny.
Wrath turned back to Rhino demon. “I want a list of every missing demon in the horde.”
“Every one?” Rhino demon blinked, and his lids shut vertically.
Raising an eyebrow, Wrath’s tone grew silky. “Problem?”
“No!” Rhino demon’s spine snapped straight. “As you command, so shall it be done.”
“And find me that little shit Yesterday,” Wrath snarled.
“Yesterday?” Eddie perked up at his name. She hadn’t seen him since he’d tossed her the heaven wrought blade in Shade’s seal room.
“Yes.” Wrath motioned her and Dee to proceed through the two hordes. “He’s one of mine, and I’ve been connecting some dots.”
The hordes stayed on either side of them, but dropped into orderly lines.
It didn’t exactly blow Eddie away that Yesterday was in the middle of the trouble. He had a knack for placing himself in harm’s way.
“Meaning?” Shade folded his large hand around Eddie’s.
“Meaning it was Yesterday who brought me the news that your demons had aggressed on mine.” Wrath glared at their joined hands but kept moving. “And it might interest you to know that he bargained for his continued existence by giving me your whereabouts once you entered hell.”
Cronus growled. “I shall rip its throat out. I shall eviscerate it and eat its guts.”
There was more in that vein, but for the sake of her stomach, Eddie tuned him out.
Yesterday had betrayed her. It had worked out fine in the end, but the little turd had not known that when he’d sold them down the river. Anger stirred inside her and rose like slow tendrils of steam through her bloodstream.
“Um…Eddie.” Shade looked down at their hands. “That’s a strong grip you’ve got there.”
Her fingers had tightened around Shade’s and were squeezing. “Sorry.” She released her grip. “The news about Yesterday pissed me off.”
Shade chuckled. “Fair enough, but you might want to keep an eye on your temper while you’re in hell, and particularly when we get to Wrath’s demesne. You’re at your most powerful here.”
Eddie would never forget what had happened when she’d lost her temper with those demons who’d attacked. She never wanted a repeat of that.
As if reading her thoughts, Shade’s expression gentled, his gray eyes like liquid silver. “They will have reanimated by now,” he said. “You did not end them.”
Which, given that she’d pretty much ripped them into pieces, begged the question, “What does it take to kill a demon?”
