AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yup.” Dee tucked her thumbs in her utility belt. “Shade was under the impression we would be going back to the theatre without Wrath. Wrath is of the opinion that you will leave his home over his dead body.”
“All right then.” There really was only one thing to do. Eddie clapped her hands for attention. “Dee and I are leaving. Whoever wants to come with us needs to move out.”
“Very good, Eddie-girl. I taught you well.” Dee chuckled, leaned closer and whispered, “Where are we going?”
“Shade’s demesne.” Eddie had another seal to do battle with, and after that…she really didn’t know. Nowhere felt like home right now, not with the guardians running rampant through her theatre.
Weapons and armor clattered behind them as the hordes got ready to follow, and then Shade appeared beside her. A frown creased his beautiful face. “I forbid you to go to my demesne.”
It irked her that he’d guessed her intention so easily, but the forbidding thing annoyed her a whole lot more. “Then you and your army can keep me out.” She couldn’t resist a smirk. “Or you could try.”
“And she’ll have my army at her back,” Wrath said, blissfully ignoring his former position of not letting her out of his demesne. Honestly, these two needed to go back to kindergarten and learn how to play nicely with others.
“Eddie, you’re not being reasonable.” Shade’s face softened in a way that made her want to give him whatever he asked. “The seal could be dangerous for you, and I can’t help you. I cannot expose you to that kind of potential danger.”
“Then we’ll find that out when we get there.” As much as his words made the pit of her stomach drop, she had a job to do, and the sooner she did it, the sooner life could return to normal. Whatever that would look like. Probably without Shade, or Wrath. It didn’t matter; she’d been quite happy with her life before they’d appeared in it. She would be happy again. Somehow.
“Think about what you’re proposing.” Shade dropped into step beside her as she strode toward the throne room door. “Wrath won’t let you go without him and his horde. And we cannot allow Wrath and his demons into my demesne. There will be repercussions.”
“He allowed you and your lot into his.” It’s like they made war on each other even when there was no reason to. In this case, there was every reason not to. “And the extra man…er…demon power will come in handy. You’ll keep your lot under control, and Wrath will do the same with his.” A lifetime of diva wrangling came to her aid as she said, “Or are you not certain you can keep your horde under control? In which case—”
“Eddie,” Shade growled and stepped into her personal space.
“I’m sure this managing part of your personality is inherited from your mother’s side.” Wrath joined them.
Dee thumped him on the bicep. “You keep thinking that, big guy.”
“Okay then.” Shade drew his shoulders back, and it was a distractingly good look on him. “I refuse to let Wrath into my demesne.”
“Hah!” Wrath squared up to him. “I refuse to enter your demesne, and your welcome in mine is now revoked. Any demon—”
Eddie gave a piercing whistle. She was done with the two of them. “One, two, three.” She clapped out the numbers. “All eyes on me.”
Every pair of eyes in the throne room locked on her.
Eddie swallowed the nerves that much demonic attention created. “I’m here to see if I can repair the seals. Wrath’s will hold. Shade’s is still a mess. I’m not leaving until I look at it. I’m going to Shade’s palace to see what I can do. Everybody else can make their own decisions.”
“I’m with you.” Dee moved closer to her.
Xerxes and Cronus dropped into place on her other side.
Shade threw her a frustrated glance and then glared at Wrath. “She really is your daughter, isn’t she?”
As they took the long walk to Shade’s demesne, going slowly enough to accommodate Dee, Eddie had plenty of time to wish she had one of those handy chariot things Lucifer whipped around in. Wrath was suspicious of Lucifer, but if it was him causing all the trouble, why had he helped her and Shade get away from Wrath’s demons? Then again, given that they hadn’t actually—or she hadn’t—been in any danger, maybe he’d done it to cause more strife. Not that it appeared much ingenuity was required to cause dissent around here. An ill-timed sneeze was enough to set off a spot of bloodletting.
Case in point, a couple hours in, Shade left her side to go and sort out two of his demons who were getting nasty with each other. Being here was so divergent from where she’d always thought her life would take her and who she’d thought she was.
“Daughter.” Wrath appeared beside her. He cast an approving look at her. “You are strong.”
Stronger than Dee, for certain. Dee had been forced into a litter carried between two of those rhino demons. She was currently fast asleep, and all the demons around her whispered and quietened their footsteps, on pain of death from Wrath if they woke her.
“I suppose I have you to thank for that,” she said.
Cronus came up on her other side and threw Wrath the stink eye. He didn’t like any other hell prince being too close to her.
Wrath chuckled. “They protect you.”
“Yes.” She patted Cronus’s shoulder. “I always wanted a dog, and now, two hell hounds have adopted me.”
