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“Xerxes found the master’s scent in the night.” Cronus padded along beside her. “We draw closer.”
That was good news, and Eddie’s step felt lighter as she forged forward. “Where’s Yesterday?”
“Foraging for you,” Xerxes said. “I am not as kind to the infernal pest.”
“You can do the mind speak thing with him?” Eddie hadn’t seen any evidence of that the day before.
“No.” Xerxes peeled his lips off his massive fangs. “But these work as well as words.”
Well, yes they would. Eddie’s belly chose then to remind her it hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. Yesterday should be all right. He came from hell.
It was cooler in the early morning, and the humidity felt gentle against her skin.
As they walked, she found a few more of the berries Yesterday had given her and they helped appease her hunger. A distraction would help. “Tell me about the other hell princes,” she asked Cronus.
And Cronus did like to share knowledge. “The master’s demesne is bordered by Wrath on the east and Lucifer toward the west. Mammon’s demesne resides to the north and Bellephegor’s to the south. Mammon and the master do not interact much, and Bellephegor keeps to herself.” He paused to take a great sniff of the air before resuming both their walk and his lecture. “Lucifer and Wrath are even greater enemies than the master and Wrath, and keeping them separate is vital for the balance of hell.”
Eddie wanted to ask why, but Xerxes reappeared with Yesterday dangling from his jaws.
“Put me down.” Yesterday wriggled in Xerxes’s grip. He waved a small sack at her. “I brought food.”
That was reason enough for Eddie. “It’s okay, put him down.”
Xerxes dropped Yesterday face first into a large lime green bush.
“You did that on purpose.” Yesterday struggled out of the thick, twisty branches and sniffed indignantly. “There was no need for that. I found something for her to eat.” He waved the sack at Eddie.
“Eat.” Xerxes’s red eyes glinted at her. “All is quiet for now, and we can rest.”
He didn’t need to tell her twice, and plopping to the ground, Eddie reached for the sack. She withdrew an oblong object that looked like bread and gave it a sniff.
“It is bread,” Cronus confirmed. “And safe for you to consume.”
She took a tentative bite and was pleasantly surprised by a flavor that rested somewhere between pumpernickel and sunflower seeds.
The sack also contained some links of sausage. Not trusting any potential meat products, she offered the links to Yesterday, who gobbled them up in a blink.
A large wheel of a cheese-like substance looked safe enough.
Taking Cronus’s nod of approval as the go ahead, Eddie bit into the cheese. A rich, smoky flavor had her taking a second bite before she could second guess herself. She put any thoughts of what had provided the milk to make the cheese firmly out of her mind. Using the dagger Uriel had given her, she carved off a wedge and jammed it between two hand torn hunks of bread. Turns out, Uriel hadn’t lied, if she held the knife by the handle, it didn’t cause shitty tingles.
Cronus eyed her knife warily, and his hackles rose as he took a few steps away from her.
A couple more bread loaves in the sack gave her hope for dinner that night. She dearly hoped she’d be sharing them with Shade.
Beneath the additional loaves, she found a large, golden-crusted pie. It smelled like the berries she had been eating, and Eddie’s mouth watered.
“I am also hungry.” Yesterday fixed his beady eyes on the pie. “I have traveled far to find the food for you.”
Eddie took out the dagger to cut him a piece.
“Thief!” A demon burst from the undergrowth.
Yesterday yelped and ducked behind Eddie.
Both hounds lunged for the demon and pinned it to the trunk of a tree. Large, droopy white flowers plopped down around the demon’s head as it gaped at the hounds.
Xerxes growled and tensed.
