I glanced at Lilith. “He’d protect them. I know he would.”
“I believe he would too. If he remembered who they were. If he was still capable of reason.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I suggest you stay alive. Because what Samael would do to this world if you died…” she shivered, and for the first time since I’d known her, true fear flashed across her face. “People would be speaking of the Decade of Despair with longing.”
“Neat.” I got to my feet and stalked toward the window, glaring down at the city below us.
“You knew what you were taking on with Samael,” Lilith said, her voice amused. “This is just a small glimpse of what you’ll be dealing with for centuries to come. You’re a braver woman than I.”
“Yeah yeah. You’re not helping.”
We were both silent for a long moment, each lost in our own thoughts. “Question,” I said.
“Hmm?”
I glanced at the demon, who was once again reading her magazine.
“Samael has made it clear to everyone that I’m his. I guess he did that back when we could barely tolerate each other,” I held up my arm, and we both looked at the swirling gold mark which decorated my skin, proclaiming that I belonged to the scariest demon around.
“Yes?”
“If I wanted to do the same… to prove to everyone that he was mine, how would I go about it?”
Lilith laughed. “Believe me, every demon in this world knows he is yours.”
I frowned and she rolled her eyes, waving one elegant hand. Her gold nails flashed in the light.
“Offer him food in front of his people.”
I raised one eyebrow. Samael had attempted to serve me once at our first Monday dinner, but I had a pretty good feeling he’d just been playing with me in front of his people. He’d given me food numerous times since.
“So it’s the public offering that makes it meaningful?”
Lilith nodded and stretched. “When you offer him food in front of his people, you tell them ‘this man is mine, and it is my privilege to serve him.’”
I scowled at that, and she smiled. “And by accepting, he says ‘this woman is mine, and I accept her offering.’”
“And you think Samael will enjoy that?”
She waved her hand again. “It’s an old custom, no longer fashionable. But Samael is a very old demon, and he would likely be charmed by your public claiming.”
It would be a way for me to make my own claim. To make it clear that while Samael might have all the power, I wasn’t meek, and I certainly wasn’t going to live for centuries with his people believing he had me firmly in hand.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Fine. Now leave me be. I have a need to know what this human actress wore to the award ceremony.”
I shook my head but left Lilith flicking through People.
18
Danica
Ispent the rest of Sunday and most of Monday investigating Willow. When I wasn’t checking out the witch, I turned my mind to Riona’s case and began looking into the ingredients for the Spell of Three. In the meantime, Kyla was staking out the hotel.
Since I was already at Samael’s, I arrived early for Monday dinner, just in time for cocktails. I found Vas on the balcony, beer in hand as he studied the city below.
