“You’re in my way,” he snapped.
“And you’re in mine.”
“Remember your place, woman.” His lip curled as if calling her a woman was supposed to be an insult. “You don’t want to get kicked out of The Underworld too.”
She threw her head back and laughed. These lower-level, testosterone-filled demons had no idea how tight she and Lucifer were. If this guy wanted to believe she was beneath him, she would have to teach him a lesson. “You’ll be swimming in the tarpits before I’ll ever be banished again.”
He narrowed his eyes and growled, and she activated her glamour. His face fell slack as her trance took hold, and she used her magic to force him to his knees. “Having a pencil and a set of pinballs dangling between your legs doesn’t make you superior.”
She squeezed her fist, tightening her magic around his crotch. “I could render them useless with a flick of my wrist, so I suggest you remember your place.”
“I’m sorry,” he wheezed.
“Next time, don’t be so rude.” She released her hold, and he scrambled to his feet before darting around her and plowing down a witch in his path. The nerve!
The woman’s butt smacked the pavement, and her coffee splattered on her lap as the demon booked it across the street without so much as an apology.
“I am so sorry.” Lilith rushed to her side and helped her stand. “Are you okay?”
“My pants have seen better days, but I’m fine.” She pulled a napkin from her purse and wiped the stain.
“I was trying to teach him not to be an ass to women, but my plan backfired.” Again. It seemed like every time Lilith attempted to do good, she ended up making things worse for her effort. Perhaps she should simply stop trying.
“Some men will never learn, especially Barth.” The witch shook her head. “He’s a world-class asshole.”
“Let me get you a new drink. It’s the least I can do for causing you trouble.”
“It’s okay. I was about to toss it anyway.” She threw the paper cup and napkin into a bin. “Thanks for standing up to him.”
“Anytime.”
The witch hung a left at the corner, and Lilith continued her journey. She entered the counseling center and strode straight to Azrael’s office, where she found him sitting behind a massive black desk, his feathery onyx wings tucked neatly against his back. Pausing in the doorway, she tilted her head at the hot pink accents in the otherwise black space. As she stepped inside, the aesthetic morphed to match her favorite color—midnight blue.
“Since when does the Angel of Death like pink?” she asked.
He smiled wistfully. “Since he found his soulmate. What can I do for you, Lilith?”
Ugh. Not this soulmate business again. Ever since Luce supposedly found his, the entire Underworld had been buzzing about it. When would they all wake up and smell the O Positive? Soulmates weren’t a thing, and they never would be. “Lucifer sent me. He said he’d call you.”
Percival flew into the office and landed on her shoulder.
Azrael scowled. “So you’re here by force. All the counseling in the world won’t help someone who doesn’t want help. I’m afraid you’re wasting your time.”
“I do want help. I need it. For Esther’s sake.” She strode to his desk and rested her fingers on the surface. “I need to talk to someone about my mood. Once they fix me, Esther will be healed.”
“My team can’t fix you. They can only listen and give advice on how to fix yourself.” His gaze flicked to the doorway, and Lilith turned to find a vampire dressed in pink from her halter top to her stiletto boots. She carried two cups, one with a heart drawn on the paper sleeve. This must have been Azrael’s so-called soulmate.
The woman’s eyes widened, and she froze. “Sweet Lilith, it’s you.”
“Sweet. Now that’s something I’ve never been called before.”
“Sorry. I tend to take your name in vain more than I should. A lot of us do.” She paced to Azrael’s desk, kissed him on the cheek, and set down the cups. “I had a little fangirl moment there. I’m Deirdre.” She offered her hand, and Lilith shook it.
“A pleasure.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine. Believe me.” She reached toward Percival, and the crow flapped his wings, cawing as he took to the air and landed on the back of the couch. “Sorry. Is that your familiar? Is it true you can put your consciousness in him, see through his eyes and stuff?”
“It is.”
