They were led down a long, winding drive through gorgeous gardens. Zach had to admit that part of him had missed the bits of Hell that looked like this. He adored his new home. Vancouver Island was stunning, and some sights he saw on a daily basis still took his breath away. There was stark beauty to this landscape, though, that was only hinted at in the mostarid regions of Earth. He’d hated his time in Hell, but now that he was free of the place, he could admit that it wasn’t all bad.
They reached the front of the palace where broad, sweeping stairs led up to ornate double doors, beaten from some sort of dark grey metal. Demons in smart uniforms stood to attention every third step, and then the doors opened and another demon strode out. This one had a single brown eye in the centre of their face, a prominent nose, and a stern expression.
“I am Merihem, Prince Morningstar’s head of staff,” they announced. “I have been instructed to show you to the throne room for an immediate audience with my master.”
“Thank you, Merihem,” Kensington said, giving a courteous nod of his head. “I am Bartholemew Kensington, this is Zachariel Angelo, Alastair Cavendish, and Marcus Tremblay,” he introduced.
Merihem nodded at each of them, but then their single eye returned to linger on Zach. “How very fitting,” they observed.
Zach winked.
It was then that Merihem noticed the urco. “Oh.” Their face scrunched up in distaste. “Is the, uh, beast accompanying you?”
“Yes,” Zach said immediately. “He goes where we go.”
Merihem blanched when they noticed how filthy the urco’s paws were. Then they looked at the state of all of their shoes and shuddered. “If you would be kind enough to wipe your feet on the rug, and then follow me.” Merihem turned and led them through the doors and into the palace. They dutifully brushed the dust off their shoes, and Zach even crouched down to get the worst off the urco’s paws. He didn’t see any point in upsetting the staff and getting things off to a rocky start.
It wasn’t far to the chamber where Lucifer held court, but every square foot they passed was brimming with ostentatious riches and luxury. From the polished marble of the floor to the artwork and expensive furniture, the message was obvious—you are about to meet the prince, and you are beneath him. He holds all the power.
The room they were led to was as large as a ballroom, with columns of pale stone lining each side to support the ceiling high above. At the far end was a dais, upon which sat a throne. In front of the dais were about twenty chairs where those seeking an audience with Lucifer would sit until it was their turn.
The room was currently empty, and Merihem led them to the front and gestured at the chairs. “Please have a seat. My master will be with you shortly.”
They were left alone, and Zach threw himself down into one of the chairs. The urco immediately sat on the floor next to him and leaned his considerable bulk against his legs. “Well, this is going better than I expected.”
“Indeed,” Kensington agreed. “It’s a little disconcerting.”
“At least we’re inside,” Zach said, absently petting the urco’s leathery ears. “If it all goes wrong, at least we have a head start.”
“A head start for what?” Tremblay sneered. “A drawn out, painful death?”
“At my hands,” Zach muttered.
“What was that?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” Zach said innocently.
Tremblay glared, Zach smirked, the urco grumbled happily with his ear rubs, and they waited.
Chapter 26
Motley crew
“How did you come to meet Andras?” Lucifer asked.
Drew chewed on his lip. How much did he tell? How much did Lucifer already know? If he’d been keeping tabs on Zach while he was here, he’d surely be aware they’d been in a relationship, wouldn’t he? But if he was as infatuated with Andras as Orias made it appear, Drew didn’t want to poke the bear by bringing it up. Would he fly into a jealous rage and crush Drew with his power to exact revenge? Or would he drag Drew to a dank cell with sharp implements and a drain in the floor for his blood to trickle down?
“What is it?” Lucifer asked, curious. “Your heart rate just jumped.” His brow quirked. “Is that fear I smell?”
“Um, maybe?”
“And what are you so scared of, Drew Phillips?” Lucifer asked, the musical lilt to his voice making it sound like an innocent question, but Drew knew he was on dangerous ground. After a long moment, whereDrew was unable to speak, the prince tried again. “If this entire incident is to be resolved, you need to be honest with me, Drew.”
As promising as that sounded, Drew was still worried that it was a trap and he’d be thrown into a dungeon forever.
“Come. You can tell me,” Lucifer said. It was gentle, but there was also a hint of demand in it.
Drew squeezed his eyes shut and blurted, “I don’t want to be tortured!”
