“Poseidon’s trident.”
The demons circle me as Duncan folds his arms and cocks a brow.“I assume you have a plan?”
“You going to make this easy, pretty lady?” Lizard guy demands in a deep, husky voice that vibrates along my nerves
I tilt my head at him. “You moonlight for a demon sex line in the evenings?” Al Pacino eat your heart out. I grimace, I have got to stop using that saying after watching Lucifer consume Lawrence’s still beating heart.
Duncan snorts a laugh.
The demon stops two feet in front of me and eyes the god weapon. “That’s a big weapon for a little girl. Hand it over before you injure yourself with it.”
I roll my eyes and fold my arms. “Take it from me,” I dare.
He flicks his gaze between the trident and my eyes, searching for the truth. He shakes his head. “If you’ll follow me, The Prince would like to meet you.”
“He’s smarter than he looks,” I tell Duncan as he draws level with me.
Duncan doesn’t reach for me as we turn and begin to walk down the street. Clever man, not giving away what I mean to him. I side eye him. His jaw ticks as we set a fast pace. “What were you doing back there?”
He looks at me then stares straight ahead.“Nothing you want to know.”
I grit my teeth, sick of all the secrets.“Fine, follow my lead, do as I say.”
We enter a skyscraper and are ushered inside an elevator; me, Duncan and lizard man. Duncan shoots me an alarmed look as “Raise Hell” by Dorothy plays.
“Word of advice, you cannot compliment the prince enough. His ego is like that of a child. Nothing will be deemed as insincere,” lizard man says.
Duncan nods in agreement. “Thanks,” I tell Lizard man.
“I’m Bernard.”
I blink. Bernard? Too many quips tumble in my brain, each clawing their way for dominance. Duncan shakes his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he says.
Bernard reaches out his hand, hovering near the trident. “Word of advice,” I say, “don’t touch my big shiny pitchfork.”
He drops his hand and shakes his head. “It’s giving off an other worldly power,” he says.
I smirk. “You have no idea.” The elevator slows to a stop, the doors sliding open with a ding. I step out into an opulent apartment, my gaze cataloguing the various doors and potential escape routes. My eyes zero in on the dude passing as a poor imitation of The Rock. I mean Dwayne has class, this guy looks like an extra from a porn movie. He’s wearing chinos for God’s sake. He slides his slimy eyes up and down my body, as I suppress the shiver of revulsion. That wouldn’t be pandering to his ego. Instead I slap the biggest fake smile on my face and bat my eyelashes like he’s God’s gift to women everywhere.
He stands and rounds the coffee table. “And who do we have here?” he asks, shooting Bernard a look.
“Natia,” I answer for myself. “Or Pandora, if we are going old school.”
He blinks then throws his head back with a cackle. “Pandora, it’s an honor to meet the origin of sin.” I bite my tongue, not ready to get into an argument with him. Plus, you can’t argue with stupid. He eyes the trident over my shoulder. “You’ve brought me gifts?” he asks.
Sure buddy, I went to the lost city of Atlantis to retrieve a god relic to say ‘hi’.Is this guy for real? “Oh no, I’m the gift,” I say in my sweetest voice. A slow grin splits his face, like a viper who has spied a victim in his nest. He waves his hand, inviting me to sit on the sofa.
“You can leave us,” he snaps at Duncan and Bernard. Shit. No. I slide the trident out of its strap and lay it down on the sofa before sitting next to it.
I lean over the coffee table and walk my fingers up his arm. “Prince, could Duncan stay? He’s an old lover and I’d like to make him squirm in the presence of such a beast of a male.”
The Prince’s eyes light up as a smirk pulls up his lips. “Fine, they stay. Call me William. Why is the Princess of Sin gracing me with her presence? The last I checked you were Lucifer’s favorite pet.”
I lean back and prepare to wing this conversation. “I’m doing a tour of Hell on his behalf. He wants to understand the foothold Lawrence and Zeus have managed to gain.”
“How many guards?”I ask Duncan telepathically. I’m not stupid enough to think he only has Bernard as his guard.
“There are two behind each of the four doors, and a hundred more in the three levels below us. Trust me, Natia, you won’t make it out of here alive if you attack.”
