Jed swings himself from his horse and approaches us. He holds his hands up and Archan lifts me by my hips and drops me into Jed’s waiting arms. I roll my eyes. I guess I’m grateful; horse riding isn’t something I’m comfortable with.
“My lord!” a harsh female voice shouts from the doorway of the building. I spin to face her as she eyeballs me in Jed’s arms, a frown marring her forehead.
“Dolores, we need shelter and food for the horses and a quiet room for us to talk.”
The plump woman with rosy cheeks wipes her hands on her apron and spins with a nod. “Follow me.”
Jed drops me to the ground. Archan wraps a hand in mine, dragging me through the doorway. The scent of something meaty and savory wafts from up ahead. My mouth waters and my stomach throws out a loud growl of approval.
“A hearty bowl of your stew for each of us,” Lucifer shouts from behind me. I shoot him a grateful look. The god knows how to win my heart.
We pile into a cramped room, the majority of the space taken up by a large, chipped wooden table and matching chairs. I slide into the one in the corner. Lucifer sits at the head to my right, Archan takes up the seat to the left, the rest of the gang find a seat just as Dolores appears, carting a huge vat of stew. She dumps it in the middle of the table and plucks bowls and spoons from the Welsh dresser behind Jed, passing them to him to dish out amongst us. Finally, she places several chopping boards with freshly baked loaves of bread on the table.
“Drinks?” she enquires.
“Water for everyone,” Lucifer says, ladling the stew into a bowl and passing it to me. Dolores sucks in a breath as I pick up the spoon. I pause and arch a brow at her. She shakes her head and rushes out of the room.
“What’s her deal?” I ask.
“Lucifer served you before himself,” Archan states, helping himself to some stew.
“So? He was being a gentleman.”
Jed snorts as he tears a loaf in half and pushes it towards me. His eyes dance with mischief. “Lucifer is the King of this realm, only a few people may be served before him; his equals,” he nods at Archan, “and his concubine.”
The delicious stew gets stuck in my throat and I choke on it, slamming my hand against my chest as tears run down my cheeks. “Concubine?” I rasp between coughs.
Lucifer shakes his head. “Those I claim as close friends also count.”
I blink and look around the table as Dolores rushes back into the room carrying a carafe of water and goblets. She pauses and glances at me and Lucifer. “Leave it on the table, Dolores,” he drawls. She drops it, does a clumsy curtsy, then backs out of the room, darting a curious look my way just before the door closes.
“Zeus’s forces are scattered throughout the next two sections. We will meet resistance whichever way we approach the mansion,” Lucifer explains as he clicks his fingers and a map appears on the table. I lean forward. It’s a detailed road map of Violence. He points to a long, thin building. “This is where we are.” Then he slides his finger over to the central large circular building. “This is the mansion.”
“Is there only one entrance?” I ask, looking at the gap in the perimeter wall.
Lucifer shakes his head. “There are several hidden ones. All of which Lawrence’s team knew about, but with him gone they may be left vulnerable.” He points to the perimeter wall to the West of the main entrance. “I propose we try to breach the property here. It leads us into the gardens. Plenty of room to hide and outwit our enemies. And if we meet resistance, it will be on a smaller scale compared to the main gates.”
I scan the map. “The next two sections look small compared to murder,” I note, spooning more meaty goodness into my mouth. The full rich flavors burst on my tongue as the tender meat melts in my mouth.
Lucifer grins. “Enjoying that?”
I nod. “What is it?”
“You don’t want to know,” Jed remarks. I glance at him, then at my spoon. I shrug and shovel it in my mouth.
“She’s not fussy about the meat she puts in her mouth,” Zee sniggers.
I give him the dead eye. “You seem to be swallowing it just fine. Perhaps you enjoyed the riding situation more than you admit,” I point out.
He narrows his eyes as he dunks a huge chunk of bread in the stew and chews on it.
“Both of these sections are smaller,” Lucifer confirms. “But they are more densely populated by the damned. Dolores will loan us some cloaks to help mask our identities. But expect challenges.” He glances at me and then at Marsha. “Do not under any circumstances get off your horses in Sexual Violence.” Then he narrows his eyes at me. “Do not intervene, no matter what you see. Remember, this is a punishment for their sins.”
My hands tremble. He’s warning me for a good reason. Whatever we are about to witness will test us. “I understand,” I whisper.
“Terrorism is a little different. It is built to break down your beliefs, your morals, your faith. Terrorists often believe in a twisted version of religion. We subject them to torture, which ensures they understand those beliefs are false and their god, whichever one they believed in, has forsaken them. Do not engage with anyone. If you do, their brand of terrorism might infect your soul.”
“What then?” I ask.
