How could Luke have ever complained about it?
He’d never deserved his position. Never appreciated it.
But I do…
She left her room and headed for the fiery pit where her father oversaw his dominion.
At a full seven feet in height, Samael was a creature of extreme and utter beauty. His once solid gold wings were now tipped with black, and he had them folded against his lean, well-muscled body. Long blond hair framed a face that had been chiseled to perfection. Ironically, he was an exact copy of Luke, except for his hair color and much paler skin.
And icy blue eyes.
But the shape of their lips, eyes, chin and nose were identical in every way. Even the way they carried themselves.
Shaddix had always hated that arrogance. It’d bothered her when her father did it. When Luke had come along…
He was such an undeserving bastard.
Literally.
She was a pure-blooded angel. Why her father had ever favored such a mutant creature, she’d never understand.
Samael stood beside a pale, sinister man. She would say human, but he wasn’t completely human. He reeked of blood and bile.
Vampire. She’d know that unique stench anywhere.
Her father looked over to her and smiled. “Ah, my daughter. Shaddix, come here and meet Antoine Dufresne.”
Moving closer, she inclined her head to the stranger. Until she knew if he was an equal or higher, she had no intention of speaking to him.
The vampire scowled at her father. “I thought your son was your second?”
Samael’s eyes turned to a furious red as his wings fanned out.
Dufresne realized too late that he’d stepped on the wrong topic. “Forgive me, my lord. I must have been misinformed.”
Samael’s wings tucked down against his back again, but his eyes remained vibrant red. “Shaddix will be dealing with the subject at hand.”
“And that is?” she asked.
“The Order of Blackthorn is looking for a daughter of theirs who has escaped the fold.”
Shaddix frowned at her father. “Why would that concern us?”
Dufresne returned her frown. “As your main ally, we were hoping to borrow a hellhound to track her down.”
“Why not use one of your werewolves or other shapeshifters?” Surely, they’d be just as good, and a lot easier to stomach. Hellhounds came with a nasty arrogance that made it hard for her to tolerate them.
Her father looked less than pleased with her question. “Obviously, they don’t want the woman to know they’re coming after her. She’ll be looking for their kind. She won’t think to be wary of a hellhound.”
Shaddix always hated when her father took that tone that implied she was stupid. She despised it twice as much when he did it in front of others.
Never once had he ever embarrassed Luke. That little prick got a pass on everything.
Her anger was such that she was surprised steam wasn’t coming out of her nostrils. But she knew better than to let it show. That would only incur more wrath from her father.
Lucifer couldn’t handle anyone challenging him.
Well, it was more like he wouldn’t tolerate it and the last thing she wanted was for him to start in on her.
