Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
B ianca had expected hell to be a whole lot more brimstone and whole lot less jungle. She had followed Raphael through the hell gate, through that disconcertingly gray place, and finally into what looked like the amazon jungle.
Bird and insect calls filled the sultry floral air trapped beneath the canopy. Vibrant sprays of flowers climbed an immense tree trunk and disappeared over them into vibrant blue, green, and purple foliage. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yes, now hush.” Raphael stilled and cocked his head as if listening intently.
Well, that was rude. An iridescent bug buzzed out of the bushes to her right, hovered a moment, and dived back into the shrubbery. “Does all hell look like this?”
Raphael shook his head.
Bianca had never been to the amazon, but she’d seen pictures.
Raphael stood stock still, doing whatever it was he was doing. What he wasn’t doing was answering her questions, and she had more brewing by the second.
Before they’d come through the hell gate, there had been a quick gathering about Belphegor’s disappearance. Gabriel had gone looking for her. It had been a smaller gathering than normal. Only Wrath and Shade had represented the hell princes. Ramiel, Sophia, Gabriel and Raphael had made up the heaven contingent. Everyone else had been off doing vital things that nobody bothered to share with her. And Lucifer was clearly still refusing to come to the earth plane. Always a woman who liked a bit of insurance, she’d gotten the support of the gathering for her to get Lucifer and use the grimoire to track the amulets, hopefully to whoever was making them.
“Right.” Raphael straightened. “Transport is on its way.”
She’d been hoping he would fly her to Lucifer. “Transport?”
“You’ll see.” Raphael smirked.
“Do we know where Lucifer is?” She spread her arms to gesture around them. “He could be anywhere.”
Tapping his chest, Raphael grinned. “I have an internal Lucifer finder.”
“Very useful.” Because there wasn’t much else she could say to that.
Raphael looked disappointed but said, “He’s at his palace.”
Of course, Lucifer would have a palace—cue internal eye roll. “I thought he came to hell to find Ashe.”
“He has.” Raphael swung to his left. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”
And by chariot, Raphael meant…well, chariot. Between one breath and the next, it arrived with nothing more than a draft to announce its presence, drawn by six pitch-black horses, which had probably been selected because they matched Lucifer’s eyes. Horse was the nearest point of reference to the large, glossy creatures with red eyes and fangs. She should have been able to hear or see it coming.
“Lucifer designed this.” See, she was right about the eye-matching horse thingies.
Raphael helped her into the chariot. “It’s the fastest way to travel hell.”
“No compressing?” Bianca got a firm grip on the chariot’s side.
Raphael shook his head. “It’s frowned on here. They can’t have hell princes popping in on each other whenever the mood strikes.” Raphael scoffed. “They make war on each other often enough as it is. Compressing would turn hell into a blood bath.” He pantomimed someone popping out of nowhere. “Poof! Wrath arrives in Shade’s demesne. Thwack! Shade lops Wrath’s head off. Very messy.”
And far more in line with the human idea of hell.
The horses surged, and they were off.
Bianca had no idea how fast they were going, but their speed sent her hair streaming out behind her and nearly peeled her lips off her teeth. Air rushing past her nostrils made breathing difficult. The jungle turned into one continuous green-blue blur.
Raphael leaned one hand nonchalantly on the side and gestured with the other like a tour guide. “We are currently traveling through Shade’s demesne. Each demesne reflects the hell prince who rules it.”
She tried to ask how long it would take, but the wind snatched the question out of her mouth, and she gave up.
“Lust was placed between Wrath and Pride to keep the brothers apart.” Raphael grimaced. “Wrath and Lucifer have a particularly contentious relationship.”
With no way to ask any questions, Bianca clung on and prayed the horses didn’t crash into anything.
The jungle blur changed but they were moving too fast for Bianca to make out details.
The chariot stopped with a slight jolt. The world rushed to catch up with her and solidify into discernible images.
Demon guards in immaculate black and white uniforms saluted.
Bianca tried not to stare.
Lucifer’s palace was like a storybook castle with twelve—yes, twelve, she counted—towers soaring gracefully against a cerulean sky. Black pennants snapped from the towers.
Raphael led her through the graceful arch of the guard tower into a pristine inner courtyard. The cobblestones beneath her boots were laid in a perfectly straight path through the middle of the white sand courtyard.
Giant arched wooden doors opened, and Lucifer stepped out. He glared at Raphael. “No.”
“Don’t be like that.” Raphael caught her elbow and marched them forward.
Lucifer, dressed in black tailored pants and a fitted black shirt, looked at home in the castle doorway. He didn’t even glance at her. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Raphael stopped in front of Lucifer. “And Bianca insisted I bring her.”
Finally, Lucifer deigned to stare down at her with glacial black eyes. “Bianca has no business here.”
Ouch! She wasn’t going to take that lying down. He should know by now that when he got pissy with her, she got fighty. “You and I are not done.”
“Yes, we are.” His expression was a beautiful, frigid mask. “I have fulfilled the terms of the blood oath.”
If he wanted to keep it all business, then so be it. She owed him an explanation for her behavior and maybe an apology, but he wasn’t going to get either while he kept her standing at his front door like a Jehovah’s Witness. “Not yet you haven’t. You swore to bring the witches back.”
“And you swore to release me from the amulet.”
“I did.”
He snorted. “Long after I no longer required it, and I found your witches.”
“We’re still missing one.” She dug Leona’s crystal out of her backpack.
He stepped so close to her it forced her head back to hold his gaze. “You broke your end of the oath, thus nullifying the oath.”
“You’re breaking your part now.” She folded her arms and kept her glare going. “You got your powers back all on your own, without mentioning that little fact to me. As soon as I was able, I released you from the amulet.”
“I didn’t need you.” He growled.
“Semantics.”
“Details.”
“Irrelevant.”
“Pivotal.”
“Lovely.” Raphael clapped his hands and beamed at them. “Now that we have that sorted, let’s have a drink.” He strolled past Lucifer into the palace. “Ah, Narcissa.” His voice floated back to their frozen stare down. “You’re looking as lovely as ever.”
“Thank you, Lord Raphael,” a female answered. “Would you care for refreshments?”
“I would.” Raphael sounded delighted. “I’m hoping you can manage some of those wonderful blinis I love so much.”
The female laughed. “For you, always, Lord Raphael.”
Bianca wasn’t sure what blinis were, but she could go for a glass of wine.
“You going to let me in?” she asked Lucifer.
He scowled.
She softened her tone. “I came all this way to see you.” She tried a little eyelash batting. “You can’t leave me out here.”
“I’m considering it,” he said.
Relief almost weakened her knees. He wasn’t freezing her out anymore. He was still glowering, but they’d work on that.
Lucifer took a minute, reluctant step aside.
Not waiting for him to change his mind, Bianca brushed past him. “What are blinis, and will I like them?”
* * *
Lucifer couldn’t believe Bianca was in his home. He couldn’t believe fucking Raphael had brought her there. Mostly he couldn’t believe how well she fit in and how glad he was to see her.
Perched on a chaise, she was eating her way through a tray of smoked salmon and crème fra?che blinis.
Narcissa fluttered around her, filling her wine glass and pressing canapés on her.
Dressed in her habitual black with those clunky boots, Bianca should have looked out of place in the refined elegance of his salon. Instead, she looked like she belonged there, which was ridiculous because she didn’t, and he certainly didn’t want her in his home. She’d rejected him, and she didn’t get to arrive on his doorstep and make herself at home. She had no business charming his house demoness until it looked like Narcissa wanted to adopt her.
“Perhaps, my lady would care to freshen up?” Narcissa smiled at Bianca like a proud parent. “The chariot can make one so very dusty.”
Bianca chuckled and slapped the thigh of her black jeans. A cloud of dust rose and drifted to his spotless upholstery. “You’re telling me.”
Lucifer didn’t want Bianca getting any more comfortable, but he also needed to let Raphael know exactly what he thought of the intrusion.
He waited until Narcissa had led Bianca out the salon. Then he let his emotions rip in a blast of power that sent Raphael crashing into the wall. For once, he didn’t care about the damage to his delicate plasterwork. “You had no right.”
“Dammit, Lucifer.” Raphael dusted plaster out of his hair. “Use your fucking words.”
And did he have words for Raphael. “You know I left earth to get away from her.” He stalked closer. “You know I have to find Ashe.”
“You’re so full of shit.” Raphael got to his feet. “You left because you’re butthurt.”
“Fuck you.” He grabbed Raphael’s shirtfront. This fucker was asking to have the crap beaten out of him.
“No.” Raphael wrenched free. “Fuck you and back off the shirt, it’s Turnbull & Asser.” He shoved Lucifer off him. “You promised Bianca and Emma you would find Leona.” He jabbed a forefinger at Lucifer. “And unless you have her stashed away in this anal mausoleum, you still haven’t delivered on that promise.”
Anal mausoleum? Power blasts wouldn’t satisfy his anger. They were going to have this out the blood and flesh way. He threw a right. “She failed her end first.”
Raphael grunted as the punch snapped his head to the side, then followed with a gut punch. “It was never about that stupid blood oath.”
“Yes, it was.” Lucifer wheezed and smashed his left into Raphael’s pretty fucking nose.
“No.” Raphael landed an upper cut. “It.” Another body blow. “Wasn’t.”
Lucifer’s feet left the floor as Raphael connected beneath the chin. His back hit the table, and wineglasses and canapés took flight. He spat blood. “Of course it was.”
“Stay down,” Raphael yelled. “This is facile and infantile.”
But strangely satisfying. Lucifer located an unbroken flagon of wine and chugged it. “You shouldn’t have brought her here. She doesn’t belong.”
Raphael gave him a hard look before coming to sit near him with his back to the chaise. “You know Bianca better than any of us. She was determined.”
Having been the regular recipient of Bianca’s determination, it only seemed fair to hand the flagon over. “Why?”
“You’ll have to ask her for the real reason.” Wincing around a split lip, Raphael took a swig. “I can only tell you the reason she gave me.”
Lucifer snatched the flagon back. “Which is?”
“You still need to find Leona.” Raphael clicked his fingers for the wine. “And you did promise Emma, which has nothing to do with your blood oath to Bianca.”
Raphael had him there, and Lucifer handed the wine over. “I’m aware of that. I was following a lead on Ashe before I was summoned. If I find Ashe, I should find Leona.”
Raphael scoffed, sipped, and handed the wine back. “Bullshit.”
“Fuck you.” Lucifer finished the wine and hunted for another. He didn’t care for this heart-to-heart.
“Ashe may not be with Leona.” Raphael dusted off a blini and ate it. “The only reliable way to find that witch is tracking her through the crystal.”
Lucifer had never said his plan was perfect. It was a plan that got him off the earth plane, however, and away from a vexing witch who made him feel like he didn’t measure up.
Hell’s fucking teeth! She’d taken Weaz-adj as her lover. The bar couldn’t get any lower.
“You need to talk to Bianca.” Raphael hauled himself to his feet. “And while you’re doing that, it would be useful to remember that saying humans have about pride.”
Lucifer didn’t have the energy to follow him. “Which is?”
Raphael sauntered out of the salon. “That it comes before a fall.”