"He's so cute when he's in Saint Terrin the Martyred mode, isn't he?"
"I heard that," he protested as the door closed behind him.
Sally took the opportunity to give me a very thorough visual examination. "You look quite charming in that dress. The color goes well with your skin tone," she said at long last, not at all what I expected. I looked down at the amber-colored short lace dress, brushing a hand down the beading at the neckline, becoming aware of Alec staring at my legs.
Stop it. You've seen my legs before.
Yes, but I hadn't realized until this moment just how much of them your dress exposes. In the future, I would prefer that you get them made so they fall below your knees, not above.
That's seriously control freak, and going to do nothing but make me walk around in a bikini.
"However," Sally said, interrupting the lecture that I could feel Alec about to deliver, "your hair! My dear, when I was at the Carrie Fae Academy of Good Looks and Perky Bosoms, we had one rule, and that was that bad-hair days should be abolished from this earth. You are not doing your part to achieve that goal."
I touched my hair, an indignant retort on my lips, but she gave me a smile that had an awful lot of teeth in it, and added, "I'm a prince because the rules of Abaddon say that all demon lords are princes, regardless of gender."
"Good lord, you're a demon lord?" Pia asked, just as shocked as I was.
I pressed up against Alec. "Jesus wept!" Alec, we have to get out of here! She's a demon lord!
"Ulfur!" Pia said, reaching for him. "Kristoff, don't just stand there! Do something!"
One that the Sovereign of the Court of pine Blood has recommended to help us.
"Do what, exactly?" Kristoff asked Pia.
But all three of us are here! Together! She could use us!
"She's a demon lord!" Pia said, waving at Sally, obviously having the same thought that I was. "That's bad, isn't it?"
Yes, Alec said slowly, his mind turning over all sorts of possibilities. That's exactly what I think the Sovereign intended.
"I am not an it, and I am not bad," Sally said with another toothy smile, this time shared between all of us. "Well, sometimes I am, but most of the time, I'm just naughty, if you get my drift."
You mean this woman is supposed to boot Bael from power and take over his position? But what's to stop her from using us then?
Bael will be destroyed. So will his power. You will no longer be able to channel it; thus, no one could use you.
"Oh," I said aloud, understanding at last why Alec wasn't in the least bit panicking. "You're going to take Bael's position, aren't you?" I asked Sally.
"Well . . ." She brushed at nothing on her wool power suit. "I admit to having a tiny little urge, a very tiny desire, to be the premier prince of Abaddon, but really, I'm doing it because the Sovereign feels it is important that you get some help."
"I don't understand," Pia said, releasing Ulfur from the death grip she held on his arm.
"I don't, either," Ulfur said, giving Sally a doubtful look. "If you're a demon lord, why does the Sovereign trust you?"
"Yeah," I said, wanting to know that very thing.
She shrugged. "You'd have to ask the Sovereign that. Right now, I have work to do. And I think we should start now."
The door to the hall opened, and two people strolled into the room, one of whom was a familiar-looking woman bearing a long, black sword.
"Wrath demons! " Ulfur said, stumbling backward, but not fast enough. Sally grabbed him, sending him flying toward the door, before turning to me. I thought at first she was simply getting him out of the way of the demons, but one look at her face told me otherwise.
"Alec - " was all I had time to say. The two demons, one of which we'd seen in the Akasha, leaped forward, heading straight for Alec and Kristoff. I screamed and kicked at Sally as she jerked me out the door with her, shoving Ulfur before us. You'd think that two people with reasonable intelligence and in a good state of health would be able to overpower one tiny little poufy-haired woman, but if that tiny woman was also a demon lord, you'd be very, very wrong.
"Ouch!" I yelled, trying to punch Sally when she slammed me against the back of the elevator, throwing Ulfur in after me. "You son of a bitch! I'll get you for this!"
I lunged at her, unable to get up with Ulfur lying across my legs, but I did try to bite her. She waved a hand and I hit the floor again.