through. The massive room was dominated by a huge fireplace. We’d hung art on the stone walls and outfitted it with tables and chairs to make a cozy public space for the guild.
Eve raced down the stairs to meet us, her eyebrows rising as she took in Lucifer at my side.
I knew what she was thinking—he was even hotter up close. And scarier.
“Eve, this is Lucifer. Lucifer, this is Eve.”
“As in, the?” she asked.
He nodded. “Lovely to meet you.”
She gave him a skeptical look, no sucker for pretty words, then turned to me. “What’s up?”
I pulled the fabric pouch of pomegranate seeds out of my pocket and handed it to her. “This is a sample of the pomegranate tree that poisoned me. The apothecary in the underworld said they could possibly be used to find a spell that could break my curse.” I looked at Lucifer. “You’re not going to try to stop me, right?”
He shook his head. “My only orders are to keep you safe.”
I nodded. It was as I’d expected. Lucifer was Hades’ friend, not his lapdog. “Good.”
Eve’s brows rose, and she looked at me. “You think there might be a cure out there? I thought you searched everywhere for a cure. I tried my best, too.”
“I did. And I had no luck. But I also didn’t have a sample of this.” I raised the seeds.
She nodded and took them from me. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I gripped her arms. “Thank you so much.”
She looked up, a smile on her face. “Of course. I’ll do anything I can to help.”
Now that I’d handed off the sample, I could leave. But I really didn’t want to. Not yet.
“We need to get back,” Lucifer said.
I turned to him. “Spoilsport.”
“Hardly.” He gave Eve a significant look. “I’ve allowed you to come all the way to earth and try to find a way to escape Hades. I feel I’ve been more than accommodating.”
He had been, but that didn’t negate the fact that he shouldn’t have that power in the first place. And my mind snagged on one specific word. “Allow? You allowed me to come here?”
He leaned casually against the stone wall and nodded. “Precisely.”
“You didn’t allow me to do anything. If you’ll recall, one of us came out on top in our last meeting, and it wasn’t you.”
He rolled his eyes.
I looked at Eve. “He is such a pain in the ass.”
She laughed. “I’m going to get to work on this.” She raised the bundle of seeds. “Don’t want to waste any time.”
“Thank you.” I gave her a quick hug, then turned to Lucifer. “Okay, Satan, I have to swing by home quickly.”
“Satan.” His brows rose. “I am not Satan.”
I shrugged. “Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Come on, devil boy, let’s go.”
“I think I preferred Satan,” he muttered.
“Thought you might.” I said goodbye to Eve, then led him through town.
Though he wasn’t as chatty as he normally was, I could see him taking in everything. For the most part, there was no expression on his face. But every now and again, he looked impressed. Maybe even a little wistful.
When we reached the ancient building that held my tiny flat, I held up my hand. “Wait down here.”
“Why can’t I come up?”
“Boys aren’t invited.”
“Ha. I’m hardly a boy.”
He had that right. “Still, not invited.”
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning against a light post. “But be back soon.”
“Will do.” And I meant it. Even now, my insides were turning from the pomegranate potion. It felt awful, and I knew it would only get worse.
Quickly, I let myself into the building and took the narrow stairs two at a time to my top-floor flat. The door creaked as I opened it and entered the tiny, cluttered space.
The sloped ceiling was low, but I’d hung fairy lights at the edges, giving it a homey feel. Books cluttered the shelves on the walls, and plants crowded in next to them. Mac was coming by occasionally to water them, and it heartened me to see that they looked good.
An idea popped into my head.
The underworld needed more plants.
I went from plant to plant in my flat, breaking off little sections and putting them in a small bag I found in my closet. Once I had enough clippings, I quickly changed into a new set of clothes. I was sick of the all-black wardrobe in the underworld, and an ancient, oversized David Bowie T-shirt suited me far better. With