that’s cut close to her scalp, brown skin, and her face is dotted with black freckles. Her eyes are dark and hardened, her mouth drawn into a serious line that doesn’t have room for amusement. She looks like a warrior, with a strong rectangular jaw, and muscles cord her arms beneath a supple leather dress.
“When the invitation mentioned mature offspring had been discovered, I thought that meant that you just found her, not that she just found herself too,” she adds, making all eyes fix on Tazreel.
He shifts his weight uncomfortably in his chair, an irritated flash in his eyes that I know is for me. “To be frank, I’m not exactly sure. She just showed up in my meditation room like an angry storm. I caged her and called a Savor to find out who she was and who she belonged to, but things did not go at all like I thought. I figured I was being pranked by one of you. I know I’m due since I sent that kappa demon into your toilet, Ace.”
Ace snorts out a tired laugh while the rest of the Abdicated chuckle at the table like they’re remembering something fondly.
“Could’ve done without that,” Ace tells him.
Tazreel just grins. “I heard the water demon bit your balls and clogged your plumbing,” he says, like this feat is something to be proud of.
I stare at them, flabbergasted, trying to comprehend how I found myself in a place were putting a fucking water demon into someone’s toilet is a prank that they’re all giggling over. Finding some creepy demon when you’re trying to pee sounds fucking terrifying. I vow to always look down before sitting on the toilet here from here on out.
As the laughter dies down, everyone resumes looking at me once more. No one says anything, but it’s clear they’re waiting for an explanation about how I just found out I was a demon. I feel the sudden need to hold my cards close to my chest instead of just blurting out everything that happened to me. I don’t trust these Abdicated at all, toilet demon notwithstanding, and there’s so much I don’t know about this world that I don’t know what could be used against me.
“Umm…” I try to search for a usable lie, but I have no fucking clue how to explain my wings away without telling them everything, so I go for vague instead. “I just never keep them out,” I say, hoping that this is a thing and they can actually put their wings away. If they can, I really need to learn that trick, because I hate these things. It’s only a matter of time before I get scoliosis.
“Lie.”
My eyes snap over to Luce. He’s holding a clear glass of blood-red liquid in one hand, regarding me as he lazily swirls the drink around and watches me with an icy, unforgiving gaze. I swallow hard.
Across from me, Tazreel’s eyes harden on me. “Forgive her, Luce. She’s new to this. She’ll know from now on not to lie to the King of the Underworld. Won’t you, Delta?” he asks pointedly.
My face pales, and my gray eyes widen with fear. “Wait. You’re...Lucifer? As in the Devil?” I ask.
He spreads his arms out as if to show himself off. “The one and only.”
Shit, Delta. You tried to fucking lie to the King of Deceit?
“Sorry,” I quickly say, hoping that will appease him enough not to burn me alive.
Fuck. Well, that explains a lot.
It also leaves me with a shit ton of questions. Exactly who is my sperm donor that he has such an open and friendly relationship with fucking Satan? They’re so chummy. I just didn’t see the King of Hell being so jovial and easy-going. And who exactly are the other six Abdicated? Everyone here must be a big fucking deal if they’re all eating dinner together like old friends. This newfound knowledge sets me even more on edge.
Lucifer lets me suffer in silence for a second, while everyone at the table is tense and still. Even the musicians and menagerie aren’t moving or making a sound; they’re too busy watching to see what he’ll do to me. They seem excited.
Sweat beads at the nape of my neck, but I can’t swipe it away. I’m too fucking terrified.
“You’re forgiven,” Lucifer finally says, and I nearly fall over in my chair with relief as the musicians and dancers start up again. “This time.” That added declaration makes a panicked laugh bubble out