of her dress, the green of the jewels echoed by the silken fabric. Several gold bracelets in varying thickness adorned her wrists, her elegant fingers decorated with rings.
Those few seconds of openly taking in the ruling couple of Hell was all I got before we’d reached the space in front of the dais, and I dutifully lowered my gaze in deference. I barely saw the furtive movement of Azmodea and Mammon vanishing in the crowd.
Kneel, Azazel spoke inside my head.
I swiftly knelt just as Azazel went down on one knee as well and bowed his head. The cold of the stone seeped into my knees and shins.
“Your Grace,” Azazel said in greeting.
While the music played on, and the sounds of the revelry continued to echo in the hall, the immediate crowd around us hushed.
“The prodigal grandson returns.” Lucifer’s voice held a melodious quality, enthralling in its purity and cadence. It wrapped around me like a soft caress. He tsked. “Rise.”
Not you, Azazel warned me. Stay on your knees, eyes down.
I obeyed, forcing my hands not to shake. I would not fuck this up for Azazel by blundering. For once in my life, I silently prayed, please, let my social awkwardness not trip me up.
“It’s good to see you again,” Lucifer said. “It has been far too long since you last graced my hall with your presence.”
I could only imagine the things Azazel would love to spit at him in response, but of course he bit his tongue, too smart to antagonize someone more powerful who was already out for his blood. Figuratively, I hoped. I didn’t want to contemplate the consequences if Lucifer decided to upgrade from emotional abuse to physical maiming.
“Thank you for your invitation, Your Grace,” was all that Azazel replied, with less hostility than I would have been able to muster.
“Hmm.”
It was hard to keep my gaze glued to the ground during the ensuing pause. I so wanted to watch Lucifer’s features for supplemental info about his mood and intentions, but to look directly at him would be an insult we couldn’t afford. So I took great care to study the gold veins in the black marble of the floor.
“And you brought such a nice surprise,” Lucifer continued. “Your lovely pet. I must admit I was struck by curiosity when I heard you had a human living in your home. Such an unusual arrangement. Most debts are paid postmortem. We reap souls, after all, not bodies.” His chuckle was echoed by the demons on the dais with him.
It spoke to Azazel’s prudence that he remained silent—because for all of Lucifer’s insinuations, he hadn’t actually asked a question. Why should Azazel defend himself without prompting?
“Let me see how well she is trained.”
Tension grabbed me like an iron fist. I studied the gold veins hard.
“Your Grace?”
“I want to take a good look at her. Tell her to come to me.”
I barely kept my face from showing my confusion. Why not just give me the order himself?
Azazel’s hand on my head, warm and gentle. “Stand,” he said quietly. “Go to His Grace.”
I was just flexing my thigh muscles to rise when Lucifer clucked his tongue.
“I didn’t say she could walk.”
Low laughter, followed by a beat of silence. My heart thundered so loud I could have sworn every demon in the hall must have heard it.
“Make her crawl,” Lucifer purred.
The ensuing pause dragged on long enough to cause me worry. Azazel’s fingers on my head twitched, the beacon of his energy inside me tasting acidic.
Zoe, he said in my mind, his mental voice rough. You don’t need—
It’s okay, I replied. I’ll do it.
He walked back into his nightmare for me. If my crawling across the floor would save his face, I’d fucking do it.
“Crawl,” he ordered, followed by a mentally whispered, I’m sorry.
Swallowing against the sting of my pride, I lowered my trembling hands to the floor, and crawled. The high slits in my dress allowed me to move my knees forward without tripping on the fabric. With the dais a good ten feet away, it took me maybe twenty seconds to cross the distance.
It felt like an hour.
The attention of the scores of demons present weighed heavily on me. Amused murmurs and sneering sounds followed my progress, the kind of sounds you’d make to call an animal.
A pet.
By the time I reached the steps of the dais, my entire upper body burned with embarrassment. Underneath that, however, boiled my notorious spite, so welcome now in this moment. Because it helped