Chances were I wouldn’t get this information from Azazel himself—given that he’d told me in no uncertain terms he didn’t plan on showing his face here again—so I might as well probe his conveniently present sister about my new relatives-by-marriage.
“Oh, you know.” She waved her hand. “There’s Daevi, our grandmother on our mother’s side—she’s the archdemon of this territory—and then there’s Mammon, my son—you’ll love him—and then, oh, just half a dozen uncles and aunts on both sides, with scores of cousins of all stages removed…”
I gulped. One of my favorite movies was My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but I never thought I’d end up in my own—albeit demonic—version of it.
“Sounds like a large family,” I squeaked.
“Eh.” Azmodea shrugged one shoulder. “We’re not very fertile by nature—nothing like humans—but we are immortal, which makes for very long lives unless someone kills us, and over thousands of years, there are a few kids bound to pop up.”
I leaned forward, gobbling up all the info. I was going to milk this for all it was worth. Who knew when I’d next get a chance to gather some knowledge about demons?
“So you don’t die of natural causes?”
“Nope. We don’t get sick and we don’t age past our prime.”
“But you can be killed?”
“It takes a lot, though.” She smirked. “Even in a fight with another demon—or angel—there are rarely casualties.”
Good god, there were angels too. Well, of course. If demons and Hell existed, it was only logical their opposite wasn’t a myth either. I was getting just a bit dizzy.
“How old are you?”
Azmodea blew out a breath. “Let me think…” At my undoubtedly baffled look, she added, “Well, it gets a bit hard to keep track after the first millennium…”
Good thing I was sitting already.
“I think it must be two...two and a half thousand by now?” She squinted in thought, her lips pursed. “You’d have to ask Az, he’s always been better at remembering our birthday.”
“You two share the same birthday?”
She laughed. “Well, yeah, that’s how it usually is with twins.”
“You’re twins?”
“Not that you’d know it either by looks or personality.” She rolled her eyes. “He used to boast with the fact he’s three minutes older, but honestly, that just means he came out too early and left all the charm behind for moi.” Pressing her hand on her chest, she batted her lashes at me.
“Obviously,” I said, unable to hide my grin.
She clucked her tongue. “Oh, you’re adorable. Look at you, with all that dark hair and—let me see your eyes—” Leaning closer, she took my chin in her hand and peered at my eyes. “—oh, that’s a beautiful hazel right there. He’s lucky, you know. Stumbling into this marriage may not have given him much choice, but you’re exactly his type.”
My cheeks heated.
“So, how was it?”
“What?”
“The sex,” she said, her tone making it clear I was a bit slow. “I’m surprised you could walk, to be honest. He’s known for being demanding, and even his demon lovers often spend the next day recovering. Given that you’re human, I’d have thought you’d be flattened on the bed.”
I choked on my own breath. Azmodea patted my back as I coughed, my eyes tearing up.
“Are you all right, darling?”
“Fine,” I croaked. “I’m fine.”
My burning face of course painted me a liar.
“Come now, don’t be embarrassed. Shame is a human invention. We don’t do that down here.”
I made an undignified sound in response.
Azmodea tilted her head, narrowed her eyes and sniffed the air. Gaze snapping back to me, she drawled, “Now wait...don’t tell me he hasn’t devoured you like a scrumptious buffet yet.”
I didn’t even want to know what shade of red my face was at this point.
“How curious,” she murmured. Then her eyes lit up. “Ah. You told him not to touch you, then?” She snapped her fingers. “That would do it. He’s not the sort to take what isn’t offered.”
“Uh, no. I didn’t… He didn’t…” I scratched at my neck. “He just dumped me here and left.”
“Oh.” Azmodea stared at me with her mouth rounded into a cute little O. “Well, never you worry,” she said after a second. “I’m sure it’s not because he doesn’t want you. I mean, you’re obviously a snack.” Her gaze caressed me from head to toe. “You’ll see, soon he’ll be bursting in here, ready to ravish you with all the pent-up passion of a demon suppressing his basic desires.”
The door flew open with a bang that rattled my bones. I