the same way demons are, and can stay on Earth indefinitely to work there on our sire’s behalf.” A pause heavy with old pain. “And some see us as little more than slaves to be whipped around.”
I cringed. Okay, as far as daddy issues went, mine were a blip on the radar compared to his. “How did you end up in Lord Azazel’s service?”
“My father is of lower rank and indebted to Lord Azazel himself. So Lord Azazel conscripted me, as is his right as lord of this demesne.” His eyes met mine for a second. “And I thank Lucifer every day for that conscription.”
Even with the threat of being skewered if he disobeyed a direct order. Oof, his father really had to be a monster.
“A—Lord Azazel mentioned half-bloods have some powers,” I ventured. “Do you?”
In answer, he lifted his hand, and a flame erupted from his palm. He let it dance over his arm then back to his hand, where he extinguished it with a snap of his fingers.
“That is so cool,” I whispered.
The ghost of a smile on his lips.
“Can you summon?”
He grimaced. “It goes wrong more often than it works.”
“Oh?”
“I end up getting a different object, or it appears not in my hand but…other places.”
I pressed my mouth into a tight line to keep from laughing. “That sounds…aggravating.”
“Very much so.” Amusement whispered behind his stony expression.
He stopped in front of a door, threw it open and waved me inside.
Alrighty, so these were to be my new quarters? Unsure what to expect, I entered—and stopped short at the understated luxury that greeted me. As spacious as any one of Azazel’s in his personal suite, the room spreading out in front of me featured plush purple carpet on the stone floor, finished walls painted a soothing shade of lilac, and an assortment of white couches and comfy chairs.
More than that, though, there was a window in the far wall. An honest-to-God—or would that be honest-to-Lucifer?—window. Gaping, I headed right for it, halting in front of the floor-to-ceiling pane of glass showing the spectacle of dusky sky churning with flashes of violet lightning outside. Of course, the obligatory bars covered the window, same as in Azazel’s bedroom and the huge panoramic window wall I’d seen in the hall before the inferni got on my tail.
“If you need anything,” Caleb said, pulling me out of my contemplation, “use this plaque here, or the mirror over there.”
I turned, my brows drawing together. “Mirror?”
He pointed at the wall to my left, and indeed, an ornate, black-framed mirror hung there.
“How does it work?” At his surprised expression, I added in a drawl, “My magic mirror skills are a bit rusty, sorry.”
“You draw a sigil on it, and it calls the recipient you intend to reach. If they’re close to a sibling of this mirror, they may accept the call and you’re connected.”
A sigil. I uttered a dry laugh. So anytime I wanted to make a call, I’d have to bleed. Splendid.
“Thanks,” I said to Caleb. “Just to refresh my memory, could you draw me the correct sigil?”
“Sure.” His gaze roamed the room, likely in search of something to write on. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and held out his hand.
“What are you—”
A banana appeared in his palm.
He swore and put the fruit on the nearest table.
“It’s…longish,” I said with a nod, trying hard to choke back my laughter.
Narrowing his eyes, he held up a finger. “One more try.”
“Okay.”
He closed his eyes again, his forehead wrinkling…and winced when something small hit him in the face. With another curse, he caught the pen before it fell to the ground.
“I am not even going to attempt to summon a piece of paper,” he said, his voice a warning growl.
“A wise decision,” I agreed sagely. “Just scrawl it on the wall next to the mirror.”
That done, he handed me the pen and inclined his head. “I’ll be off, then. It was nice meeting you, Zoe.”
“See you around.” I waved as he headed out the door, then turned to inspect the rest of the suite.
A hallway to the right of the main door to the suite led to more rooms, each one as large as my entire apartment in San Francisco. There was a library—a veritable library, with floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with books, and comfy reading furniture—and next to it another exercise room with more equipment, like a private mini gym.
I entered the room one door down and gaped at a bathroom that could rival Azazel’s in