Hundreds of demons, all watching me. They must know I was human, an imposter among them, only here because Lucifer demanded it. Every one of them could probably kill me with the slightest thought.
Lucifer gestured for everyone to rise, and then began pointing out people in the crowd, first nodding toward a woman in a slinky silver dress with shiny, jet black hair. “That’s Belphegor, or Bella, the Archdemon of gargoyles,” he told me in a low voice. “She lives in Paris and oversees much of the European demon affairs.”
The mention of gargoyles made my skin tingle, and I studied her closely, but she kept her head bowed and never met my eyes. With her silver mask on, I couldn’t see much of her face anyway.
Lucifer led me forward still, pointing out more people of note in the crowd. “The man in the red and gold mask is Mammon, Archdemon of the dragons. He lives in China and handles that part of the world for me.”
Mammon was huge and built like a truck, with jet black hair and eyes that I swore were glowing orange. He glared at us as we passed by, and I really would not want to meet him alone in a dark alley. Or any of his other dragons, for that matter. I’d seen enough of those for one lifetime, thank you very much.
“The woman beside him wearing green is Nemesis, Archdemon of the imps,” Lucifer continued.
My jaw dropped at that. Nemesis was a demon? Not some mythological goddess or abstract concept? She had bright red hair and sensual curves, but barely even glanced my way, too busy with a crowd of admirers flocking around her.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit shell-shocked at seeing so many powerful people, and I didn’t fail to notice that these were all the Archdemons who might be responsible for the attacks over the last few days. A whisper of fear trickled down my spine, but I had to trust in Lucifer. He wouldn’t have brought me here if he thought I would be in any danger. Besides, Azazel would be protecting me from the shadows all night long. Only that knowledge made me feel a tiny bit better.
Closer to the throne, Lucifer stopped in front of a woman who was more beautiful and alluring than anyone I’d ever seen in my life, even with a red leather mask on her face. Her dark hair was in an elaborate coif that suited her bone structure, and she had green eyes that rivaled Lucifer’s.
He gestured toward her. “Hannah, I’d like you to meet Lilith, Archdemon of the Lilim.”
“It’s good to see you again,” Lilith said, and even her voice was sultry. “But you don’t remember me, do you?”
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry.” Should I remember her? Was she another person who’d been close to me in one of my past lives?
“No matter.” She leaned in close, as though sharing a confidence. “I’m incredibly grateful for your part in rescuing my son, Asmodeus. He should be around here too somewhere, and I’m sure he’d like to thank you himself.”
I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows. “You don’t look old enough to have an adult son.”
“My dear, you flatter me.” She made a dismissive gesture, her fingers fluttering. “It’s but one of the benefits of being an immortal.”
“How are your daughters, Lilith?” Lucifer asked. I sensed he was closer to this Archdemon than any of the others.
Lilith’s face showed genuine affection as she spoke of her children. “Olivia is settling in nicely as mediator between angels and demons. Thank you again, Lucifer, for helping her get that position.” She looked around and then smiled toward a couple talking to a tall man with long black hair. “Ah, Olivia and Kassiel are over there with Baal now.”
The woman named Olivia looked a lot like Lilith, with the same seductive beauty that was hard to take your eyes off, but the dark-haired man beside her, Kassiel, sparked an odd reaction in my body. My heart beat faster, almost painfully, tugging inside my chest in a physical reaction I couldn’t explain. I lifted my hand and rested it over the bodice of my dress as I waited for the response to the man to die away. Then it vanished as quickly as it came upon me. How odd.
“And your other daughter?” Lucifer asked, as if he was genuinely interested.
Lilith inclined her head slightly. “Lena is still recovering from her time with that awful cult, but she improves every day.”
I had no idea who they were talking about. What cult? But I didn’t ask. Lucifer had been a good sport when I took him to that seedy dive bar, so I figured I owed him this. I could smile and nod along with these people, even if their conversation did make me feel like a child at an adult party.
“Excuse me.” Lucifer pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I must speak with Fenrir. I’ll return in a moment.”
He headed over to speak with a large, bearded man with wild gray hair who stood in the corner. The long-haired man named Baal joined them a moment later.
“I have no idea who any of these people are,” I muttered.
“Fenrir is the Archdemon of shifters, and Baal is the Archdemon of vampires.” Lilith cocked her head. “You know, I think this might be the first time all the Archdemons have been in one building in decades. Lucifer demanded our presence here tonight. I wonder if he has something planned for us.”
Had he summoned them here because of me? But why?
Lilith slipped her hand in the crook of my elbow as she led me to the buffet. “Don’t worry about the others. They’re all jealous. Who wouldn’t want to be on the arm of the Demon King?”
Maybe she was right. Tonight’s sin was supposed to be envy, after all. I watched Lucifer as he prowled across the room
