“Oh, yes, one of the demon lords had such interesting ideas about ways to use a Catherine wheel, given to him, he says, by a Spanish wyvern’s mate who was very inventive when it came to matters of bondage and such. But I digress. How are things at home?”
The last question was directed to Terrin.
“Fine, although the mares are a bit distressed that—”
“What is this?” A man’s roar interrupted him, ripping through the room with the force of a bulldozer. Instantly, Alec moved to guard Cora, aware of her mingled annoyance and appreciation over that fact, amused when she grumbled to herself about men who had to learn a thing or two about women.
Terrin turned in surprise to look at the slight, small dark-haired man who strode into the room, a piece of paper clasped in his hands.
“Who are you? ” Alec demanded, Kristoff moving Pia to stand next to Cora, the two men presenting a solid, protective front. Alec knew full well the newcomer was a demon lord, and thus not likely to bother them, but Cora had been through a lot, and he wanted nothing more than to get her away from all this business so he could seduce her as she deserved to be seduced.
She pinched his back and ignored his demand to stay behind him, her arm around his waist as she stood next to him.
“I am Asmodeus,” the man answered, dismissing them with a curl of his lip as he shoved the paper at Sally. “What does this mean?”
“You got the e-mail already?” Sally gave a little shake of her head. “I told Sable to wait until the others were gone. Oh, well, I suppose you’re here to make a scene about the fact that I’ve banished Bael to the Akasha.”
“No,” Asmodeus said, his expression closed. “That act can only gain my approval. I am here to claim the position of premier prince.”
Are you sure I can’t be used as a Tool anymore? That guy looks mean enough to use me against Sally. Or, heaven forbid, you, if you keep thinking those things about what you’ll do to him if he so much as looks my way. Really, Alec, I’m a big girl.
Unbidden, his hand slid up to cup her ass, just the thought of it and her hips and breasts, and all the rest of her, making him hard. A fact for which I’m prepared to get down on my knees and thank whatever fates, gods, or circumstances sent you into my life, but that is really not the important point at this moment, Beloved, so you can cease trying to seduce me with your hips and long, long legs that wrap so nicely around me when I thrust into your heat.
“Of course you are,” Sally said in a soothing voice. “But you see, I’ve taken that position. I believe that traditionally the position of a banished demon lord goes to the banishee, and that would be me.”
Cora moaned into his head, giving herself a little shake. You are so going to get pounced on when you’re healed up. Can I still be used, or not?
No. Bael’s power is no more.
Then why are you so concerned about protecting me from this guy?
“You cannot be premier prince,” Asmodeus said in a flat, emotionless voice.
It is my nature. I explained that earlier.
Yeah, yeah, all that macho stuff that doesn’t cut squat with me. Is he a danger to us?
“Um . . . I think I am the premier prince. Aren’t I?” Sally looked down at herself. “Yes, yes I am. Asmo, dumplin’, we’ve never really seen eye to eye ever since that holiday party that I threw last year, when you insisted that Bael remove me from Abaddon because I may have spiked the eggnog, and subsequently your wrath demons got a bit tipsy and thought it would be a hoot and a half to drug you and put you in a vat of Jell-O so all of your legions could have their pictures taken indulging in nude Jell-O wrestling with you—which, I have to admit, was a hoot and a half—but I can see you’re still holding that bit of festive frolicking against me. My advice is just to get over it, and move on. I’m boss now.”
I don’t see how he could be a threat. That is the reason Kristoff and I have allowed him to continue.
Cora smothered a laugh at Sally’s conversation. He looks like he’s going to explode. Maybe we should move back? I wouldn’t want your owies to hurt again.
They have healed, and I have to admit to wanting to stay a few more minutes, despite the temptation you pose.
“You are not,” Asmodeus insisted.
Why?
Because I think Sally is about to explain something important.
“Look, this is how it works—I banish Bael, and that makes me the boss,” Sally started to say, but Asmodeus cut her explanation short.
“You cannot be the premier prince of Abaddon because it is not allowed.” Asmodeus gestured toward Terrin. “I had my suspicions before, but this proves it.”
“Oh, dear,” Terrin said, getting to his feet and moving over to stand next to Sally, who didn’t look in the least bit concerned by what Asmodeus was saying. “Sally, my sweet, perhaps now would be a good time to dismiss the others.”
She glanced toward them, a twinkle visible in her eye. “Oh, I think they’ve earned the right to see this to the end, don’t you? Cora and Ulfur certainly have, and since the Dark Ones helped, they deserve to stay, as well.”
“Thank you,” Alec said politely as Kristoff bowed, and said, “We are all gratitude.”
“It doesn’t matter who is here—the news will be made public throughout the Otherworld so that everyone will know of your perfidy,” Asmodeus said, looking almost bored now.
“I’m still confused,” Pia murmured. “Why can’t Sally be the head boss if she took down Bael? Doesn’t that make her the strongest?”
“That’s a very good question,” Cora said, then addressed Asmodeus. “What perfidy? Other than, you know, kidnapping us and all that jazz, which Alec swears wasn’t bad, but I still have my doubts.”
Sally blew her a little kiss. Cora grimaced.
“She can’t be the premier prince for the reason that the Sovereign is not allowed to rule Abaddon as well as the Court of Divine Blood.”
Alec smiled, glad his suspicion was confirmed, aware at the same time of Cora’s gasp of surprise and jerk to the side.
“The . . . the . . . you mean . . . no!” she stammered, taking a step toward Sally. “You can’t be God! You’re all wrong for God! Not the fact that you’re a woman, although all of those plagues and wiping out of innocents sounds like the act of a man rather than a woman, but no, I just refuse to accept that you’re God.”
“I’m not,” Sally said, giving her a sympathetic pat on the arm. “For one, the Sovereign isn’t the same as the mortal concept of a Christian God. For another . . .” She slid a glance toward Terrin.
“Jesus wept!” Cora exclaimed, clearly missing the irony of her words, running her hands through her hair. “God is married?”
Sally’s eyebrows rose. “You mean Terrin? Oh, we’re not married.”
Alec thought Cora was going to explode with frustration. Her hair stuck out at odd angles as she all but screamed, “God is living in sin? What the hell?”
“Abaddon—” Terrin started to correct, but stopped at a look from Alec.
“Terrin isn’t my lover,” Sally said with an irrepressible giggle. “He’s my . . . well . . . my other half.”
Enlightenment flooded Alec at that moment, the explanation of Terrin’s role sliding together like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle.
“But—you said you were together. Earlier today you said that,” Pia said, looking almost as confused as Cora.
“We are. He’s my other half.”
“We couldn’t exist without each other,” Terrin explained, obviously taking pity on them. “Think of it as a symbiotic relationship. A platonic one—I’m dating a power, as a matter of fact, and I believe before Sally took over the demon lord Magoth’s position, she was seeing one of the cherubs who was responsible for the Internet.”