Page 25 of She Who Holds My Wrath

The screams hit first. Distant, raw, and endless. Daisy’s grip on my arm tightens almost painfully as the landscape unfolds around us. Mountains like jagged teeth stretch high into the smoke-choked sky, and rivers of molten lava cast hellish light that seem to make the dark clouds glow.

“Gods,” she whispers. “This place is awful.”

“What did you expect, rainbows and unicorns?” I reply dryly.

She smacks my arm. “Of course not. Just—” she swallows, chewing her lower lip nervously. “Is Ethan here? I remember Lucifer sending Korithax a letter… thanking him for personally delivering Ethan’s soul.”

“Yes.” My voice hardens. “He’s here. Korithax made sure he became the devil’s favourite plaything. He even came down a few times himself to… help.”

Her brows rise, horrified. “Torture him?”

“Yes. It was… cathartic for him.”

We don’t speak again until we reach the enormous stone doors to the Pits. They groan open and there he stands—immaculate as ever. Tailored black suit, crimson tie, face cut from sin itself.

“Lucifer,” I say flatly.

“Aran. Hell’s loyal little hound.” His grin is all teeth, his eyes glinting with cruelty. “How the devil are you?”

I roll my eyes. He’s the only creature alive who can piss me off simply by breathing. Well, him and Maelkar.

“And our little princess,” he drawls, his gaze dragging over Daisy like she’s a piece of meat. “Come to play queen today?” He lets his eyes travel down, slow and deliberate, before smirking. “At least they put a fine piece of ass on the throne. You won’t rule for long—but at least you’re easy to look at.”

My fists clench. I’m half a heartbeat from breaking his jaw when Daisy moves first. The crack of her slap echoes through the smoky air. Lucifer’s head snaps sideways, a trickle of black blood sliding down from his now split lip. I freeze in place, shocked—not by her courage— but by the dangerous grin spreading across his face.

“You know,” he chuckles dryly, dabbing at the blood with a crimson handkerchief from his pocket, “when I called you a pretty blonde bitch to Korithax, he attacked me, too. Seems neither of you take kindly to pet names. Noted.”

Her voice is steel. “You may not see me as your queen, Lucifer, but I am. Don’t disrespect me again.”

He smirks, his crimson eyes burning like embers. “Aw, but it’s so much fun.”

She steps closer, glaring up at him though he towers above her. “Korithax may have tolerated your bullshit, but I won’t. Friendly games I can handle. But cross me again, and I’ll see you stripped of your dominion. And wouldn’t that be a shame, to lose access to all your toys? We both know how much being an evil bastard gets you off.”

I almost choke. Did she just say that… to Lucifer? My gaze darts between them, ready to drag her back, but she doesn’t flinch.

He grips her chin suddenly, tilting her face up. My blood runs cold at the sight of him touching her. “Lucifer,” I growl, stepping forwards.

“Easy, hound.” He releases her with a wicked grin. “I just wanted to see if you’ve got teeth. Turns out you do. I like that.” Then, with mocking elegance, he sweeps his arm out. “Come, let me show you around el hogar del apuesto diablo.”

I blink, scrunching up my face. “Did you just say, the home of the handsome devil?” He just laughs, curling his arm through Daisy’s like she’s a prized guest, and leads us deeper into Gehenna’s Pits.

Lucifer parades us through his lair of despair like a proud tour guide from Hell, pointing out chambers of torment, the Pits where souls writhe, and which demons excel at which particular horrors. It takes every ounce of self-control to not vomit up the tart I stole from Daisy. Her face is two shades paler with a tinge of green, and one of the guards even excused himself. When he returned not long after, he reeked of bile. I know war will drown us in blood and brutality, but nothing will ever compare to watching a soul get dismembered—then fed its own organs piece by piece.

Gods. I can’t wait to leave this place.

Lucifer finally ushers us into a cavernous chamber on the second level. The floor gleams with red and black marble, a grotesque mirror of elegance. A massive dining table stretches across the room, able to seat at least fifty. Beyond, a window yawns wide, overlooking the Pits below. The screaming rises up like a hymn, only slightly muted by the glass separating us and the damned souls below. I grimace and quickly avert my gaze.

“Please,” Lucifer drawls, gesturing Daisy towards the seat beside his oversized throne of a chair at the head of the table. Black marble, carved like a crown of thorns. Of course. They sit, and I take place opposite Daisy, my back straight and eyes fixed. The guards linger at the edges of the room like restless shadows, each one with a hand resting on the pommel of their swords.

“Wine?” Lucifer offers, swirling his own glass that looks eerily more like blood, than it does wine.

Daisy shakes her head. “No, thank you. I need a clear head for the rest of the tour.” Her smile is polite, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She holds a grudge and clearly hasn’t let how he spoke to her at the gates slide. Neither have I.

“So,” Lucifer leans back, grinning. “What brings you to the devil’s playground, Your Highness?”

Daisy folds her hands neatly atop the table. “I’m meeting the leaders of my dominions. Seeing what they need from me, and what I need from them. And to discuss the war, which I trust you’ve heard plenty about.”

She glances at me, nerves flickering behind the mask she wears so well. I give the faintest nod of reassurance. She’s doing fine. More than fine actually, considering the monster she’s seated next to.