Jay. But I will not give him the choice to leave any more than I will give you the choice whether I allow Jezebeth to kill you. You cannot persuade me, my dear.”
Sasha’s heart plummeted.
Lucifer steepled his fingers in front of his lips, studying Jay. “It’s a dangerous game you play, Jay, threatening the Devil. Are you sure she’s worth it? It’s still a risk.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“If I allow it—”
“Luc! You can’t honestly be considering this. He’s my son. Mine.” Jezebeth stomped a dainty foot, sparks shooting from her fingertips to singe the tiles.
“And what’s yours is mine, my dear. I’ve decided it’s time young Jay left the nest.”
“Lucifer!” Jezebeth shrieked.
The Devil ignored her, waving them toward the arched doorway. “Go on. Both of you. Before I change my mind.”
Jay started to reach for her, but Sasha ducked away from his hand. Mind reading. His lies just kept snowballing.
“I’m not finished with you, angelspawn!” Jezebeth screamed and the door in front of them burst into flames.
Sasha gasped and fell back away from the searing heat. Jay caught her, her back pressing against his chest as his arms steadied her.
“Jezebeth,” Lucifer roared and the room quaked. This was one lovers’ spat Sasha really didn’t want to be in the middle of.
“Come on,” Jay whispered against her ear. “It’s an illusion.” He began to guide her toward the flaming door, but Sasha balked as the heat from the flames made her skin feel baked.
“I can feel them,” she protested.
“My mother can’t conjure fireballs, but she’s Queen of Lies. Trust me, it’s an illusion.”
Trust him. Always those damn words.
As the room shuddered again, Sasha put her hand into his. “Don’t make me regret this.”
Closing her eyes, she let him pull her straight into the fire.
Chapter Ten
Truths & Consequences
As soon as they touched the flames, the sensation of heat vanished. Running through the doorway, they stumbled into a hallway that matched the blandness of her first foray into Hell, but this time Sasha knew the beige paint was hiding secrets. She’d found nothing but secrets here so far.
Jay began to pull her down the hall and Sasha slipped her hand from his grasp. “I’m not going one more step with you until…” Until what? She couldn’t even issue a good ultimatum. Her brain was still playing catch-up from the satanic duel she’d just started.
Jay backtracked to her side. “I know you have questions, but we don’t have time right now for an interrogation. We have to get you back to the mortal plane.”
“We have hours before dawn.” And even though he knew the way, she couldn’t be dependent on him to get her out right now. They’d gone beyond questions and mistrust. She needed to get away from him. Just a few minutes out of his presence to think, to sort everything through.
“We don’t have hours,” Jay said, patience in every word. “Time works differently here. We have an hour, max, and the exits aren’t always where you leave them. Hell’s like a casino—everything is designed to bring you in and keep you here. Getting out is always a challenge, even if you know the way, so we need to run. Unless you want to be stuck in Hell with me forever?”
“Running is good.”
They jogged in air-conditioner-humming silence through a maze of corridors which occasionally rumbled with earthquake tremors—reminders that Lucifer and Jezebeth were still going at it.
“Are they going to kill each other?” she asked, grateful for her morning cardio routine so she was only panting a little.
“They haven’t yet,” Jay replied, not even a tiny bit out of breath—this from the man whose exercise regimen consisted of sitting on the couch with a remote control. Demonic physiology was just unfair.
“What did you threaten him with?”
“I can read his mind,” Jay admitted. “I can see he loves her. I implied that if I stayed in Hell I would
Sasha’s heart plummeted.
Lucifer steepled his fingers in front of his lips, studying Jay. “It’s a dangerous game you play, Jay, threatening the Devil. Are you sure she’s worth it? It’s still a risk.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“If I allow it—”
“Luc! You can’t honestly be considering this. He’s my son. Mine.” Jezebeth stomped a dainty foot, sparks shooting from her fingertips to singe the tiles.
“And what’s yours is mine, my dear. I’ve decided it’s time young Jay left the nest.”
“Lucifer!” Jezebeth shrieked.
The Devil ignored her, waving them toward the arched doorway. “Go on. Both of you. Before I change my mind.”
Jay started to reach for her, but Sasha ducked away from his hand. Mind reading. His lies just kept snowballing.
“I’m not finished with you, angelspawn!” Jezebeth screamed and the door in front of them burst into flames.
Sasha gasped and fell back away from the searing heat. Jay caught her, her back pressing against his chest as his arms steadied her.
“Jezebeth,” Lucifer roared and the room quaked. This was one lovers’ spat Sasha really didn’t want to be in the middle of.
“Come on,” Jay whispered against her ear. “It’s an illusion.” He began to guide her toward the flaming door, but Sasha balked as the heat from the flames made her skin feel baked.
“I can feel them,” she protested.
“My mother can’t conjure fireballs, but she’s Queen of Lies. Trust me, it’s an illusion.”
Trust him. Always those damn words.
As the room shuddered again, Sasha put her hand into his. “Don’t make me regret this.”
Closing her eyes, she let him pull her straight into the fire.
Chapter Ten
Truths & Consequences
As soon as they touched the flames, the sensation of heat vanished. Running through the doorway, they stumbled into a hallway that matched the blandness of her first foray into Hell, but this time Sasha knew the beige paint was hiding secrets. She’d found nothing but secrets here so far.
Jay began to pull her down the hall and Sasha slipped her hand from his grasp. “I’m not going one more step with you until…” Until what? She couldn’t even issue a good ultimatum. Her brain was still playing catch-up from the satanic duel she’d just started.
Jay backtracked to her side. “I know you have questions, but we don’t have time right now for an interrogation. We have to get you back to the mortal plane.”
“We have hours before dawn.” And even though he knew the way, she couldn’t be dependent on him to get her out right now. They’d gone beyond questions and mistrust. She needed to get away from him. Just a few minutes out of his presence to think, to sort everything through.
“We don’t have hours,” Jay said, patience in every word. “Time works differently here. We have an hour, max, and the exits aren’t always where you leave them. Hell’s like a casino—everything is designed to bring you in and keep you here. Getting out is always a challenge, even if you know the way, so we need to run. Unless you want to be stuck in Hell with me forever?”
“Running is good.”
They jogged in air-conditioner-humming silence through a maze of corridors which occasionally rumbled with earthquake tremors—reminders that Lucifer and Jezebeth were still going at it.
“Are they going to kill each other?” she asked, grateful for her morning cardio routine so she was only panting a little.
“They haven’t yet,” Jay replied, not even a tiny bit out of breath—this from the man whose exercise regimen consisted of sitting on the couch with a remote control. Demonic physiology was just unfair.
“What did you threaten him with?”
“I can read his mind,” Jay admitted. “I can see he loves her. I implied that if I stayed in Hell I would
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