Cat shoved to her bare feet, which were decorated with purple nail polish. Cute. He’d been ordered not to touch her sexually, but would sucking on her toes count?
“So you’re saying that we have no recourse?” Her hands formed fists at her sides, and he wondered if she was attempting to keep from punching something. “There’s no way to contact Azagoth?”
“I’ve been trying. My phone has no signal, and even our old methods of communicating through ensorcelled parchment and blood isn’t working. I’d been wondering why Azagoth has been so quiet.”
“You have a phone down here?” She glanced around as if seeking said device. “A phone that works?”
“I know you haven’t been a Heavenly reject for long, but never underestimate the ability of demons to hijack and tweak human advancements.” He gestured to a cabinet in the corner. “I have TV, too. Do not mess with me on The Walking Dead night.”
Her delicate, ginger eyebrows cranked down in skepticism. “Are you saying that demons are smarter than humans?
“I’m saying that demons think outside the box and are a lot more creative.” He shrugged. “Plus, most of them aren’t limited by stifling moral values.”
Cat appeared to consider that, her blood-red lips pursing, her pert, freckled nose wrinkling as she thought. “Okay, so we find the human. They must be using his non-evil energy to fuel the spell that cut off the Inner Sanctum from the rest of Sheoul-gra.”
He liked that she was thinking this through without freaking out. And as stupid as her decision to enter his realm might have been, he had to admit it was bold—and brave. How many people would have done the same? And how many could have gone through what she had and still be not only mentally intact but willing to keep trying to fix their mistake?
“Maybe,” Hades said. “But what did they want with you? Do you know?”
She closed her eyes, her long lashes painting shadows on her pale skin. “I’m not sure. I thought they were going to hurt me, but if they did, I don’t remember much of it.”
Good, because Hades remembered enough for both of them. Oh, he hadn’t witnessed everything that happened to her, but he knew she’d taken a beating at some point. He still couldn’t get the bruises and welts that had marked every exposed inch of her body out of his head.
A growl threatened to break free from his throat as he thought about it. Even as he’d laid her carefully in his bed and channeled healing waves into her, he’d sworn to hunt down every one of her attackers and introduce them to his favorite knives.
“Did they say anything to you?” he ground out, still angry at the memory of what had been done to her.
She licked her lips, leaving them glossy and kissable, and he was grateful for something to concentrate on besides her now-healed injuries. “The Orphmage talked about using me to usher in a new world order. Or something crazy like that.”
“That sounds about right. Orphmages are crazy. But it’s a mad scientist kind of crazy that’s dangerous as fuck because they can make their insane ideas come to life.” Which actually sounded pretty awesome. “Man, if I ever get to be reincarnated, I want to come back as an Orphmage.”
“Fallen angels can only be reborn to other fallen angels,” she pointed out, as if he didn’t know that. “Also, you’re twisted.”
“Which doesn’t stop you from panting after me every time you see me at Azagoth’s place.” He got a kick out of the way her face went bright red, and he wondered if she was going to deny it.
He wasn’t an idiot; he’d seen the way she looked at him. The way she got all flustered when he was near. He loved it. Had come to crave the attention whenever he was visiting Azagoth. He supposed that intentionally seeking her out just so he could get a reaction he couldn’t return in kind was a form of self-torture, but hey, torture was what he did, right?
“W-what?” She sputtered with indignation. “I don’t do th––”
“You do.”
“Don’t.”
“Do.” He laughed. Felt good, but not because he didn’t laugh a lot. He just hadn’t had a laugh teased out of him by a female in a long time. “It’s okay. There’s no shame in wanting me. I am hot, after all.”
She huffed, making her breasts nearly spill out of the tight black and emerald corset she wore. “Whatever,” she mumbled. And then she smiled shyly. “I didn’t think you noticed.”
He nearly swallowed his tongue. He’d been teasing; he hadn’t expected her to be bold enough to admit to wanting him. Time to change the subject, and fast, because he wasn’t entirely sure he had the willpower to withstand any coy come-ons. He hadn’t been with a female in years, not since the last time Azagoth let him out of Sheoul-gra. Everyone inside the Gra, including demons, were off-limits to him, and always had been.