In Hell, the Immortal Jade, formerly the most trusted lieutenant to the leader of the Council That Was Seven, looked around his new bedchamber with a shiver. It was a posh room for Hell, carved of smooth ebony stone that was characteristic of all the buildings in Hell. The room consisted of a massive bed with black bedding and white pillows, a wardrobe and trunks, and yawning windows to the sky that light never touched.
"This was Sasha's bedchamber," a demon said from the doorway. "You will be comfortable here. It has many Immortal comforts we care nothing for."
I care nothing for this either,Jade thought. The demon closed the door-- one of the Immortal comforts, for there were no doors in Hell-- and left him to wonder how many men and women Sasha had in the bed before him. He'd only spent one night there last month before Sasha flung him to the side in favor of a demoness.
A sound from a trunk in the corner drew Jade's attention. Surprised, he crossed to it and opened it. The woman's face was hidden behind a mass of blonde hair, but he recognized the hot pink fingernails instantly.
"Iliana?" he asked. She stilled. He pulled her gently from the trunk and untied her. She was shaking and bloodied, and the bindings left deep marks around her wrists. She pulled off the gag.
"Did Kris send you for me?" she whispered, her gaze darting around. "Did the demons see you?"
"I didn't know you were gone," he admitted. "What happened?"
"They caught me when I went through the shadow world and brought me here, to Sasha." He didn't have to ask what Sasha did to her when her pretty blue eyes flared with white rage and then filled with tears. "Where is he? I want to kill him!"
"He's not-- "
"No matter, we need to escape. Come on, Jade!"
He watched her stride to the door without following, heart heavy at what Kris's lieutenant and his colleague of a few decades would soon discover. She stopped at the door and turned to him.
"Jade, come on!"
"I can't go with you, Iliana," he whispered. "I'm here by choice."