GILLY CLAPPED HER HANDS, drawing everyone’s attention. Her friends, Ashlyn, Anya, Danika, Gwen, Bianka and Legion, were sitting around her at the dinner table. No food was present. Every morsel would have been flying in seconds, she knew, so she’d purposely trashed the hors d’oeuvres before anyone arrived.

Anyway, she’d called the girls together because, well, William had asked her to do so. And what William wanted, William got. He was hot and smart and funny and— Sorry. Digressing.

Anyway, he’d just interviewed the men, and had asked her to do the same to the women. He’d also told her to ignore any rumors about him and some girl. Whatever that meant. So, here she was, and here they were. Much as she lov—uh, liked William as a friend—a very sexy friend—her interview was going to be way better than his. After all, everyone knew it was the women of the Underworld who made the series what it was….

 

Gilly: First, everyone should know I’m videotaping this for posterity, but don’t let that deter you from getting personal. A few of you sat through William’s interviews with the men, and you know they spilled their guts. Now I’d like you to spill yours. Not literally, of course. Crap! I’m making a mess of this already. I’m so lame!

Anyway, to kick off this round table, I have to admit something. When Danika first brought me to stay in the Budapest fortress, I thought she was insane for getting involved with a group of men who were so clearly dangerous, barely able to control themselves and the demons inside them. I was maybe kinda sorta even a little afraid of them. Okay, I still am. But every day I see exactly how tender and affectionate they are with you, and, well, I guess I’m learning to be a little more open-minded in my definition of happiness.

So along those lines, my first question is, what’s the best part about dating or marrying a Lord of the Underworld? And remember, no topic is too personal here. Feel free to give us all the juicy details. [wiggles eyebrows]

 

Ashlyn: Well, for me, it’s feeling loved for the first time in my life. And the incredible sense of peace. And finding a place I belong. And creating a baby with my soul mate. And—

 

Anya: If you’re not going to mention the sex, then it’s someone else’s turn. Gilly said juicy details, darling. Juicy. I, for one, think we should play by her rules.

 

Bianka: Anya, follow the rules? Funny! What next? Angels mating with demons? Hey, wait a sec…

 

Ashlyn: [blushes] Obviously the sex is amazing. Maddox was—okay, I feel really weird talking about this in front of you, Gilly. You’re only sixteen.

 

Gilly: Just turned seventeen, thank you, and believe me, I already know a lot more than I should on the subject.

 

Ashlyn: All right, well, Maddox was my first, my only, and wow. Just wow. He knows what I want before even I know.

 

Anya: Me, too! Well, not with Maddox, but with Lucien. He was my first, and sweet heaven, he rocked my world. The things that man does with his tongue are—

 

Danika: TMI, goddess. TMI. Reyes wasn’t my first, but I’m glad he’s my last. No one else could ever compare. The intensity of his touch…[shivers]

 

Legion: Well, I lovesss Aeron ’cause he knowsss how pretty I am. Essspecially when I wearsss tiarasss.

 

Anya: Tiaras that do not belong to you, by the way.

 

Bianka: [laughs] Like you can chastise someone for thievery, Miss Sticky Fingers.

 

Anya: You either, Pecan Pie.

 

Gwen: Girls, stop arguing. It’s my turn to talk about Sabin. [props elbows on table] I always pictured myself marrying a nice, normal, nonthreatening human man—

 

Anya: Boring!

 

Gwen: Exactly right. That’s why I’m glad I ended up with my strong, fierce, brave warrior. Who won’t let me out of bed until I’m deliciously satisfied.

 

Anya: I hope you do the same for him. After everything you put him through while planning your wedding, well, you owe him. Big time. I will be a much calmer and more level-headed bride when I walk down the aisle with Lucien.

 

Bianka: Having strippers at your wedding does not equate with level-headedness. Anyhoodles, I want to talk about Lysander. He’s not a Lord, he’s a do-gooder angel, but he does turn into a devil while we’re in bed. You should all be jealous.

 

Danika: [grinning] I think it’s safe to say we’re all very satisfied women.

 

Gilly: Not all of us. But okay, moving on. Why don’t you tell us what you find sexiest about the Lords—either your mate in particular or the group as a whole?

 

Anya: Ooh, me first on this one. Although, I can’t just name one thing. Lucien smells like roses, has that deliciously scarred face, and then there are those shiver-inducing mismatched eyes.

 

Danika: With Reyes, well, you wouldn’t know it to look at him, but he is so…sweetly vulnerable. It amazes me sometimes.

 

Ashlyn: Maddox, too! I know this is a weird thing to say about the man who houses Violence inside him, but I really think the sexiest thing about him is his kindness.

 

Gwen: Poor things.

 

Ashlyn: What do you mean?

 

Danika: Yeah. Do tell.

 

Gwen: Well, Sabin is anything but kind, and I love it. He goes total warrior on my body, like it’s a battleground to be conquered, and I—

 

Bianka: Eww. Please, no more sex details from you. There are just some things you do not want to imagine your baby sister doing. Or having done to her. But I’m sure you’d love to hear about your older sister and her angel. So I don’t mind telling you that what I find sexiest about Lysander is the surprised delight that claims his expression every time I do something naughty to his body. Like last night, when I introduced him to—

 

Gwen: You were wrong. You can’t dish if I can’t dish.

 

Bianka: Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow ’em. Like

Anya. And I’m getting good at that, now that I’m with Lysander. He does like to reward me when I do something nice. Like last night, when I introduced him to—

 

Legion: Ssshut it, Harpy. I getsss to talk about my Aeron now. He isss sssexy becaussse he hasss them pretty portraitsss on hisss body and sssometimesss I just want to tassste them and—

 

Anya: Triple eww. If baby sisters can’t talk about sex, neither can demon minions. Stick to tiaras next time, ok?

 

Bianka: Will no one let me tell my story about last night?

 

Everyone: No.

 

Gilly: I’m willing to admit I was wrong. Some details I do not want. So maybe this is a good time to change the subject. We’ve talked about some of the good things about life with the Lords. But I bet there are some downsides, too. It can’t be all sunshine and naked roses living with men like these. Anyone want to give an example of something that’s especially difficult to deal with?

 

Ashlyn: Well, obviously the Hunters can make life difficult sometimes.

 

Anya: There’s the understatement of the century.

 

Gwen: Yeah, it’s tough to deal with the idea that Sabin is constantly on the battlefield and that the enemy is getting increasingly harder to defeat.

 

Anya: You know what I hate most, though? That Lucien still has to visit Hell on a daily basis because of his soul-escorting duties. He deserves only heaven.

 

Danika: I know what you mean. Sometimes watching Reyes hurt himself hurts me.

 

Gwen: Yeah, those demons…I’ve tamed Doubt, but Sabin hates that the beast can hurt his loved ones so deeply. And what Sabin hates, I hate.

 

Bianka: Yeah, but at least now he has a secret weapon—you! Not to mention the rest of the Skyhawks. Harpies plus Lords equals bye-bye, Hunters.

 

Ashlyn: I have never loved a math equation more.

 

Bianka: I know, right? But I’d say a bigger problem here at Chez Demon is just making sure the Hunters don’t find Pandora’s box before we can.

 

Legion: Well, I don’t like all the visssitsss from rotten angelsss and dumb godsss.

 

Anya: Hey, watch it. I’m a goddess, remember?

 

Bianka: Yeah, but only a minor one, so you don’t count! And angels aren’t that bad, minion. They’re actually kind of sexy.

 

Legion: Take that back!

 

Bianka: Hell, no! I love my man, and no one calls him rotten but me.

 

Gilly: Before you come to blows, let’s move on to the next question. They say that women in love want to see everyone around them happy and in love, as well. But there are still, what, eight unmated Lords in the fortress? Nine if you count William [blushes]. Any predictions for who might be the next to find happiness? Anyone you especially want to set up or see happily settled down?

 

Anya: Was that a blush, Gilly darling? Well, maybe in a few years, when you’re older, something can happen with Willie—but gods know that with his prophecy, he’s not destined to have good luck with his chosen woman, so be careful.

 

Gilly: What do you mean? Tell me everything!

 

Anya: I just did. That’s all I know.

 

Ashlyn: Hey, guys. I think something’s wrong with Danika.

 

Everyone but Danika: What?

 

Danika: [gaze fixed] Aeron. Aeron is next, I think. I see clouds. Flames. Dark hair. White wings. And…blood. So much blood.

 

Legion: [bangs table with fist] You better sssee that dumb angel dying and me in Aeron’sss armsss becaussse he dessstined to marry me.

 

Danika: [blinking] I—I—I don’t know. Those wings…they were paired with a flowing white gown and dark curly hair. And Aeron was holding her, and she had a humanlike body.

 

Legion: I get a white gown, no problem. And a wig. I do that right now. And I can paint myssself peach. [storms away]

 

Anya: Poor Legion.

 

Bianka: Let’s pretend that didn’t happen—and that trouble isn’t heading for our doorstep if Aeron does end up wanting an angel. Legion will fight to the death for him, I think.

 

Ashlyn: I’d love to see Cameo settled down—she’s so lovely and so sad. I was really hoping something would come of all the sparks flying between her and Torin, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to pan out. Maybe I can make some friends in town and, I don’t know, set her up, as Gilly suggested. But is there anyone who’s good enough, or strong enough, to deal with Cameo’s voice? Anyone our boys would accept?

 

Danika: Probably not. She’s like their kid sister. And you know how brothers protect their sisters.

 

Bianka: And what about poor Paris? He’s so hawt and so miserable—it’d be great to see him happy and settled with one woman. Personally I vote for one of the other Skyhawks—Taliyah or Kaia. Then we can keep it in the family.

 

Anya: Nah. Kaia’s a ho—said with love—and Taliyah, even after all her centuries alive, still isn’t in touch with her feminine side. After everything Paris has been through, he needs a soft, sweet, very feminine woman.

 

Ashlyn: Maybe one of the Skyhawks could date Amun. I want to see him settled down, too. And Kane. And Torin—God, poor Torin. All of them deserve to be as happy and content as I’ve been blessed to feel.

 

Gwen: Well, I admit I have a soft spot for Strider. He was one of the first Lords who was actually nice to me—and he’s cute, too. Like Ashlyn, I wish I knew someone to set him up with. My year of captivity kind of severed all my human relationships.

 

Anya: All your choices are well and good, but I can tell you that Gideon’s turn is coming, and soon. [rubs hands together] That boy isn’t going to know what hit him.

 

Ashlyn: Details, please!

 

Anya: That’s all I know.

 

Bianka: Yeah. Right. When did you become so secretive?

 

Anya: When I realized it’s fun to know stuff and taunt everyone with the details.

 

Gilly: On that note, it’s time for our next question. Ashlyn, you’re pregnant with Maddox’s baby. Yay! How do you feel about bringing a new generation of Lords into the world? For that matter, how do all of you feel at the prospect of children?

 

Ashlyn: [beaming and softening] I’m beyond excited, and can’t wait to hold my child in my arms. [grows sober, clears throat] But am I nervous? Hell, yeah. First, Maddox and I still don’t know exactly what kind of baby this will be—a demon? A human with “extra” abilities, like me? A normal human? Some combination thereof? But we do know we’ll love it, no matter what. And I swear that this child will have a happier upbringing than I did.

 

Danika: You know all of us will love this baby as our own. You’re going to have more babysitters than you know what to do with. Even the men are getting mushy at the prospect of a child in the house. I think I caught Reyes knitting baby booties the other day—he swore he was just using the knitting needles to cut himself, but I have my doubts.

 

Ashlyn: [beams from ear to ear] That’s so sweet.

 

Gwen: Sabin and I are going to wait awhile. I mean, he’s afraid his demon would turn on our kids, and the thought tears him up. What he doesn’t realize is, I’d rip through that demon if I even suspected a dark whisper had reached our child’s ear. And anyway, with the Hunters out there, willing to capture and kill our offspring—

 

Bianka: I told you, that’s not going to be an issue now that the Lords have the Skyhawks on their team. But Ashlyn, I should warn you that Lysander’s had some kind of prediction about your pregnancy. He won’t give me the scoop, but he did say you’re going to get more than you bargained for.

 

Ashlyn: Seduce the info out of him! I have to know.

 

Bianka: On it! Believe me.

 

Anya: Meanwhile, I don’t know about kids. They don’t do anything you tell them to do! It’s frustrating. Like that one kid we rescued from the Hunter compound? The one who can walk through walls and hurt you when he ghosts through you? Well, I left him with my mom and dad, and I visit him from time to time, and I told him to polish my shoes. Do you know what he said to me? “Polish them yourself.” The nerve of the boy!

 

[everyone stares at her]

 

Anya: What?

 

Gilly: I think Anya’s delusion is a great place to conclude our discussion. I want to thank you guys for meeting with me and sharing way too much. Even though I asked you to do so. But you can’t blame me. I’m a teenager, and someone should have told me that was a dumb idea.

So go on. Go get your men and do what I know you’re all dying to do. You nymphos! I’ll just sit here and think of Will—no one in particular.