“You,” he growled. “Distorted you.”
Fuck, I was in Fee form.
He made a grab for me, but another set of arms got there first, yanking me off the dais and away from the stunned queen and murderous Blade.
“Stay back,” Mal panted. “No one touches her.”
My shoulder was on fire where a dagger was protruding out of it. I needed it out. Mal obliged, and my scream echoed around the room.
Keon took a step forward, but Lilith held up her hand to stall him. Her attention was on my face.
“Eve?”
“No.” I breathed through the pain in my shoulder. Fuck, it hurt like a bitch, burned too. “I’m Seraphina Dawn. I’m a Dominus, and I’m descended from Eve.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You can’t be. Azazel…He ended the bloodlines.”
I smiled weakly. “All except one. Surprise.”
“She’s a Dominus,” Mal protested. “Chosen by celestial forces.”
Lilith’s expression smoothed out, and she stood tall. “And the powers that be can choose another. Kill her.”
Keon leaped off the dais toward me. Mal shoved me behind him, drawing his scythe in a fluid motion to cut off Keon, but the Blade was faster, swiping at Mal, forcing him to duck and then leaping over him to land in front of me.
There was murder in Keon’s eyes, a hatred that didn’t make sense. He stared down at me and raised his twin daggers in a motion that I recognized as a decapitation move.
And then a crack of lightning shook the air, and a silver shield cut Keon off from me.
I stared at the shield, my heart erupting with a joy that momentarily blotted out the pain. Because it wasn’t a shield. It was wings.
Azazel’s wings.
“No!” Azazel’s voice was an epic boom that reverberated around the chamber, stunning all into silence.
My shoulder burned, and my veins stung as whatever had been on the blade was finally burned out of my system by my Loup genes. I buckled from the after-effects of the effort, and a slender arm gripped me.
“I got you, babe.” Cora pulled me against her side, her grip solid.
What was she doing here? How?
But my questions were benched as Azazel folded his wings and stepped back, bringing him abreast of me.
Lilith’s furious face came into view. “You lied to me. My son. My first son. You lied to me.” She sounded more perplexed then ragey.
I guess the thought of Azazel deceiving her was too unbelievable.
Azazel tucked in his chin.
“You told me the mission was complete. You let me believe…How could you?”
Yep, there was the anger, ready to bubble over into a rage.
Azazel opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, his throat straining as if he was trying to force out words.
“Don’t,” Cora said. “Let me.”
Lilith glared at her. “And who are you?”
“I’m Cora. I’d say it was nice to meet you, but considering you just tried to kill my best friend, that would be a lie.”
Lilith opened her mouth to retort, but Cora cut her off.
“Do you want to know why Azazel didn’t finish your mission or not?”
Lilith looked to Azazel. “I would hear it from my son's lips.”
“That’s just it, though,” Cora said. “You can’t. Because he physically can’t tell you.” She took a deep breath.
Wait a second, was she about to tell the queen about the curse? If she did, the curse would kill her. “Cora, no, you can’t—"
“Eve placed a curse on him,” Cora blurted, then snapped her mouth closed, waiting to be struck dead, no doubt. Silence reigned, and nothing happened. She sucked in a sharp breath and let out a little laugh. “Whoa, guess you were right, Az. I can say it. Not dead.”
“What are you talking about?” Lilith demanded. “What curse?”
“Eve placed a curse on Azazel,” Cora continued. “It prevents him from eliminating Cain’s bloodline. If he does, then you get hurt.” Cora paused for effect. “Fee is the last of her bloodline, so if you kill her, something bad will happen to you, probably death, who knows.”
Keon’s chest rumbled. “My queen?”
Lilith was staring at Azazel. “Is this true?”
He nodded, but you could tell it took a great effort to do so.
“Oh,” Cora continued. “The reason he couldn’t tell you is because Eve made it impossible for him to speak the words to you, and if anyone else tries to tell you, they die.”
“How are you telling me this?” Lilith asked.
Cora smirked. “I’m a loophole.”
“You know the truth now,” Azazel said to Lilith. “You can’t hurt Fee, not without bringing harm on yourself.”
Lilith’s chest heaved, and something akin to devastation crossed her face, but it was gone too quick for me to be sure.
“You kept the bloodline alive for me,” Lilith said.
“Yes,” Azazel replied.
“You did your duty.” She nodded as if coming to terms with this.
“I did. And I will continue to do so, but you must now do your duty as a mother.” He raised his voice so that everyone could hear.
Lilith frowned. “What is it? What do you want, my son?”
Yes, what did he want?
Azazel lifted his chin. “I wish to claim my soulmate.” He said it loudly, so his voice carried throughout the chamber.
My mouth dropped open at the same time as Lilith’s. I looked up at Azazel, but he kept his attention on the queen, his jaw set in a stubborn line.
“You’ve found your soulmate?” Lilith’s face went through a series of expressions before settling on polite inquiry.
“I have.”
Mal stepped forward. “And isn’t the bond of a soulmate a sacred thing?” He addressed the gathered.
Several guards and nobles murmured in agreement, which made me wonder what the hell they were making of this whole display. Someone bring on the popcorn.
Lilith’s delicate jaw tightened, and her gaze flicked from side to side. “I would need to meet her, of course. To vet her, to know that she is worthy of—”
“You have met her.” Azazel put his arm around me, and Cora released me, surrendering me to him. “She is a Dominus, blood of Samael. She is worthy.”
I held onto him, my heart swelling with love for this proud, powerful demon that was mine.
“Seraphina is my soulmate,” Azazel said.
Lilith’s lip curled, and she turned her back on the gathered, stepping toward us and lowering her voice. “I won’t allow it. I won’t allow Eve’s bloodline to be linked to mine.” There was real pain in her voice and real panic on her face.
“Soulmates are chosen by fate,” a slender demon said.
He stood slightly apart from the crowd. He was dressed in simple crimson robes with no adornment.
Keon hissed at him, but the demon ignored him. “Not even a queen has power over the sanctity of such a bond.”
Murmurs broke out among the gathered.
The queen looked pained. “Thank you for your input, cardinal. But I am merely concerned for my son’s welfare.”
“A mother’s right,” the cardinal said with a tight smile. “Unfounded, however, considering that a soulmate is a celestial blessing. And blessings are never detrimental.”
“I will complete the binding,” Azazel said. “And in doing so, I will keep you both safe.”
Keon was watching me with slitted eyes, and I could see the gears in Lilith’s head turning. She knew there was no way out of this. Azazel binding to me was the best way to keep me alive and thus keep her safe. She couldn’t hurt me. That option was now out the window. Saying no would do nothing but make her look petty and power-hungry in front of everyone in the room, and with the accusation of murderer already in the air from Mammon, she couldn’t afford any more bad press.
Keeping soulmates apart was obviously frowned upon.
The doors to the throne room burst open, and a troop of bloody demons wearing the Imperium colors strode in.
“Your Majesty, Mammon and his men have retreated. Imperium is secure.”
Lilith exhaled through her nose, and her shoulders slumped. “Prepare for the binding ceremony.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Azazel and Conah left with Lilith, Cora vanished, and Mal brought me back to our quarters, where I paced with my stomach in knots.
Kiara was dead. I’d been speaking to her and then fifteen minutes later she was gone. Mammon had killed her. Killed her because his plan A to keep Conah away from the ceremony had failed. He’d instructed the mercenaries not to kill Conah because he wanted us to believe Lilith was behind the plot, and Lilith wouldn’t want her Dominus dead.
If we’d missed the ceremony, Kiara would still be alive. There’d probably still be a declaration of war, but Kiara, sweet Kiara, would still be alive.
My stomach hurt with the knowledge.
“Stop it.” Mal grabbed my arm to halt my pacing. “We weren’t to know.”
“Huh?” Had I been muttering out loud?
Mal pulled me to him and rested his chin on my head. “Kiara is gone, and we will grieve, but first, we need to bind you to Azazel to keep you safe.”
“You think she’ll do something to stop it? Oh, God, what if she decides to lock me up in a cage to keep me safe rather than let Azazel complete the soul binding ceremony?”
“She won’t do anything untoward,” Mal said. “She can’t without social repercussions, and right now, she needs to look like a benevolent monarch advocating for peace.”
Guilt twisted in my gut like a knife. How could I even be worrying about myself when Kiara was dead and the Underealm was on the brink of war.
“Where did they take Conah?”
“Into confinement. He’ll meditate with the cardinal and the acolytes until his soul has healed.”
“What is it like?”
I shouldn’t be asking him this. It might bring back memories of his loss, but I needed to know.
Mal’s mouth turned down. “It’s as if your soul is being ripped in two. As if a part of you is dying. You feel death’s grip and the gaping emptiness where there once was life and light. It’s the absence of joy, a vacuum that feels like it will never be filled.”
Oh, God. Conah…Poor Conah. “But it can be healed?”
“In time. But it leaves a scar that never fades.”
I closed my eyes and nuzzled the base of his throat. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”
Sorry for what he’d gone through, sorry for making him recall it, and sorry for Conah’s pain.
He hugged me tighter. “Focus on Azazel and the binding. Leave the rest to us.”
Azazel…He’d come to claim me, and it was as if the missing piece of a complex puzzle had fallen into my lap. The binding would simply push it into place. Forever.
“You two belong together,” Mal said. “It’s the right thing.”
Wait. I pulled back. “What are you saying?”
He smiled sadly. “I’m saying you have what you need, Fee. And it isn’t me.”
Hell, no. But my stomach fluttered. What if Azazel wasn’t on board with Mal. My insides twisted. I needed him to accept it
Mal stroked my hair. “He’s your soulmate. Your instinct will be to make him happy, but Azazel doesn’t share, Fee. You can’t have us both. You’re about to become his.”
No…That wasn’t how this worked. Not with me and Azazel. The panic churning inside me melted. Azazel was claiming me, but I was claiming him too. We were becoming whole.
I lifted my chin and kissed Mal’s jaw. “It works both ways. Azazel will want me to be happy too, and I can’t do that without you, Mal. I need you. I want you. I…I love you.”
He turned his head, and his lips met mine softly. “Fuck, Fee. You put me back together and shatter me again. You make me want to fucking live. I accepted my curse, but now…Now I wish I could fight it.”
My pulse beat faster. I had the information he needed to absolve him of guilt. This was the time. “You can fight it, Mal. Deep down you believe you don’t deserve happiness because your actions robbed Gailan of his life and took away his chance of love.”
Mal’s throat bobbed.
“I know you don’t believe the curse is feeding off your guilt, but I think Conah’s right. I think you have the power to break it, and I have some information that might help you do that.”
He frowned. “What kind of information?”
I pressed my palms to his chest. “I met a female daemon in a tavern last night…The same daemon you were with when Gailan died.”
His face drained of color. “What?”
“She gave me a message for you.” I told him the daemon’s story—her guilt, her lie by omission, and how fate had paid her back for it. “It wasn’t your fault. She did this. She kept you from him, and because of that, he died.”
Mal’s chest heaved, and he released me and stepped away. “You’re lying. You’re making this up to make me feel better.”
“If you don’t believe me, go to the tavern opposite the portal that leads to the Keep. She owns it.”
Mal shook his head, and I knew he was the one lying. He did believe me. He just wasn’t ready to deal with this yet.
“Mal…” I took a step toward him, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“Fee, please. I need… I need to be alone.” He cut across the chamber and into his room, slamming the door behind him.
“Well, that could have gone better,” Cora said from the main doors.
“Cor…” I stared at her. “Fucking hell.”
“Yeah. Couldn’t have put it better myself.”
“You could have died. I mean, you had no proof that Azazel’s theory was correct.”
She smiled wryly. “No. But I’m sick of seeing you sad. You wear a smile and laugh and joke, but you’re not whole, Fee. You need this. You need your soulmate, and the rest…The rest will fall into place.”
“But you could have died.” I walked up to her and cupped her face. “What makes you think I’d have been okay with that? Cor, you are a piece of my soul. I can’t lose you. Ever.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffed. “Wow, possessive much?”
“Impulsive much?”
“Hey, you’re not the only one that gets to slip into hero mode.”
“You were totally the hero today.”
“Would have been more badass if I’d have had silver wings.” She sobered. “What are you going to do about Mal and Grayson now?”
Mal was mine, and Grayson was part of my Loup heritage. My Loup needed that connection if I was going to maintain control and fight off Hunter.
“I’m going to speak to Azazel.”
“Speak to me about what?” Azazel entered the room, and my heart shot into my mouth, because dressed in gold and crimson, his silver hair unbound and spilling over his shoulders, his silver eyes intense and bright in his chiseled face, he was fucking gorgeous, and he was mine.
Cora inclined her head. “And that’s my cue to do a little snooping. See ya.” She winked out.
Azazel bridged the distance between us and looked down at me. He hooked a finger beneath my chin and forced it up.
“Have you fucked Mal?” he asked, deceptively calm.
My pulse kicked in my throat. “Yes. I love him.”
He exhaled through his nose. “Dammit, Fee. He’s a mess. He’ll hurt you.”
“It would hurt me not to be able to love him. He has issues, but I know he’s working on them.”
Azazel looked thoughtful and then he nodded. “I’ll concede. What about Grayson?”
“I need him to keep Hunter at bay. The heat is going to get worse. Petra said we got lucky last time, but if it continues without a Loup mate to curb it, it could kill me. My Loup has an affinity to Grayson, so I’m hoping mating with him will stop it.”
“And take Hunter out of the
equation.” Azazel nodded. “The Loup is a huge part of who you are. You won’t be whole without it. And Grayson is a good man, an honorable man.” He touched my cheek lightly. “I don’t share what’s mine, Fee. But you’re not a possession, you’re a part of my soul, and your happiness is my happiness.”
I slid my hands up his chest to his shoulders. “I don’t want to make you unhappy, though, Azazel. I don’t want you to think that my feelings for you are any less because I love Mal, or because my Loup craves Grayson.”
“I’ve lived long enough to know how complex the heart is. I’ve lived long enough to know that love shared can only grow and that monogamy is a man-made cultural constraint. I’ve lived long enough to be secure in myself.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “And when you’re beneath me, and I’m inside you, there will be no room for any other man in your head or your heart.”
My stomach flipped hard. “Damn, that was hot.”
He smiled, and his dimples appeared, and my heart went into cardiac arrest at his beauty.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have to take you right here,” he said.
“Please don’t,” Mal said from his spot leaning against his bedroom door. “The last thing I need right now is an inferiority complex.”
Azazel fixed his penetrating gaze on Mal. “If you hurt her, I will kill you.”
Mal pushed off the door frame and padded toward us. “Likewise, big guy.”
Cora appeared behind Mal. “Wait, were you about to group hug without me?” She pouted. “Heads up, blue boy incoming.”
Keon pushed open the main doors and strode in. His tunic was gone, and his navy hair was pulled off his face, giving him a more civilized appearance, but then he bared his fangs, ruining the illusion. “The queen wants to speak to the female Dominus in the tower. Now.”
Azazel hooked an arm around my waist. “We’re coming.”
“Alone,” Keon said. “You wait in the ceremony chamber.”
Azazel stepped away from me and toward Keon. “If you lay a hand on her…”
Reaper Unveiled (Deadside Reapers Book 4) Page 17