by G. K. DeRosa
“Azara…” Power laced Lucifer’s voice. That one word a command that made my skin prickle.
Anger uncoiled in my core, igniting dark tendrils of magic. Demon and warlock. The wisps of power entangled, writhing like venomous snakes. “Get out!” I shouted, and the entire chamber trembled. I diverted my glare to Remy, and a hint of satisfaction snuck through the fury. His vacant eyes were wide, two alabaster moons of fear. “Get out, get out, get out before I claim your soul and spit out its filthy remnants.”
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his fancy suit. “I’ll return once you’ve had a chance to calm down.”
“Or don’t. I’ll call you if you’re needed.”
He flicked his wrist, and a smoky cloud enveloped his tall frame. It crawled across every inch of him until his devilish form disappeared into the ether.
Remy wobbled out, his knuckles white from the grip on his wooden cane. “Remember, the longer you put off the confirmation, the worse things will get. And only Lucifer can preside over the confirmation ceremony so I wouldn’t treat the supreme ruler of the Underworld with such contempt.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?” I snarled. “Get out before the dungeon becomes your permanent home. A cell beside Thax, perhaps.”
The ancient seer staggered out, moving faster than I thought possible with that old cane.
The moment the doors slammed behind him, my chest caved and a sob rent the air. Talon’s arms wrapped around me. “It’s going to be okay, Azara. I promise you.” He whispered softly against my ear, his firm hold keeping me from falling apart.
“I can’t do this,” I sobbed. “There’s so much at stake, and I—I can’t.”
His gentle finger tipped my chin up, forcing my tear-stained eyes to his. “You can do this, and you will. We’ll figure this out together, amó. You’re not alone, and you never will be again.”
I snagged my lower lip between my teeth, chewing on the soft flesh. I wanted to believe him, but a pit of dread had taken root in my gut and no amount of reassurance from my mate could wrench it free.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I tucked my knees to my chest, shrinking into a weary and brokenhearted ball beneath the silk sheets. All night in Talon’s arms I’d been able to keep the panic at bay, but now his warm body absent, the light of day streamed in the reality. I was going to be the dark lord of the sixth realm. No matter how many times I repeated the phrase, I simply couldn’t wrap my head around it. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Talon and I were supposed to run off together, disappear. I refused to be chained to that brimstone throne. Flashes of the horrific images I’d seen streaked across my mind, and I cringed.
How could I run away and allow that future come to pass?
The bathroom door creaked open, and Talon poked his head out. “You sure you don’t want to join me in the shower?”
Desire rushed the bond, but the overwhelming panic filling my chest consumed everything else. The spark fizzled, and I shrank back under the covers. “Maybe later,” I murmured.
Soft footfalls padded across the stone a second before the sheets were torn away. “Hey!” I grumbled, squeezing tighter into my ball of self-pity. The end of the bed dipped, and my body hummed at Talon’s approach. He slid in behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist and prying my legs free from the fetal position. His warm breath skated over my ear, and his measured breathing instantly calmed the raging turmoil within.
How is it possible that his mere presence makes everything better?
“It’s a mate thing.” Talon answered my unspoken question with such authority I couldn’t help a smile from melting across my face.
“Really?”
His lips skimmed my shoulder. “Really. Our bodies are bound. Just like you can feel my emotions, I can also influence yours. Even more than that, being together releases endorphins that provide a natural high, a soothing effect, and can even accelerate healing.”
I craned my neck to face him. “That’s incredible.” Maybe I should’ve learned more about this dragon bond thing before jumping into it. A depressing thought filtered in next. “And that’s why when one mate dies, the other follows soon after.”
He nodded grimly, his thoughts flickering to his parents. Which made me think of mine.
“I have to talk to my mom and dad,” I blurted. I felt like such a child, but I was getting desperate. “I didn’t want to get them involved, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“I think it’s a good idea. Maybe Ryder can give us a sense of how to handle Lucifer.” He paused, the lines across his forehead deepening. “We just have to figure out how to contact them safely.”
“Right, because I don’t want the SIA discovering our connection.”
“Do you think you can mentally communicate with them all the way in the human realm?”
I shrugged. “I guess we’re about to find out.” Squeezing my eyes shut, I pictured my mom, the light lines that crinkled the corners of her blue eyes when she smiled, the way her face lit up when she looked at my dad, the warmth of her voice and the feel of her solid arms cradling me.
The lavender hue of my demon’s mark shimmered against the silk sheets, and my magic flared to life. Mom, can you hear me?
Azara? The surprise in her voice echoed through the connection.
Yup, it’s me. Another cool warlock power I inherited from GG.
But GG can’t communicate telepathically.
Well, I can.
Never mind, sweetie. What’s going on? Is everything okay?
Not exactly. I drew in a breath and recounted the whole story.
Once I got off the telepathic line with my parents, Talon stared at me expectantly. “Well?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure my dad is going to murder my grandfather.” I huffed out a breath. “My parents are furious and wanted to rush right over. It took a lot of convincing for them to understand it wasn’t safe for either of us.” I’d also told them about the mate bond with Talon. My dad had cursed almost as much about that as the dark lord part. Not something I’d share with my dragon mate right now. I didn’t want to shatter his man-crush on my dad. “Our conversation did spark an idea, but I didn’t tell them about it yet.”
“What’s that?”
“I need to talk to GG, but I was thinking that instead of unleashing my demon power to fuel up the wards, what if my warlock magic was enough?”
“You want to unbind your powers?”
I nodded. “I’ve had access to some portion of them for a while now, and nothing terrible has happened. Maybe it’s time to let my inner warlock free.”
He worried his lip between his teeth, and I had to suppress the urge to capture it. Despite all the craziness, the idea of losing myself in Talon still sent a surge of heat through my core. “Maybe,” he finally said, unclenching his jaw. “Tomorrow is the assembly with the other warlords. Do you think you can get GG here before that?”
“I hope so.” After Luci’s latest betrayal, I prayed I could count on my warlock grandfather.
As I waited for a response from Garrix, I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out possible ways of circumventing the great oracle’s visions of doom. I even reluctantly enlisted Remy’s help. I played out different scenarios in my head, making a decision and truly believing it then I’d have the seer check the oracle. No matter what I did, the visions remained the same.
Only when I accepted my fate as the dark lord and took on a demon consort did the horrific images of death and destruction disappear. Any sort of future with Talon led to eventual disaster.
The more scenarios we ran through, the deeper my fear grew. How could I choose between dooming the humans to war or dooming the man I loved? It wasn’t fair.
Remy watched me from across the throne room as my insides twisted into a writhing tornado. I paced the lengthy chamber, the soles of my boots smacking in time with my erratic heartbeats. I could’ve sworn the sick bastard was enjoying this. If I could only figure out thi
s stupid prophecy, then I could send the traitorous seer to the dungeons where he belonged.
“Your guest will agree to the unbinding.” He tipped his gaze to the hearth, and the flickering flames reflected across his white orbs.
“How do you know?” I hadn’t even told him who GG was or why I’d summoned him.
“Because I’ve seen it, Azara. You continue to keep secrets from me, but there’s nothing I don’t already know.”
I shook my head slowly. GG had always told me visions were vague and unreliable at best. It was why he’d stopped honing his power. He’d once told me it was the one ability he wished he didn’t have. “Not everything is set in stone,” I grumbled.
“You’re right. Some things are written in the stars.” He raised his hand to the window, motioning to the darkening sky.
Nothing but dark clouds and ash coated the horizon. Had the Underworlders ever experienced the beauty of a starlit sky? Would I be condemned to only dreaming of it for the rest of my days?
“You know, you will not be the last female warlock.” Remy’s words tore me from my musings.
I stopped pacing and whirled toward the seer. He sat back in the chair and folded his legs, his robes swishing around his ankles. “What does that mean?”
“You’re only the beginning, Azara. From you, an entire line of female warlocks will emerge.”
All the saliva evaporated, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “What are you talking about?”
“Your blood and that of your future demon consort will only make the warlock side stronger in future generations. Female warlocks will become a new powerful race within the Coven. Their power, your power, will prove stronger than any of your magical brethren.”
He couldn’t be right, could he? After everything my parents had done to keep what my mom and I were a secret, it would all come out anyway?
I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on unbinding my warlock powers, on a future with female warlocks living free instead of in hiding. I pictured myself on the throne and Talon at my side, my heart full and dark magic running through my veins. “Try it again,” I murmured. Opening my eyes, I repeated myself so Remy could hear.
The old seer lifted the all-knowing rock from the table and stroked it softly. A golden glow lit up the stone, and Remy’s eyes glazed over. I held my breath until the oracle’s light dimmed, and the seer’s vacant stare vanished. His wiry gray brows twisted together, and a grimace seized his lips.
“What did you see now?” I blurted.
“I—I’m not certain. There’s something that’s yet to be decided. It’s muddling my visions.”
My heart took off at a gallop as a twinge of hope filled my chest. I would find a way to re-write my fate, to save the humans and be with Talon even if it meant rearranging the stars themselves.
Chapter Twenty-Three
My eyes snapped open. The brilliant azure light filling the room jerked me from a restless slumber. The whirling vortex coalesced in the center of the chamber, and the charred scent of magic swirled in the air. It’s about time, GG.
My grandpa’s true form emerged from the portal, blonde hair lashing across his face.
Talon stirred beside me, and his arm tightened around my waist. “It’s okay. Go back to sleep, GG’s here,” I whispered.
He muttered something unintelligible, and his lids drooped closed. I squirmed free of his embrace after a quick kiss on the cheek. With all the chaos of the last few days, I hadn’t been able to enjoy my mate, but I couldn’t really, not until all of this was settled. The more intimate we were, the stronger the bond would become, and I couldn’t further risk Talon’s life if everything went to hell.
I grabbed a robe from the edge of the bed and pulled it tight around my skimpy nightie. Motioning to a door at the back of the bedroom, I led GG to the sitting room. Despite the temperate weather of the Underworld, a permanent chill pervaded the halls of the castle. I flicked my wrist at the hearth and snapped my fingers. Flames burst from the dry timber, and I settled into a chair by the massive stone fireplace.
“I’m sorry I took so long to come. No hug for your favorite grandfather?” Garrix’s ocean blue eyes sparked in amusement.
I pushed my tired body off the seat and pulled him into an embrace. “If you weren’t before, the title is officially yours now.”
He gazed down at me, holding me out to arm’s length. “What did Lucifer do now?”
“Before I tell you, please promise you’ll be truthful with me.”
“To the best of my ability, Azara.”
I rolled my eyes. Why did everyone think lying to me was for my own good? “Have you seen a vision of me as dark lord of the Underworld?”
He slowly shook his head. “I told you I haven’t used that particular talent for some time now.” He pursed his lips, and a vein throbbed across his forehead.
“But?”
Clearing his throat, he folded his body into the chair across from mine. I followed suit, eyeing him. “A very long time ago, shortly after you were born, I saw something. I mentioned it to your mother, but she didn’t want to hear it. However, it was a few months later that she and your father asked me to bind your warlock powers.”
“What did you see exactly?”
He blew out a breath and drummed his fingers on the armrest. “A version of you on that very throne.”
I swallowed thickly as hot tears pricked at my eyes. I wanted to yell at him for keeping the truth from me, but what did it matter now anyway? “Unbind my warlock,” I spat out instead and extended my arm. My mystical tattoo ignited, and a wave of lavender lit up my skin.
“I don’t know if that’s the answer to your dark lord problem, Azara.”
“But we don’t know that it’s not.”
“Your mother filled me in on the events of the past few days, and if I believed unleashing your warlock was the answer, I’d be the first to agree, but I want you to be aware of the possible ramifications.”
“Like what?”
“You could lose control of your demon, the dark power could consume you, the Coven may come after you, etcetera, etcetera.”
I chewed on the inside of my mouth as visions of my uncontrollable demon filled my mind. No, I could control her now. She wasn’t in charge, I was. The same would hold true for my warlock. “How about the flipside, GG? Could my warlock abilities be enough to secure the ward in the sixth realm?”
His lips thinned, and he ran his hand through the streak of white that bisected his blonde hair. “Possibly.”
“Then I have to try it. I can’t marry a demon, or let the human world suffer, but mostly I can’t lose Talon.” My voice cracked, and I cursed myself for sounding so weak. If I had any hope of surviving this, I had to be strong.
GG leaned forward, stretching his arm out. His hand cupped my cheek, and a tear escaped despite my best efforts. “We can try it, little princess. If that’s what you want, we will make it happen.”
A tiny hummingbird of hope fluttered in my chest. I had been certain my grandfather would scold me for falling for Talon, for tying myself to the dragon. I never expected his support, but I was beyond grateful for it. “Thank you, GG.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and tugged him into a tight hug. For the first time in days, something besides despair bloomed in my core. “Can you do it right now?” A part of me was scared I’d lose my nerve if I waited.
“I can. Don’t you want to discuss it with your mate? Releasing your warlock may have unintended side effects through the bond.”
I snagged my lower lip between my teeth and gnawed on the soft flesh. Talon would only worry if he knew it was risky. I didn’t want to worry him even more. Despite his words of reassurance, I could feel the constant anxiety overwhelming him. “No, let’s just do it,” I finally answered.
“Very well.” He stood, unfolding his long legs and loomed over me. His azure irises blazed as he began to mutter through clenched teeth, and a low murmur vibrated the space. With each repetition o
f the incantation, his voice grew louder and the intoxicating scent of magic thickened the air.
A wave of goosebumps prickled my skin as murky coils of magic enveloped my body. A deep purple glow emanated from the hands held over me, the hue so vibrant I was forced to close my eyes.
“Ad unitem infinitum romperem, ad unitem infinitum romperem.”
GG’s words echoed through the chamber as fiery heat engulfed my veins. “Ad unitem infinitum romperem, ad unitem infinitum romperem.” I bit down on the scream working its way up my throat and forced a tight smile.
My thundering heartbeats roared across my eardrums and drowned out Garrix’s words. I squeezed my hands into tight fists, my nails digging into my palms as scorching energy rushed my insides. My warlock and demon powers tussled, the darkness snaking through every corner of my being, filling every shadowy crook. My chest inflated as if my skeleton couldn’t contain the raging power. A shudder shook my entire body, and it was all I could do to remain upright in the chair.
Garrix’s rushed tempo finally slowed, and I sucked in a haggard breath as the thrall of the incantation waned. My head lolled against the back of the chair, but my mind continued to spin.
“Azara, are you all right?” GG hovered over me, his presence potent even with my eyes still closed.
I forced my lids open and gave him a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” My gaze drifted down to my arm and the triangle with the swirling three points. The tattoo remained, but its lavender luster had disappeared. I searched my core for my demon. She was there, but her presence was faint. What would happen if I called on her powers?
Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I couldn’t wait to see Remy, to find out if unleashing my warlock had made a difference to our future.
“You must tell your mother about this.” Garrix’s voice returned me to the present. “And be sure to point out you threatened bodily harm if I didn’t comply.”
I grinned. “I will, first thing tomorrow.” After our little assembly with the warlords. I still couldn’t get Remy’s prophecy of female warlocks out of my mind. If it were true, there was one more possible scenario I’d have to run through, but I’d need my mother’s approval first. I met GG’s concerned gaze and tossed him another smile, hoping it was more convincing than my last.