Chapter 1

I pulled away from Cole and looked down at my hands, flexing my fingers.

I'm human? Well, that explains a few things.

"Balthazar took my magic," I said, my voice hushed, as I answered Cole's question while Logan, Asher, and Kaito silently listened. "And with it, my wings." I glanced back at the incubus. "Asher said those are magical in nature, so for now, they're gone, too."

Cole narrowed his eyes at Asher. An unspoken rivalry passed between the pair and I desperately wished I could read Cole's mind to know what he was thinking.

I wasn't sure who won the battle, but Cole's expression softened as he reached out to brush my cheek. "It's a good thing you're mated to a demon, little angel. If anyone knows how to undo a deal, it's me. Balthazar won't get to keep what he's taken."

Leaning into his touch, I allowed a little bit of my burden to fall onto his heavy hand. I didn't want to admit I still felt off-balance without my wings, too. "I… I don't mind it, actually. He can keep my magic, for all I care." I blinked up at him, feeling only love for the gorgeous demon. "All that matters to me is that you and the others are safe."

Lucifer was imprisoned, for now. Couldn't I just take a moment to enjoy that?

The ground trembled under our feet as if to discourage getting too comfortable.

That ache in my chest returned with a vengeance. Either my human side didn't jive with this place or I had a terrible case of heartburn. I had eaten a lot trying to muffle my sounds at dinner.

Sounds I'd been making because Logan and Asher had been feeding me magic to maintain an illusion that had only bought me time.

But more than that, it made me wonder what Asher was to me. I couldn't just feed on any sexual energy. I was only part succubus.

The strongest form of magic that I could use was generated from my mates. Asher had seemed to have no problem helping me with that.

When he'd been touching me.

My cheeks heated, betraying that I could fully blush now that I was human. Damn mortal body. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to straighten and pretend I was just flushed because of the heat. "Do you know where Dante and Hendrik are?" I asked Cole. "Are they okay?"

He grinned with a mischievous smile that I had desperately missed. "Depends on your definition of ‘okay.' I imagine Hendrik is going to be pissed that I found you first. He probably wanted to be the one to get all the credit for giving you this." He held out his palm and the air shimmered as he summoned a familiar black bloom. "I was the first one in Hell's Heart, so I call dibs on giving it to you."

A shocked laugh fell from my lips.

Just as Balthazar had promised, I had access to a Death Lotus.

I stared at it, bewildered that it would be this easy. The beautiful onyx flower shimmered like silk and diamonds. It held all the colors of the universe until they swirled into an oily pit in the center, casting the entire bloom in shadow.

I'll never get tired of looking at one of these things.

When I reached out to take it, Asher yelled at me to stop.

It was too late. I'd already touched it and a scream ripped out of me as pain slashed up my arm.

My entire body convulsed as the pain intensified, sending me to my knees. My spine felt like it was about to peel out of my back, angry at me for not having wings to channel the magic into. Instead, it ate away at me on the inside, making me hiss out a cold, icy breath of pain.

Cole grabbed hold of my shoulder, hauling me to him to steady me. "Lilith!" he shouted, but his voice felt like a thunderbolt crashing in my ears.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push out the agony that was coursing through my veins. Hot fire seared through my muscles, biting through them without mercy.

"What the hell is going on?" Logan roared.

Asher was already at my side, pressing his fingers against my pulse. "Her body is rejecting the Death Lotus," he said, his voice laced with concern.

Rejecting it? Why?

I tried to speak, but my throat was too raw. My breath came in short gasps as I forced my eyes open. Cole's tail lashed around the ground, sending ash up into the air. Kaito had summoned his katana as if out of instinct, but there was no one to fight.

Just when I thought I might wither and die, the pain suddenly stopped.

I drew in a desperate gulp of air even though it burned my lungs. My arms had gone numb and I looked down to see the black, spidering veins leaking dark blood onto the ground.

Dizziness washed over me when the blood turned red.

My blood had never been red before.

Because I'd never been human before.

Kaito cursed. "Of course. Damn it. She's human now."

So? We'd established that.

What did that matter?

"Someone explain," Cole demanded. "Now."

"She touched a Death Lotus," Asher said grimly. "It's not something a human can handle. It embodies death, so her form is trying to comply."

That can't be good.

My throat went dry as I tried to work down a swallow again.

"Did Balthazar know this would happen?" I asked. Tears burned in my eyes. I felt so fucking stupid.

He'd taken my magic, which had effectively made me human.

All for a deal that had ended with me being sent to Hell's Heart, where I could obtain a Death Lotus.

Oh, the irony. As a human, a Death Lotus was completely useless to me. And toxic.

Fucking demons.

"Likely," Cole said darkly as he withdrew the Death Lotus. It disappeared in a puff of ash. My wounds stopped bleeding when he took it away, but a dull pain remained in my chest. "I'll hold on to it for now. A Death Lotus would only make me turn feral if I used its power. Luckily, there's someone else who can harness the magic of a Death Lotus and not suffer side effects."

Hope dared to surge in my chest. I held my hand to my heart to keep it in check. "Who?"

The ground trembled again and a fiery portal formed. My eyes went wide as my Hunter stepped through it with my Dark Mage mate on his heels.

Dante grinned, making his scars stretch around his gorgeous face. His metallic eyes burned with power, and magic hummed around him like a low melody.

He tilted his head and waved his dagger through the air, leaving a blur of magical runes burning through the dust. "Me, of course. I'm already feral." He offered me a low bow. "At your service, Princess."