28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Celeste

" D o you really think you're going to find something Beleth missed after reading those a hundred times?" Nym asked from across the bed while I turned the pages of one of the five books in the room. Two of them were in languages I couldn't even name, but the other three had been a source of unending information, at least, once I combed through centuries' worth of memories to remember how to interpret them.

The truth was, I didn't, but they kept my hands and mind busy. I had no idea how longBeleth would need to retrieve Roman, and being stuck in the small, quiet room was not helping my mental state. Especially when I sat in full view of the table where not long ago Beleth had forced his touch on me. Again . Feelings of anger, disgust, and absolute loathing still swirled in my chest, but once he was gone and I had calmed down, other emotions snuck in.

Curiosity. Suspicion. Confusion.

The more I tried to figure out what made him tick, the more lost I felt. It was so infuriating! How was I supposed to decide how to deal with him when he made no fucking sense? And why did he touch me? This was definitely not for his pleasure and I didn't believe for a second his bullshit reason that he did it to ‘get my head in the game'. Because, for all his violence and threats, there was something in the way he held me the last time that wasn't… all hate.

I knew how the brunt of his brutality felt, and the way he responded to me, to my reactions... that wasn't the same person who bound me and fucked me like I was a piece of meat. And the fact that I couldn't understand why unnerved me more than anything. I might have been high on lust and not in my right mind, but he wasn't. So why was he…

"Celeste?" Nym called my name, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to get rid of those thoughts. It didn't matter why he did it, because this wasn't about him. And if he crossed the line one more time… well, if I couldn't beat him, I'd make sure he never won either.

"Well, he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the box, is he?" I said pointedly, turning the page again, this time with a little more force than I should have. The edge tore from the ancient paper and I winced. "If he was, he would have asked for my help from the start."

When Nym didn't reply, I glanced at him. He was making a face that was between a cringe and a very eager smile. I hadn't seen him for the past few days, which got me worried enough to pester Beleth, even though I knew my familiar could take care of himself. Beleth had caved in at the end, confessing he had sent Nym to collect several souls for him as a punishment for assisting my attempted escape. Part of me was pissed that he felt entitled to do whatever he wanted with my familiar, but I let it slide when he called Nym back.

"Sharpest? Perhaps not," Nym spoke, and I focused my attention back on him. "Prideful and destructive? Definitely."

We scoffed at the same time, sharing a knowing smile. Something in my chest fluttered, both bitter and sweet, and I quickly lowered my gaze to the book. I was glad to have some of the normalcy return between us, but every time I caught him looking at me with guilty eyes, I was reminded of what had happened. So I avoided looking.

"I've been wondering about something," I said, trying not to grimace at the drawing of a creature that met me on the next page. It looked like the lovechild of a snake and a spider—if that lovechild was born in Hell and liked to swim in one of the fire lakes that seemed to be the most popular local attraction. Nym cleared his throat, and I tore my eyes away from the beast. "Beleth said something about not being able to use Hell's creatures, but, of course, he couldn't be bothered to explain. What did he mean?"

Nym's whiskers twitched, but it was hard to discern if it was irritation or something else.

"That's true. And he did try once… with me," he finally said. "It didn't go well."

"How so?" I asked, leaning my elbow on my crossed legs and giving him my full attention. "You two weren't strong enough?"

"No." Nym's tongue swiped out, licking over his lips. "The prince who creates the trials can use anything in Hell for the test. Anything made or dragged down here," he said pointedly, but I just shrugged to show I had no idea what he was talking about. " I was made in Hell, Celeste."

My mouth formed a soundless O.

"You turned against him?" I gasped, straightening my back impatiently. "What… what happened?"

"I heard a voice in my head that ordered me to attack him," Nym replied with a low growl. "I couldn't resist the order, no matter how much I tried. I destroyed Beleth's vessel that day. That's how we found out that he cannot use Hell's creatures to assist him."

I winced. "That's… brutal. Did he punish you after that?"

Nym lay down on his paws. "No. He understood I had no choice."

"Like he cares about choices…" I muttered, going back to my book. A few pages later, I stopped when I reached the section that spoke of the seven princes of Hell. I had already read it once, combing through each paragraph, but aside from a few clues about their appearance and their powers—which, surprisingly, matched a great deal with what I have read in some human scriptures—I had found nothing useful. The drawing in question was of Alastair, the Prince of Hate.

"So Alastair must be the weakest, right?" I changed the subject, flicking the face of the man standing surrounded by fire and chains, for some odd reason. His long hair floated around him like snakes and his skin was covered in something like a rash. I grimaced.

"No. If anything, he might be the most difficult to deal with," Nym replied, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Beleth has passed his trials only once and almost got his soul shattered when he lost. If it wasn't for Belphegor stopping Alastair, he wouldn't have shown mercy. "

"Huh," I murmured, turning a few pages back to look at the drawing of Belphegor. She was depicted as a beautiful female with long, fair hair, half-sitting, half lying on a long settee. On the opposite page was Asmodeus, poised on a throne made of naked bodies, with a dark-haired woman hiding his genitals deep inside her throat.

"The others take pity on the challengers and let them crawl back to lick their wounds, but not Alastair," Nym droned on while I studied the two princes. "He knows what it's like to be a lower demon, so he would never let someone take away his power. Also, he has a few witches tied to him with contracts, even though he doesn't need to make any more deals. Hate is one of the strongest motivators to sell one's soul."

"So you're saying that it's better to face a fucking angel rather than him?" I scoffed.

" Fallen angel," Nym corrected me with an admonishing tone. "They lost most of their divine powers when they fell. And yes, I'd say he is more dangerous than all of them. Not because he's stronger, but because he's more desperate. He would do anything to win, no matter the cost to him or others."

I nodded, tapping absently on Belphegor's page.

"What is it?" Nym frowned. "You have that look. What are you thinking about?"

I licked my lips, not sure if I was onto something or just wishing the universe was looking favorably on me—on us—for once.

"You said that Belphegor was the one who stopped Alastair from shattering Beleth's soul, right?" Nym nodded, his eyes narrowing. "And Beleth said that the last time he fought Asmodeus, the prince not only didn't kill him but gave him advice."

Nym's whiskers fluttered violently. "It was more like a threat than advice."

I rolled my eyes. "A threat is ‘I will kill you and shatter your soul'. Telling someone to fight harder and not hold back is advice. Poorly worded, but still advice."

"Fine, call it whatever you like," Nym sighed. "Where are you going with this?"

"Doesn't all of this sound to you like… they want him to win?" I bit my lip. "Why else would they let him live after all that time and give him advice? They can't be that bored!"

Nym blinked several times before shaking his head. "That's a long stretch. Why would they want him to win against them? "

"I don't know." I shrugged, flopping the book closed and falling backward into the bed. "Usually when someone tries to kill me, I kill them. I don't think a Prince of Hell has a more merciful heart than me."

Nym grumbled in agreement, leaning his head back on his paws while I stared at the ceiling. Silence dragged, my thoughts swirling and swirling until my temples pounded painfully. I must have dozed off at some point because when I opened my eyes, it was because something was touching my cheek.

I swung at the man looming over me on instinct, but a pair of cold fingers caught my fist right before it connected with his nose.

"That's my girl," a familiar voice spoke, and I blinked the last of the sleep, finally recognizing the face smiling at me.

"Roman!" I gasped, throwing my arms around his neck and pulling him toward me. He came willingly, lips already parted in anticipation as I kissed him. I moaned when his tongue invaded my mouth, studying it with eagerness like it was our first time. His hard body pressed against mine in a way that almost made me cry with relief.

He was here. He had come. He…

Somebody cleared their throat, and I froze, eyes snapping open. I looked sideways to the other end of the room where Beleth leaned on the table with his arms crossed and a murderous expression on his face.

"Keep your legs closed for once, will you?" he snarled at me, his eye twitching. "You wanted him here, he's here. If this was just a ploy to get him down here to fuck you, I will throw him outside and force you to watch as Hell's creatures tear him apart."

I opened my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but the low growl that reverberated through Roman's chest seemed like a more immediate concern. Tightening my arms around him, I dug my nails into his back so he was forced to bring me up with him when he rose.

"Threaten her again, I dare you," Roman said in a voice so cold, I was pretty sure that if we checked outside, we'd find Hell frozen over.

Beleth pushed himself off the table and let his hands drop as if he were about to do just that. I desperately searched for something to say to diffuse the situation when my eyes landed on Roman's neck. Something dark and sticky marred his pale skin, drenching the edge of his shirt .

"Why is there blood on you?" I asked, pressing my fingers to his throat. The substance was cold but fresh. There were no wounds on him but considering its dark color, it definitely belonged to an undead creature.

"A vampire was about to tear his head off when I saved him," Beleth answered me, crossing his arms again. "You're welcome, by the fucking way. So don't come growling at me or I'll return you right where I took you from."

I blinked in shock, pulling at Roman's collar until he finally looked at me.

"There was an Elder trespassing on my property and killing the shifters that settled there," he explained through tight lips. "It's a long story, but I'm fine. Everyone's fine."

"Except for those dead shifters," Beleth muttered.

"Isaac is fine," Roman added before I could ask. "Malakai is taking care of the Elder. I…"

When I took a step back, he flinched like I had slapped him. I ignored that for now, turning to where Nym was standing on the edge of the bed, ready to pounce if I only pointed a finger.

"I need you to go there," I said, holding his gaze. "With Roman here, I need to know someone is looking after everyone."

Nym bristled, his eyes turning red. "What about you? I'm supposed to protect you . This is your l…"

"You can't enter the trials," I interrupted him, giving him a pointed look. "And I have two of the most dangerous men on the planet vastly invested in keeping me alive. I'll be fine."

Nym let out a low, displeased sound, his eyes darting behind me—to Beleth, presumably. I almost sighed in relief when he jumped off the bed and headed toward the door. Just before he reached it, he turned, looking at each of us.

"Keep her safe, both of you," he said in a voice that was all threat. Roman nodded while Beleth bared his teeth, but Nym was already leaving with a last, "Good luck."

I ignored the way my heart clenched while I watched him go, and turned to the other two.

"No more fighting!" I said through gritted teeth. "If we are to do this, we need to be on the same side. Got it?"

Beleth, unsurprisingly, rolled his eyes. Roman's face was entirely unreadable.

I wanted to scream and punch both of them .

"I need you to explain what the fuck is going on first. Why are you here?" He glared at the demon before locking that hard gaze on me. "And why are you doing anything for him? I don't care if he had to drag me to Hell to protect you, but I deserve to know why. And if it's something dangerous—"

"This is Hell," Beleth spat. "Even breathing here is dangerous." I gave him my most annoyed look, and he threw his hands in the air. "You know what? I don't need to be here for the recap. I'll go check on the trial grounds." He strode toward the exit before either of us could speak, adding with a sneer in his voice, "Don't fuck on my bed."

The door slammed so hard that the walls shook.

Did something happen up there to put him in such a bad mood? Not that he was a ray of sunshine on a good day, but he seemed even more irritated than usual. I was just opening my mouth to ask when I noticed the look on Roman's face and changed my mind.

Inhaling deeply, I started with the speech I had prepared. I skipped over a few minor details like how the demon kept me tied up or fucked me while we were both covered in blood and guts in the middle of Hell, but that was a necessity. If Roman knew any of that, I wasn't sure even the Princes of Hell could stop him from doing much worse to Beleth. And Cyrus.

"So that's basically it." I clapped my hands when I was done summarizing our plan. "What do you think? Can we do it?"

Roman looked grave as death while he stared at me, but I could see in his eyes that he was thinking about it. If there was one thing that I knew with absolute certainty about him, it was that he would never refuse me anything, as long as my life was not in danger. And if it was, then I needed to give him an even better incentive to take the risk. Winning my freedom, getting back home without having to fight our way out of this place, and having a prince of Hell owing me a favor seemed like a pretty good deal to me. Although, technically, the last part wasn't true since Beleth never promised me anything. But I was sure that if we survived this, and I asked, Cyrus would make him.

Roman pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to miss the days when our biggest problem was being chased by hunters and witches," he muttered. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind? I'll do it. I'll go with Beleth and fight the prince myself if you stay here."

Smiling at him, I drew closer so I could cup his cheeks.

"I know you would, but that's not going to work. He needs both of us, even if he would never admit it." I traced the sharp edge of his cheekbone with my thumb and felt him lean into the touch.

"Fine," he whispered, raising his hand. At first, I thought he was going to caress me, but he slid it into his shirt instead, taking something out of there. I raised an eyebrow at the sight of the unusual jewelry hanging from his finger until I recognized the runes on it and the familiar power pulsing from its center.

My mouth dropped in shock and I grabbed it, squeezing it in my hand to make sure it was real. When my magic whispered back in greeting, laughter full of joy and relief bubbled out. I was just reaching out to take back my power when Roman's hand wrapped around mine and squeezed.

"Don't," he said, as if he could tell what I was prepared to do. I gave him a puzzled look. "I'm not sure it's safe."

I gaped in disbelief, but let go of my energy. For now.

"Why wouldn't it be safe?" I frowned. "Where did you find it?"

"In a secret room in the Castle's residence," he said in a dark tone. "If it was in their possession for so long, they could have tempered with it. We don't know what would happen if you try to siphon your magic."

I looked down at the artifact clenched between my fingers.

"I don't feel anything different from before," I said, my chest tightening in helpless fury. I finally had it back, I could finally restore my power, and now…

"It was a Castle who made it. I'm sure they can do things to it you won't even notice," he whispered gently, drawing closer again. I didn't move as he leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine and inhaling deeply. "I know what this means to you. I do. All I'm saying is…" He drew back, wrapping his hand around mine and plucking the medallion from my fingers. I watched him raise the chain, dragging it over my head until the artifact was resting against my chest. "...don't rush. Use it only if you absolutely must. Or after we've made sure it's safe. You survived this long without that power, you might not need it at all."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. His tense posture relaxed, and a smile pulled onto his lips .

"Besides," he said, tipping my chin up. "You were not wrong. You have two of the most dangerous men on the planet vastly invested in keeping you alive. With a little luck, that should be just enough."