31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Beleth

T he tunnel leading to the cave of challenges felt smaller than I remembered. The walls pressed on our sides, making it hard to breathe and impossible to calm my racing heart. The air smelled different too, charged with power and impatience. I found the reason for that the moment we stepped into the painfully familiar chamber.

Instead of one prince, or even three like the last time, there were fucking seven of them, all staring at us like we were late to their party. Belphegor and Leviathan were sitting with their heads drawn together, the woman's long legs sprawled over his lap. She smirked at me over her glass while Leviathan said something that made her laugh—that was just about enough to grind my last nerves to dust.

Looking bored out of his mind, Beelzebub perched on the opposite end of the dais, chewing on a meaty leg with blood spraying from the spots where his teeth sank in. Mammon and Satan were reclined on the rest of the seats, watching us with an odd mix of curiosity and hostility. Only Asmodeus and Alastair were on their feet, looming on the opposite sides of the stairs like some forbidding statues.

‘This has never happened before,' Cyrus whispered, his fear making me shudder. ‘Don't tell me they are all here to fight us? '

I didn't bother answering. I was busy watching Asmodeus tilt his head, switching his attention from me to Celeste and Roman. His brow rose in what could have been surprise or displeasure, but he said nothing.

"You are the most persistent demon spawn I have seen in the last fifteen hundred years," Alastair said as he ran a crooked finger over his black lips. His pale skin looked even more unnatural with the dark tint covering his hands like a disease, and I was pretty sure that the last time I saw him, the taint had been to the middle of his forearms. Now it was almost to his shoulders.

He didn't care to mask his demonic features, so when his smile revealed a mouth full of sharp, rotten teeth, my stomach twisted with disgust. I had heard what he did to the demons who angered him. Even though we couldn't die, it still fucking hurt to be eaten alive.

"Two thousand, actually," Belphegor corrected him. "He is older than you, Alastair."

Alastair's smile fell a fraction and the dark veins on his face spread as he studied me from head to toe.

"That makes him even more pathetic. Two thousand years and he's still a lowly scum that has nothing better to do but waste our time," he spat. "If you had two brain cells to put together, you should have focused on collecting more souls than coming here to pick a fight."

"Maybe getting his ass kicked is his kink," Leviathan chuckled, and a few of the others joined in. I clenched my teeth before I retorted something that'd piss them off. I still didn't know who I'd be facing, so keeping them in this strange, good mood was the smart thing to do.

"Or maybe you should all shut up and let him fight, hmm? Or are you scared?" Celeste shouted, and their chuckles died down. I wanted to curse her for opening her big mouth, but when they all turned their attention to her, I got the feeling that one wrong move was all it would take to seal her fate.

The silence in the cave dragged on for a few more seconds and a part of me truly enjoyed their stunned faces. Still, when Mammon pushed to his feet with blood still dripping from his chin, I cursed under my breath.

"I see you brought us a snack for the show," he said, baring his long, jagged teeth. "Scrawny, but tasty. I'll finish her before this nonsense is over. "

He had barely taken a step toward the staircase when my body moved on its own and I found myself standing in front of her. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Roman doing the same, and at that moment, I was relieved he was there. I hadn't considered that I'd have to fight a Prince of Hell and protect her at the same time since I thought there'd be only one of them here.

Asmodeus blocked the other prince's path right before he descended the stairs.

"Now, now. This isn't your fight," he said when Mammon snarled at him, giant red wings shooting out of his back. "The rules are clear. Only one of us fights."

"She is not a challenger, she's food!" Mammon spat. "Come on, she's a witch. Even without a soul, she still has a lot of their power. It has been ages since I tasted divine flesh."

‘Divine?' Cyrus murmured, but I ignored him. If this wasn't Mammon's fight and Asmodeus stopped him, then who was going to face me today? Everyone else seemed more interested in their quarrel than in me.

"She is his by deal." Asmodeus let his hand fall, a rare smile pulling on his lips. "Kill her and he loses his power. That wouldn't make for an interesting fight, would it?" Mammon snorted, his dark eyes studying Celeste again as if he were trying to decide if she was worth the trouble. "We're all already here, so let's at least make it entertaining. It's been a while since Alastair got to spill some blood, so I'm sure he'll… give it his best."

‘Oh, shit!' Cyrus and I said at the same time, and to my surprise, Celeste echoed it. When I looked at her, she was staring at me with concern in her eyes.

I turned back at the sound of Alastair's voice, gathering all of my determination and shutting out everything else. I knew this was a possibility, but… why the fucking hell did it have to be him? I must have pissed off the Devil or something, because my luck had been abysmal as of late.

One thing was for certain, though. There would be no mercy if I failed. If he beat me, he was going to shatter my soul. I knew it. They knew it. That's why they were here, wasn't it?

"I don't care either way," Alastair said, moving past Mammon. The latter retreated with a bitter expression, dropping in his seat and grabbing the giant femur he had left on the stone table. There wasn't any meat left on it, so he started gnawing on the bone, his sharp teeth leaving deep marks over the pearly surface. "You have been playing with him for far too long, that's why he's so cocky. I don't plan on holding back."

"Maybe if you had shown up when you were supposed to fight, you could have ended this ages ago." Asmodeus crossed his arms and leaned on the wall, tearing his gaze away from the other prince and locking it on me. "You heard him, Beleth. He won't be holding back. I hope you'll give him at least the same courtesy." The cold threat that flashed in his eyes the last time I was here appeared again. "If you don't, I'll make sure your… companions suffer immensely before they die."

"Doesn't matter if he does. I have no intention of losing."

A few of the princes snickered, but I ignored them. They no longer mattered. It was only me and the Prince of Hate, the rest of Hell be damned.

By the time Alastair stepped onto the arena, the dark veins had spread to every part of his exposed skin, his eyes turning black from corner to corner. A pair of horns sprang from his head and I was sure the back of his robe was torn by the poisonous spikes he was rumored to have, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about wings. Unlike the other princes, he had been human once—his crown was what granted him his power, not a divine origin.

Thank Hell for small mercies.

"You can do this!" Celeste whispered, her fingers brushing over my back. Her hand was cold and sweaty, but it grounded me in a way no words ever had before.

"No more distractions." Belphegor jumped to her feet and Celeste yelped, her touch disappearing. I chanced a look back just as she and Roman were pinned against the stone wall, sinking halfway into it until their hands and legs were trapped in the surface that immediately hardened.

The vampire's eyes shone red as he fought against his constraints, but the wall only swallowed him deeper until he was almost fully inside. Realizing that, he froze, and so did the stone.

"No!" Celeste screamed, but she was smart enough not to move. "Let him go!"

Belphegor rolled her eyes, leaping from the platform and letting her gray wings carry her to Celeste's side. I held my breath when she landed beside the witch, leaning down until their faces were almost touching. My body moved on instinct again, and I took a step toward them, ready to charge. I'd barely turned halfway when I noticed Alastair's smile widening. Swallowing a curse, I forced my attention back to him .

"I'm simply putting the fragile things away, dear," Belphegor chuckled. "Stay still and quiet and this will be over before you know it. One way or another." Belphegor tapped Celeste's nose, giving her an almost friendly smile before looking at us. "Oh, do carry on. I'm just keeping them company. We wouldn't want them to be hit by a stray curse, would we?" She winked at me, then glanced at my opponent. "Come on, Alastair. I thought you said earlier that you'd wipe the floor with him. This place could use some cleaning."

Too busy staring at her, I didn't see his attack until it was almost too late. My shadows spread in front of me, forming a protective wall against the horror that shot out of his body, but the curse barreled through my defenses like they weren't even there. A long, thick chain slammed into my chest and the air whooshed out of my lungs as I collided with the wall. When the dust from my fall settled, Alastair was staring at me with a mix of disdain and annoyance.

"Pathetic," he spat, raising his hands again. Two chains shot from his torso this time, like extra limbs made from metal and flesh, tiny spikes sticking out from each link. I hadn't even noticed the latter until I rubbed my chest and found it sleek with blood. The burning it had left behind suggested that those were definitely cursed with something.

‘We shouldn't let them hit us again,' Cyrus whispered.

‘Thank you, Captain Obvious,' I spat back. ‘The thought didn't cross my mind!'

‘Don't be mean. Look out!'

I threw myself aside just as the chains rammed into the wall where I was standing seconds ago, creating spider web cracks all the way to the ceiling. By the time Alastair recalled them, I had sent my shadows after him. His face remained bored while he watched them approach and just as the first one was about to wrap around his neck, another chain shot from his chest.

I'd never wished for a different power than the one we gained after we made our first few deals. The shadows never failed me or came up short—not against the living or the undead, not even against other demons. But as that cursed weapon snuffed my darkness with laughable ease, something like fear crept inside my stomach. This… this had never happened before.

Another chain shot out, then a third and a fourth, catching my shadows and twisting them until the darkness sank into the metal links, defeated. I didn't even get close to his body to deal some damage. Even as I tried again and again, he saw them coming, and with a flick of his fingers, he snuffed them out.

In just a few minutes, I was gasping for breath, my chest burning from more than effort.

"Tsk." Asmodeus clicked his tongue loud enough for everyone to hear, even over the rattle of the chains retreating into Alastair's body. The princes were silent, watching us intently as if waiting for something.

Asmodeus' face tightened, his disapproving gaze making my skin crawl.

What was I doing wrong? I still had so much power and my control over the shadows was stronger than ever. I could make them do anything. So how were they so useless against Alastair? What else could I do?

‘What if Celeste was right?' Cyrus whispered while I took a step back, trying to decide what to do next. Alastair watched me like a predator that was about to go for the kill.

‘Shut up! Stop distracting me! ' I snarled back. He knew better than to talk when I was fighting. I couldn't afford to lose my focus, especially not now.

‘What if what Asmodeus said the last time really was advice?' Cyrus persisted like he didn't hear me . ‘What if he knew it would be Alastair's turn next, and he was giving you a clue about how to beat him?'

I snarled in frustration. Why would Asmodeus give me any clues about how to defeat one of their own? It made no sense!

‘The reason you keep failing is not the lack of strength, but the lack of resolve. You can't expect to gain something big without risking something of equal value,' Cyrus recited the words the demon prince had spoken, his voice thoughtful. His fear lingered, rooted deep in our mind, but for once, panic wasn't the only emotion he exuded. ‘But what could this mean against Alastair?'

I had no time to reply because another chain shot my way. The Prince of Hate had crossed his arms, most of his veins retreating to his hands like he thought he didn't even need his full power. One look at the other princes told me they were getting bored, except for Belphegor, who seemed too amused by her conversation with Celeste to even bother watching us.

‘I think it means…' Cyrus started when I finally got the chance to catch my breath.

‘... that I need to stop playing it safe.' I finished for him, cursing myself for being such an idiot.

My shadows slipped out of my body again, but instead of sending them Alastair's way, I held them close, willing them to form a long, curved blade in each of my hands. Asmodeus' lips curved upward, and I was almost sure he gave me an approving nod.

‘But how? We're already risking our lives!' Cyrus whispered, his desperation coiling in my gut.

‘Alastair… he relies on range attacks. His power does the work while his body stays safe. And since he is a lot stronger than lower demons, he can always win by exhausting them.' I took a step toward my opponent. His chains were lying on the ground beside him, but he hadn't moved like he could sense the shift in me. ‘I did the same when I first fought him, and I was doing it now. I could never match his power, so I lost. But… the thing is, those who go for ranged attacks are usually weak in close combat.' My fingers tightened on my blades and I grinned at my opponent. ‘But I'm not. I've been fighting in close combat in these trials for centuries. I can beat him there.'

Alastair moved the moment I broke into a sprint. The first chain missed my head more by luck than my skill; the second one, aimed at my feet, I redirected with my weapon, using it as a stepping stone for my jump. Eyes wide with surprise, he watched me soar, blades ready to slice him in half.

He dodged at the last possible second, but I nicked him over the cheek before landing in a crouch. I would have given myself a moment to gloat, but if there was one thing I learned in two thousand years, it was that when you fight, you make sure your opponent is dead before you celebrate.

Without giving him the chance to adjust, I attacked again, forcing him to concede step after step while my blows drew ever so close to his heart. Another chain shot from his abdomen, this one smaller and faster, but even though I evaded it, its spikes grazed my arm. I hissed as pain exploded from the wound, stronger than a puny cut like this warranted, but I had no time to dwell on that. I expected him to use the chance to turn the tables, but he retreated, drawing his weapons inside his body.

A smile crept onto my lips while I listened to them ring over the stone ground. Maybe he didn't charge because he couldn't . There seems to be a limit to how many chains he could send out at once because I hadn't seen more than four out at the same time. He also needed a few seconds to get them back inside his body so he could launch them again.

That was all I needed to know.

The veins on his hands had spread over his entire body again and there was a strange, emerald-green substance dripping from his mouth. The cut on his cheek was bleeding profusely, his cursed blood trickling onto the stones with a hiss.

I lunged toward him, determined not to give that fucker a chance to recharge. His foot slipped on the green puddle and he lost his balance, allowing one of my blades to sneak past his defenses and sink into his chest. I frowned, surprised by the stupid mistake, when I noticed the bone-chilling smile that pulled on his black lips.

"Fool," Alastair chuckled just as the chains erupted from his body again, one wrapping around the blade still sticking out of his body while the other one circled me. I let go of that weapon and tried to evade his, cursing as it followed me like a snake hunting its prey.

I angled my other sword to keep it away from me, wincing against the sparks that flew where metal met shadow, but the damn thing still tightened around my body, its tiny spikes sinking into my skin. Black veins sprawled from the spots where the spikes pierced me. I gritted my teeth to stop the scream of agony from coming out, but it was pointless. The pain dragged me under and before I knew it, I was running out of breath from all the shouting.

When I opened my eyes, the other chain was yanking my blade out of his chest, squeezing it so tight that the shadows were sucked into the metal again.

"Always go for the heart, isn't that what they say?" Alastair cackled. "I had mine moved ages ago. You'd have to cut me into teeny-tiny pieces if you want to find it." Another chain wrapped around me, with more spikes digging into my skin. The pain was like nothing I had felt before, so utterly consuming that, for a moment, I prayed I'd die. But then a voice echoed in my head, a familiar one that kept screaming something.

"...ight… ight… Fight!"

Celeste's high-pitched shriek blew away the fog in my mind and I sucked in a breath, wincing as my sight cleared. Goddamn loud woman.

"...don't think you'd be doing any of that, though," Alastair was just saying.

My body had slacked against his binds, head bobbing on my chest like a motherfucking loser. Of all the things that could take me down… I'd be damned if I let it be pain. Pain was what gave me life and brought us here today. He wasn't going to beat me with it .

The power slipped out of my grasp when I reached for it, like my hands were covered with something slimy. I tried again and again, but the only thing that changed was that more of his corruption spread through my veins. Throwing my head back, I screamed in rage, tossing and twisting in his trap while his cursed weapons spilled their poison in me.

I had failed. Even if I could summon my power, it wouldn't be enough. Not against this, not against him.

I waited for Celeste to yell at me again, but the cave was quiet. Had she given up too? Or had they killed her and that's why I couldn't get a grip on my power? I hadn't felt her die, but she was no longer trapped on the wall beside Roman, even though Belphegor was there, leaning beside him with her arms crossed.

Out of the blue, a bright light exploded just a few steps away from the demon prince, and even Alastair stopped to look. Standing in the middle of it, Celeste whispered something again and again, as if chanting a spell. For a moment, I wondered what she was trying to accomplish with this and why Belphegor was letting her interfere, but then all thoughts vanished when the glow in her hands seeped into her chest and her legs buckled.

Power flooded my veins, engulfing me in that same warm, gentle light she held and cleaning the disgusting slime that made it hard to move. It focused my vision and cleared my head until my whole body shook with unspent energy.

She hadn't been at full power even after she restored access to her magic with the Fae. She was strong, and she was alive, so that was the best I could hope for. But now… she was brewing with so much untapped magic that even the demon princes looked speechless.

Celeste raised her head, her eyes finding mine immediately.

"Finish him!" she snarled, her voice dripping with so much malice, I barely recognized it.

‘ Fucking witches! Of course, she had something up her sleeve, ' I smirked, holding her gaze before turning back to Alastair. His eyes were heavy with apprehension, but there was no fear on his face. If anything, he looked even more menacing, the black veins so thick, they looked ready to burst.

Good. I promised him my best.

I stopped struggling against the chains, closing my eyes instead. I dove deep into that well of power, swimming as the darkness grew darker and darker. Reaching the bottom had been easy over the centuries—she always got herself killed before she could rise to her peak—but right now… this wasn't a well, it was an ocean.

The shadows wrapped around me until it was impossible to tell where my body stopped, and they began. I had only done this once, but Celeste wasn't nearly as strong back then, and I had lost my vessel. Still, I had no choice now because losing this body was preferable to… the alternative.

The more I merged with them, the lighter the constraints around my vessel became. When the chain finally slipped through my incorporeal body, I sucked in a breath and smiled.

Alastair cursed as the metal clanked onto the floor, summoning his weapon back inside. When I reappeared, he retreated a step. My skin was tingling, and the pain had dulled, but I could feel the strain in each cell, the shadows eager to make me their own again.

Alastair bared his teeth at me.

"Neat trick. But running won't help you, just delay the inevitable."

I smirked as I raised my arms, urging my shadows to spread across the room.

"Who's running?" With a snap of my fingers, they dissolved into a mist, rushing to every corner of the cave until there wasn't a place that wasn't consumed by them. The light from the torches was swallowed by the darkness, the faint aura of each of the princes now contained within their bodies.

Alastair snarled in annoyance, and the sound of his chains coming out of his body made me focus my attention back to him. I could see clearly, despite the pitch black surrounding us, but judging by the way his eyes darted around, he couldn't.

"Come out, you coward!" Alastair shouted, green spit flying out of his mouth as he hurled one of his chains toward where I was standing. I sank back into the shadows.

The metal passed through me, slamming into the wall and cracking the stone. Alastair hissed when he realized he had missed, launching the rest of his weapons in different directions. The hint of panic that twisted his features made me smirk as I floated toward him.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The force of the impact made the cave shake like it was about to crumble. Alastair hissed again, throwing his hands up to summon his chains back. The demon princes had all risen to their feet, their eyes glowing bright red, but I wasn't sure if they could even see me. Alastair certainly couldn't.

Celeste was still kneeling on the floor, squeezing something in her hands. Roman's eyes, the only part of his body he could still move, kept darting left and right as if in search of her.Belphegor had pressed her back against the wall, her demonic features coming out like she was preparing to defend herself. Asmodeus smiled. Even Mammon and Satan seemed intrigued now.

And Alastair… his fear was the most delicious thing I had tasted in years.

His chains shot out again and again, aiming without a target, like he was hoping to hit me by chance. The dark veins on his body had become so thick, his skin had cracked in several places and more of that green substance was leaking out.

My steps made no sound as I circled him. I wasn't sure if I even had a body or if I was part of the shadows now, but I loved it. I had never felt this powerful, and it was intoxicating.

Another chain smashed into a stone wall, this one whooshing too close to Celeste's head.Rage flooded my body, and I commanded the shadows to release me.

"Thanks for letting me know how to kill you," I said from behind him, pouring all my hate and frustration into those words.

He whirled around, but it was too late. The blade that had formed in my hand sank into his gut, the bones, and muscles tearing with ease as he bared his teeth at me.

I smiled, repeating the words Celeste had said to me. "Finish him."

Tendrils of dark, hungry power wrapped around his arms and legs, pulling in all directions. He screamed, sending his cursed weapons through them, but even as they disintegrated, more shadows enveloped his chest, his torso, his neck. He thrashed, his rageful roar making the whole cave tremble, but that only made me laugh.

Delight filled my heart when the sound of his body ripping apart silenced his screams. His blood, putrid and burning like acid, splashed at my feet, but I ignored it, too focused on the crescendo of my victory. He burst like a ripe fruit, flesh, bones, and poison shooting everywhere. My shadows moved to protect me, making sure nothing touched Celeste either, and when the blood dripping from the ceiling was the only sound to be heard, I allowed the darkness to retreat to the corners .

The chamber was a gruesome mess. The only thing that wasn't covered in guts was Celeste and the ground around her. Even Belphegor had gore dribbling from her long blonde hair, and she didn't seem happy about it.

I smiled, despite the wave of nausea that washed over me the moment I released my power. I slid a hand over the wall to keep myself upright when Asmodeus descended the steps, his eyes locked on me. Picking a piece of skin from his shoulder, he dropped it on the ground, looking completely unbothered by the carnage around him.

Dread fought with the desire to scream in victory, but I showed him neither. Keeping my face blank and my back straight, I studied him for any hint of what he was planning to do. His expression was closed, body relaxed.

When he reached the spot where Alastair was standing before his fortunate demise, he bent down to scoop something from inside a pile of sizzling flesh. At first, I thought it was one of Alastair's chains, although it looked a bit too thin for that, but when he moved closer to me, I realized it was a crown. Dark, iron, and without any ornamentation except for its pointy edges, it held a single glowing rune in its dead center.

Hate , it said. Alastair's power.

Asmodeus raised the crown, and I tensed, but no matter how much I searched, I found no hostility in his gaze, no threat or anger. The room was so quiet, I could almost imagine it was just us. The rune blurred, changing to something else, but I didn't get the chanceto read it.

The demon prince deposited the crown on my head and my knees almost gave out under its weight. Fighting under the strain, I kept my chin up. His expression told me he knew the struggle.

"Congratulations, Prince of Pain. You're one of us now," he said and this time, my feet wobbled and it wasn't just because of the weakness spreading through my body.

I had done it. I had won. I had secured us power that would keep us strong and safe and…

"Unfaltering faith and resolve is what it takes to rule over others," Asmodeus said as he turned his back to me. I forced myself to focus on him, even though the edges of my vision were becoming blurry. "Lose that and you'd end up like him." He stepped on one of the pieces lying on the ground and the flesh squashed beneath him. He didn't so much as glance down.

"I never liked that piece of shit," Satan muttered, pulling the lapels of his jacket. With a single tug, all the gore disappeared from him. "He was always so full of himself." Eyes scanning the bloody chamber, he chuckled at his joke, then disappeared into the depths of the cave. The others followed. Belphegor was the last one to leave, looking at the limp strands of her hair with disgust before sending me a dirty look.

"You're paying for this!"

Once they were gone, I finally allowed myself to look at Celeste and Roman. She was trying to get the vampire out of the stone, her magic chopping it piece by piece. With a wave of my hand, the wall crumbled and Roman fell out, landing deftly in a crouch. Wrapping an arm around his waist, Celeste steadied him before turning her attention to me.

"Is it done?" she asked, her voice hoarse like she had been screaming for hours. Perspiration coated her brow and her hands shook, but she was unharmed. Unharmed and glowing with delicious power.

"Yes," I whispered.

Celeste stepped away from the vampire, and in the blink of an eye, she was running toward me. My first thought was that she'd embrace me, so I tried to dodge, but that's when I realized I was falling. She caught me right before I collapsed on the ground, grunting under my weight until Roman pulled me off her.

I looked down at my body, wincing at the sight of all those punctures over my flesh. As if the strain from merging with the shadows wasn't enough. With so many curses, I was lucky I wasn't already falling apart…

"Fuck," I grumbled, glaring at the bits and pieces of the demon scattered over the ground. "I wish he was alive so I could tear him apart again!"

"Can you get us back?" Roman asked, his fingers gripping my arm tighter. "I don't particularly want to carry you both through the stone serpents and the forest."

I thought about telling him to fuck off, but it felt like too much effort. Hoping my body would have enough strength to get us to safety, I caught Celeste's shoulder and pictured Roman's mansion.

The cave disappeared and Celeste's sharp gasp was the last thing I heard before we landed in a big, bright room and my knees buckled. They caught me, holding me between them like a weak child. I tried to steady myself and pull away, but they only gripped me harder .

"Isn't he a Prince of Hell now?" Roman asked with an exasperated sigh, but even I could feel the tension in his voice. The burning in my veins had returned, no longer suppressed by the adrenalin and the power rushing through them before. "Wasn't he supposed to be stronger, not weaker?"

"I don't know! I'm not that adept in Hell politics," Celeste shot back. "But if I have to guess, it probably has something to do with the fact that his body was cursed over twenty times. It's a miracle his vessel is still in one piece!"

"I don't care about his body, let him go back to Hell. Your deal with him is done, he can—"

"You're back!" a familiar voice spoke and Roman and Celeste finally stopped arguing like I wasn't there. I managed to lift my head just as Malakai appeared in front of us, staring at me with a horrified expression.

"What happened to him?" he gasped, reaching toward me but stopping just short of touching. His gaze lingered on something on my chest, and his throat bobbed.

"We won," I groaned. I waited for the triumphant feeling from before to return, but all I could feel was pain. Pain and burning.

Malakai blinked in surprise, but then he smiled tightly.

"Of course you did," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now let's get that poison out and you can tell me all about it."

I nodded, too tired to speak, and tried to take a step toward him. Roman finally let me go, but Celeste's hands lingered until Malakai wrapped his arms around me and picked me up. The thought that this was too fucking embarrassing crossed my mind, but then it was gone, devoured by the flames that had spread everywhere.

My head fell on his shoulder while he walked with a quick, purposeful step. The world swirled in and out of focus, and another thought filled my head.

I hadn't heard Cyrus speak for a while.

I tried to call him, but even in my mind, it felt like I had no strength to make a sound. So I did something I hadn't done in centuries. I slept.