18. Chapter Eighteen

Lori was back from wherever Mordecai was hiding her. The mark was humming now, and I could feel the bond between us getting stronger with every passing moment. I called Darius into my office and waited for the large demon to step into the room.

“Yes, your majesty?” he said in his low rasp of a voice.

“I’m going topside, and I need you to come with me.”

He went to say something, then paused. “Very good, your majesty.”

I heaved a sigh. “What is it, Darius?”

He’d been by my side for centuries and I had always trusted his judgment. Even if his words weren’t always welcome.

“I don’t think it’s wise.”

“Really?”

“You’ve only just come back, after nearly losing the wards that protected the Underworld. I understand that you love this woman, and you aim to make her your Queen, but I don’t think leaving Hell right now would be wise.”

I stepped towards him and felt frustration and longing bubbling to life under my skin. “I hear you, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is everything to me. So, let me get this clear. If it came between her and burning the world, I’d choose her. Every single time.”

“At the cost of everyone else?” he asked with a raised brow.

“To be honest, if I ever truly lost her, I’d probably burn everything anyway.” Which was true. I’d end up in an all-consuming hellfire rage and I would probably end up destroying a lot of things.

Darius snorted. “Looks like we’re going topside then.”

I nodded. “Good. Come on, I can feel something lingering in the air.”

“Good or bad?”

“Unclear. But it feels like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Not great then,” Darius mused as he fell into step beside me.

I headed towards portal room. I didn’t need them as I had the ability to transport myself wherever I wanted, but Darius couldn’t do that. So, a portal it was. I nodded to the Portal Keeper as I entered the room. He was a wizened old thing, barely standing on his feet. He looked one small breeze away from his demise.

“Topside. As close as you can get to the Conclave.” I couldn’t portal directly into the Conclave as it was protected with a number of complex wards and spells. It would kind of defeat the object of it being a safe haven if anyone could just wander in.

“Yes, your majesty,” the Portal Keeper replied, his voice dry and wheezy. He banged his staff on the ground and the stone arch glowed blue with magic runes.

Then I stepped through and felt the world lurch before disappearing altogether.

Istepped out onto cold damp earth beneath the foot of the mountain that overshadowed the Conclave. The bond I shared with Lori practically vibrated through me. She must not be far away. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focussing on our bond and following our connection like a piece of string.

“This way,” I shouted to Darius, heading off towards the mountain. There was nothing there but the vault and extra holding cells. What the Hell was she doing there?

My feet picked up speed. I could hear Darius behind me, his boots crushing the undergrowth as we headed towards the mountain. The boundary wards brushed my skin as I crossed them, an unpleasant sensation but at least I could get in.

There were two figures, heads together, strolling along the edge of the mountain. I couldn’t see her clearly, but I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that was my Lori.

“Lori!” I shouted.

She paused and turned this way and fuck, my heart leaped in my chest. Too long I had been without her, too long I had missed her touch, her kiss. I snapped my wings out and flew the short distance just to reach her quicker. I scooped her into my arms and sped into the sky. The sharp burst of her laughter lifted my heart, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her as close to me as I possibly could.

I landed at the top of the mountain, far away from prying eyes just so I could have a moment without anyone interrupting us. Our bond snapped instantly back into place, pulling us together until my lips closed the few inches to hers. Hell, how much I had missed the taste of her. Her lips were soft beneath mine and a low moan rumbled out of me.

Her tongue pushed past my lips with little resistance, and I tightened my fingers around her hips, walking her backwards until her back hit the rocky wall behind her. Fuck, I never wanted this kiss to end.

Her hands ran up my back to where my wings protruded, causing another groan when her fingers brushed my sensitive feathers. I could feel that touch all the way down to my cock. My foot slipped between hers and she widened her legs, giving me space to get even closer. I nestled my hips against hers and loved the gasp that escaped her lips.

“Hi,” she said breathlessly.

“Hi.” I rested my forehead against hers and just breathed in our connection for a minute. Now that she was here in front of me, I felt settled and content. Like I was finally whole again.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Honestly,” she said, looking at the ground, “I’m angry and hurt. He took something from me. He took my choice away and now he’s making me—”

She broke off in a scream and doubled over in pain. “Lori!”

I could feel her pain through the bond because we were one heart and soul. What she felt, so did I and vice versa. There was an intense stabbing pain in my lower gut, like someone had thrust a knife in there and was rearranging my insides.

Her fingers dug into my arms as I held her until whatever this was had passed. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.”

She’d gone pale. Well, paler than she was. Her eyes looked dull, and her body trembled.

“Mordecai had Selene cast a spell.”

“What kind of spell?”

She shook her head and mimed zipping her lips.

That motherfucker! “A spell of silence?”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“It’s a spell that removes your ability to say certain things. I’m guessing so you can’t blab about his plans. It shouldn’t cause pain though.”

Lori’s mouth turned down in a grimace. “Oh, that was all Selene.”

“I’ll have their heads. I’ll slice their skin from their bones and—”

Lori placed her hand over my mouth, silencing me. “Save the violence for later, love.”

My anger instantly melted at her words, and I nipped at her fingers.

“Hey!” she said with a soft laugh. “I bet I can bite better than you now.”

I instantly sobered, reminded of the horrible thing Mordecai had done. How could I have created something that could cause so much pain. So much trauma. “I’m sorry he did this to you, Lori.”

She looked away, and, whilst I felt her anger and pain, there was also an undercurrent of shame.

“It’s not your fault, Lori.”

“I know,” she said softly. “Doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.”

“We will make him pay for this; I promise you.” And I would. I wasn’t going to rest until he was back in the Pit begging for mercy.

“I know we will. And don’t worry, first chance I get, I’m going chop his dick off and shove it down his fucking throat,” she said with venom. Fire erupted in her eyes and her canines elongated. Damn, but she was beautiful. All seething rage and fiery passion.

I captured her mouth, just to get a taste of her anger. I forced her lips wide and thrust my tongue inside. There was a sting as I caught my tongue on one of her fangs, but I couldn’t care less. I wanted more, to strip her bare and fuck her against—

She pulled away from me and retched, spitting my blood onto the ground. She retched again.

Oh, no.

Oh, fuck!

“You’re still in your first thirst?” Panic cut through me like a goddamn knife. “Where is he? Is he here?”

She shook her head as she stood back up, dragging the back of her hand over her mouth.

“How long have you got until you need to feed again?”

“I don’t know.” She grimaced. “Probably not long.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are you doing near the vault?”

“I can’t say.”

Right, the spell. Fucking Mordecai. My Hellfire was starting to bubble in my veins, and I needed to rein it in. My rage wasn’t going to help anyone right now and I needed to figure out what Lori and Iver were doing at the vault. Clearly stealing something, but what? Whatever it was, I knew I wasn’t going back to the Underworld any time soon.

“I’ll help you steal it.”