I raised my hand and stroked his soft mane. “It’s a deal. Visit whenever you like. But for now, look after Kyla, okay?”
He nuzzled my neck, nudged Evie playfully, and then trotted after the wolves.
“I’m moving out of the tower when I get back,” Evie announced as we watched them go.
I got to my feet and blinked at her. I hadn’t expected her to stay in the underworld, although a small part of me had hoped… “Why?”
“I need my own space.” Her expression was stubborn, and I tamped down the hurt that instantly rose.
“We won’t be visiting for a few weeks, and even then, we won’t stay for long,” I said carefully. “You’d have the penthouse to yourself.”
While we would be returning to Durham periodically, and my goal was eventually to be able to live there part time, for now we had too much to do in the underworld to leave for long.
Evie glanced at me. And she must have seen the hurt because she rolled her eyes, throwing her arm around my shoulders.
“I love you, but I know damn well you’d have all the demons in that tower watching over me. I need… freedom, Dani. I’ve never lived alone, never had to buy cheap, crappy furniture and go to work to pay the bills.”
Her face lit up in a way I couldn’t understand, given that I’d eked out that exact existence. It definitely hadn’t been anything to write home about. And yet, I got it. She wanted independence for the first time in her life.
“I’d offer you my apartment, but Rose is still staying.”
She shrugged. “I’m going to find my own place. But I want to work for you.”
I glanced around and she laughed. “Not here. I know you, and I know you’re not going to close your business. You’ll try to do it all, and you’ll burn yourself out. You and Samael will argue, you’ll get drunk at Meredith’s, and then you’ll finally have to admit that it was always ridiculous to think the queen of the underworld would be able to dabble as a private investigator slash bounty hunter.”
I scowled at her. Then I burst out laughing. “You asshole. You want to take over.”
She shook her head. “No, but I want to help you create something while I figure out what I want to do. Besides, I need a flexible job that keeps money coming in while I hunt down the assholes who call themselves Humans for Equality. Equality,” she snorted. “Can you believe that shit?”
I’d told her everything Keigan had said, and we’d both held each other and cried. But fear flashed through me at the thought of Evie in another realm, going after killers without me.
I blew out a long breath. “Two conditions.”
She frowned at me, but I gave her a look that said my conditions were non-negotiable.
“What conditions?”
“I want you to train with Edward. Even just for a month or two.”
Interest flickered in her eyes. “You think he’ll do it?”
“He will if it means I owe him a favor. I don’t want you relying on your power, Evie, especially since you don’t really know how that power works, or even what it is. You’re fast, and you can shoot, but you need more training.”
Evie mulled it over for a moment, but finally shrugged.
“Fine. What’s your other condition?”
“You keep Kyla on. When she’s… feeling better.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Duh. We’ve already talked about it. Well, I talked, and she nodded, so it’s a done deal.”
My eyes heated, and I blinked several times. If anyone could help Kyla regain her humanity, it was Evie. And if I was feeling theslightestFOMO, I would get over it.
I’d made my deal with the underworld, right before it had given Samael back his powers.
It showed me a vision of myself, sitting on an obsidian throne, a crown on my head. Samael sat beside me on his own throne, but the underworld had been clear. I was to stay and rule this place. It had also communicated a few things to me: Lucifer had made an agreement with the underworld all those centuries ago, but he hadn’t kept to his side of the bargain. He’d been doing everything he could to lose his tie to the underworld while still keeping Samael powerless.
The underworld had been watching. It made that much obvious by the glimpses it showed me of myself, and everything I’d done since I’d arrived here. I sure as shit hadn’t been my best self, but the underworld had decided I had more honor and integrity than Lucifer.
