He seems to choose his next words more carefully, not referring to the royals as my siblings. “You may be safe from the soldiers, but not from youropponents. Once the Purification is over, they will find any way to hurt you if they have the chance.”
He exhales a slow, considered breath. “From now on, keep your focus wide. You’re dealing with elite demons, not the low-level scum you’re used to fighting Earthside. The royals were raised on games and taught to crave power. What you see in this world is frequently an illusion. Always consider what youdon’tsee.”
My forehead creases and my lips are pressed so closely together that I’m sure they’re bloodless now.
The royals had collected their horses and now ride ahead of us. Koda is the only one who is on foot and he gives the others a wide berth, walking alone at the far side of the bridge. Every now and then, the royals on horseback swivel in their seats to stare at Roman and me—all except Esta, who edges toward Koda but doesn’t ride too close to him.
The ones directly ahead of me are Arga and the two males whose hair are burnt orange and grass-green. If I had to guess, I’d say they were the oldest three siblings—although the female with the navy-blue hair looks like she could be one of the older ones, too. Their eyes narrow as they watch the way Roman leans in to me, and the tension grows around us.
Roman is clearly a law unto himself—a demon apart—but I’m not sure exactly of his place in the Underworld. Arga said that the Demon King had gifted all of Hell’s beasts to Roman in exchange for Roman’s promise not to challenge him for the throne, so it would seem that Roman is strong enough to be a threat to whoever rules this world.
And yet, here he is, standing beside me, not them.
Up ahead, Crone floats up from the ground to glide in the air alongside Arga. She leans in to whisper into his ear.
He glances back at me. The angry flush vanishes from his cheeks while he listens to her. A smile creeps across his face that makes me shudder.
I have enemies everywhere.
Roman draws my attention back to himself, his voice a compelling rumble. “Remember what I told you, Nova,” he says. “Fear is your friend.”
Despite my distrust, the connection between him and me is still so undeniably strong that the threat of Arga suddenly diminishes in the force of the danger that Roman poses to me.
No matter how much the royals could hurt me, Roman could hurt me more.
CHAPTERFIVE
The misty end of the bridge looms ahead of us and I don’t know what dangers await within and beyond it. It seems we have no choice but to pass through it because the soldiers push us in that direction.
The royals ride straight into the white fog, their backs straight, focusing forward now. I’m surprised when Esta dismounts, hands her horse’s reins to the nearest soldier, and pauses at the side of the bridge. Koda adjusts his path to veer around her, but she reaches out and snags his arm. He tenses up, but they’re too far away, and the magic around the bridge is too heavy for me to hear what they say to each other.
Then Koda disappears into the mist and Esta turns in our direction.
When we draw closer, I can see that her eyes are glistening, but she holds her head high and seems to shake off whatever emotion she was feeling.
“Let me through,” she orders the soldiers, who immediately stop walking and part to allow her to enter our inner circle. My demon wolves are not so accommodating, glancing at me for directions while Esta waits patiently, folding her hands in front of her.
I’m still getting a handle on all of the royals, but Esta is the only one who has demonstrated any shred of civility so far. She’s certainly the least threatening of the royals.
“It’s okay,” I say to Ace, who growls in response, his teeth bared more viciously than I was expecting. My wolves can’t communicate with me, but they understand what’s going on around them, and he’ll know that this demon will be my opponent in the Elimination.
When my wolves create a gap large enough for Esta to step through, she turns her attention to Roman. “Lord Rune, if I may speak with my sister?”
He gives her a nod and backs off—but only a few paces. I get the feeling that if he weren’t sticking around, the soldiers might treat us more roughly, given the angry glares they continue to cast at us, the way their hands twitch and the sharp tips of their weapons are tilted toward us.
Esta finally steps into our inner circle, and I take note of the way the soldiers carefully point their weapons upward again—away from her.
“This must all feel very unwelcome to you,” she says to me, her voice soft and her big, blue eyes glistening again. “Especially for your family’s safety to be threatened.”
Unwelcomeis an understatement. The time I’ve spent in the Underworld so far has consisted of this crystal bridge, tension with demon assholes whom I really wish I’d never met, and a battle that has once again left me beaten and bruised. Still, I’m taking my wins. The fact that my sisters are alive—and I have a chance to keep them that way—keeps me focused.
Esta startles me when she says, “I’m sorry this is happening to you.”
Taniya side-eyes Esta with all the distrust that I would expect from my harpy sister, but Malia has never been able to turn away from a kind word or gesture. A fact that keeps my protective instincts high. Malia isn’t stupid, but others can take advantage of her empathy.
She gives Esta a brief smile, but I’m less obliging.
“Why would you be sorry?” I ask bluntly. “You don’t know me.”
