Luc’s fire sparked. “You really trust me with this?”
“I do. Now, lead the way.”
The outer gatewaywas unnaturally silent. The stillness should have been unnerving, but it wasn’t. It was calm brought to life, an emotion turned physical.
Luc had been in the gateway once before, but hadn’t stopped to take it in. Screams of rage had followed him out of the Eternal Realm. He’d flown from the council’s wrath as fast as he could, gladly leaving the half-realm behind without a backward glance.
Today, he led their group through the mist and over a rolling field, warily taking it in. All Luc could see was the grass below. It swayed without the help of any wind, creating a soothing shift of undulating greens while the distance remained shrouded in white fog.
As they moved, the mist parted, becoming thinner and revealing more of what lay ahead, but never clearing enough to give a wider sense of their surroundings. Magic fizzled in the air.It guided Luc along with each wing stroke and prevented him from veering off in any other direction.
“We’re so close to home,” Ash murmured. “I can feel it.”
“Me too,” Onyx whispered back. “It’s familiar even after all this time.”
A strong pull tugged on Luc’s chest. Unlike the mating connection, which was as much a part of him as his wings or eternal fire, this pull was external.
The magic of the gateway wasn’t the only thing guiding him. The Eternal Realm was beckoning. Home called.
All the demons must have felt it, but what about Rowan and his followers?
Luc glanced over his shoulder at Valac and Rowan. It was impossible to tell what the vampire was thinking with his impassive face, but he didn’t seem to be having any adverse reaction to leaving the Human Realm. Catalina also seemed fine.
Finding the half-realm might not be possible without eternal magic—or the magic of a human soul unbound from its body—but the gateway didn’t seem to be harmful to living, non-Eternal beings. Rowan and Catalina seemed to belong here as much as they belonged on Earth.
A low, melodic hum caught Luc’s ear, steadily growing louder until it became a pleasant background melody. The tugging on Luc’s soul seemed to pulse in time with the sound, the two feeding off each other and amplifying his urge to move forward.
To get closer.
Beside him, Onyx rubbed his chest. “It sucks being this close. Fuck, I knew it would be hard, but somehow, not like this.”
Luc had never truly missed home. He hadn’t considered the Eternal Realm home in two thousand years. Being banned enragedhim on principle, but returning had never been the plan. Even when he’d believed he’d failed and would never find his mate, Luc hadn’t longed for ‘home.’ How could he long for such a controlling place?
Onyx wasn’t the same. He’d never wanted to leave, and still, he’d chosen to stand at Luc’s side.
Luc brushed Onyx’s wing with an outstretched hand. “I’m here for you no matter how hard it is. You can do this.”
Onyx’s cheeks flushed—rosy rather than lavender since his horns were hidden—and a tiny smile pulled at his lips. They stared at each other for a long moment. Onyx cleared his throat. “I know.”
“Good.” Luc’s heart clenched, and he flew on.
In the distance, an archway became visible, its gray stone glimmering in the sun. The mist cleared, and a winged figure appeared beneath.
“Stop!” the Eternal’s voice rang out, echoing as if they stood in a vast cavern rather than an open field.
Luc flew forward until he was close enough to see who it was. “Hollis, we’re here to speak to the council.”
The Eternal, Hollis, growled. He was tall and slim, his green wings in perfect complement to the grass surrounding them. Gray-green horns stood tall in his black hair. “Lucifer. Here, after all this time. Leave now.”
Luc landed, and everyone else followed suit. Onyx, Ash, and Dante stood closest, at his side as if they’d never left it. Ren, Lillian, and Maxwell crowded behind, obscuring Valac and their unexpected guests, who were hidden by illusions.
Hollis marched forward, leaving the gateway. Not that it was unguarded. Even if they overpowered Hollis, none of them would get through. Magic sealed the Eternal Realm from everything outside it.
Luc met Hollis halfway. “I can’t leave until I speak to thecouncil. I’m not here to demand entrance. All I ask is that you call a representative to talk with us.”
“What good will that do? You shouldn’t be here at all.” Hollis’s stern features pulled tight, and he glanced around, warily taking in their group. Was he nervous? Afraid?
Hollis hadn’t been a close companion of Luc’s, but they’d known each other and been friendly. His presence at the gate was better luck than if any other guardian had greeted them.
