If Hell magnified pain, did that mean I was in heaven?
I better not be. Not without my demon.
I spun in a circle, taking in the scene. The explosion had blasted me deep into the tree line. I peered up where the silver moon shone through the canopy, the leafless branches forming a disjointed lattice, like skeletal arms outstretched, longing for an embrace that would never come.
All around me, the world shimmered with an unnatural chill. Silvery frost coated the trees closest to the clearing, their bark fractured with icy scars, as if they'd suffered frostbite in the heat of a wildfire. Crystalline rime coated patches of the ground, shimmering pale blue in the diffused, post-magic light. Even the brush looked brittle, its leaves curled and edged in frosty white.
As I stepped forward, twigs snapped beneath my feet with a weird, glassy crunch, the strange aftermath of goddess power and soul bond-weaving leaving a winter’s mark in the midst of a scorched landscape.
Unnatural didn’t even begin to describe it. And the way my body had recovered from a blast that powerful…? This had to be Hecate’s doing.
I checked to make sure all my body parts were in the right place…and properly covered…before pacing toward the clearing. The moment I broke through the tree line, my heart leaped into my throat before taking a swim in my stomach.
All three demons lay prone, unmoving on the ground.
“Discord!” I raced to his side, my perception of the world around me disappearing, my focus tunneling until he and I were the only people in the universe. “Please tell me you’re okay.”
He rolled to his back and blinked rapidly before gasping and sitting upright. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he fisted his hands, his nostrils flaring as a dozen different emotions played on his features.
I dropped to my knees, hands trembling, and I reached for him. For a heart-stopping moment, he didn’t seem to recognize me. More confusion flickered in his eyes, then recognition, and finally, he smiled.
A tidal wave of relief crashed through me, and tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I pressed my forehead to his. “You scared me half to death.”
His fingers found mine, gripping tightly…alive, warm, undeniably real. For the first time since the blast, hope returned, fierce and bright, thawing the lingering chill inside me.
“How am I still here?” He searched my eyes, as if he could find the answer there.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I choked on a sob. “I don’t know, but you are. You’re here.”
I flung my arms around him, crawling into his lap and kissing him, drinking him in like he was the last drop of water on Earth. His skin felt warm, feverish, and as he held me, tangling his tongue with mine, his wounds began to heal. I clutched his shoulders, clinging to him as if I were afraid he’d disappear if I let him go.
No, not as if.
I literally was afraid to let him go. I hadn’t seen Hecate or heard Lucifer’s voice since the ritual ended, but if they wanted to drag my demon to Hell, they’d have to kill me first.
Discord pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his gaze wonderous and intense. He ran a hand through my hair, his fingers catching on a tangle before lingering on my neck as if he still doubted I was real.
“I thought the explosion sent me back,” he whispered, his voice rough. “I thought I lost you.”
“You didn’t. You never will.” I leaned into his touch, my heart finally slowing to a normal rhythm. “You’re my soulmate. Now and forever.”
He blew out a hard breath, tugging me to his chest, his arms creating a protective cage around me, and I knew that he would make certain he never lost me. Not to Hecate or Lucifer. Not to any beastie I might battle. Not to anything.
We sat there holding each other for a minute or two before the rest of the world began slipping back into my mind. I looked around the clearing. The air smelled faintly of sulfur and burnt wood, and the violent vibration of the shredding veil had been replaced by a heavy, profound silence.
We’d done it. We’d mended the world.
I brushed a kiss to his lips and stood, offering him a hand up. He accepted, rising to his feet and keeping my hand locked in his.
“Ember? Ash?” My voice cracked.
“Over here.” Ash sat on the frost-covered grass near a fallen, scorched pine, her head resting on Chaos’s shoulder as he held her tightly. A few yards away, Ember stood with Mayhem. She leaned against his chest, her eyes closed while he stroked her hair with a tenderness that made my chest ache.
Miles and Shade stood at the edge of the clearing, their expressions incredulous and full of wonder, and Patrice stood several feet away from them, her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her.
The knot in my chest loosened. Everyone was alive.
No, not everyone.
