Discord didn’t hesitate. He tightened his grip, and with a sickening crunch, he crushed her neck. Seraphine went limp in his hands. He held her for a moment longer, tightening his hold even more before letting her drop to the floor in a heap.
She crumbled into ashes, obliterated, and silence fell over the arena, heavy and suffocating.
Then, a slow, sarcastic clap echoed from above.
I looked up to see Lucifer standing at the edge of his platform, looking down at us with a mixture of amusement and cold fury.
“Bravo,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “A touching display of teamwork. But you seem to have forgotten something.”
He vaulted over the railing, landing on the arena floor with the grace of a cat. The ground cracked beneath his boots as he straightened, his eyes glowing with hellfire.
“There’s a price on your heads, and it’s time to pay.”
3
EMBER
With the containment spell activated and the wards set, I stumbled backward and sat on the edge of Ash’s desk. Chaos leaned against the door, resting his hand against it, no doubt sending as much calming energy into my sister as he could.
“How could you do this to me?” Her voice was shrill, and she banged against the door, calling me a string of names I don’t dare repeat. “You can’t bind the magic I just developed. You’re worse than mom. You’re a monster!”
Bang, bang, bang.
“C’mon, Em.” She softened her voice. “Let me out. I promise I’ll behave.”
“I can’t do that, Ash.”
Bang, bang, thud. “You bitch!”
My chest pinched, and my stomach soured at her tirade. Truthfully, I hadn’t bound her magic. I’d only created a ward, so whatever fire she shot or spell she tried to cast wouldn’t make it past the closet door. The fact still didn’t ease my guilt.
“You are doing the right thing.” Mayhem took my hand, sandwiching it between both of his. “Chaos will steady her while we summon Discord. It will all be over soon.”
My heart tumbled into my churning stomach. He was right. It would all be over soon…including my relationship with my soulmate.
I swallowed hard and nodded, refusing to allow the tears that threatened to gather in my eyes. “Yeah. I know. I guess we should get started.”
“Miles planned to bring Shade here when Patrice finished her healing session,” Chaos said. “They should be arriving soon.”
“Okay.” I rose to my feet and led Mayhem into the studio where the circle waited, primed and ready for the last demon I would ever summon. I took in the table, the grimoires, Ash’s tattoo equipment…everything that would still be here when things went back to normal…and all of my energy drained out with my heavy sigh.
“I love you, Ember.” Mayhem swept me into his arms as if reading my mind. “No matter the outcome, I will love you with every breath I take for the rest of my existence.”
I smiled sadly. “You’re always so good with words.”
“My actions are even better.” He crushed his mouth to mine with a passion that said he knew this could be our final kiss.
I opened to him, tangling my tongue with his as I melted into his embrace one last time. Sadness and longing tightened my chest, and tears stung my eyes, duty warring with desire in my soul.
I loved him.
Hecate knew how, but this difficult, obstinate, infuriating man had broken down my heart walls and made me feel things I never knew I was capable of feeling. True, romantic, unconditional love.
And I was about to lose him forever.
I knew this would happen. I had known since day one that he would return to Hell, and I would have to stay here…yet I’d allowed myself to fall for him anyway. I was an idiot, and now, I was about to pay the price for my folly. Hopefully, I would survive the aftermath, but at this point…I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
A knock sounded on the open door, and Miles cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”
