When they reached his throne, Dante settled into the marble seat. The thief took her position six feet to his right. Close enough to be clearly under his protection, far enough to avoid triggering proximity warnings.
In centuries of these meetings, none of them had ever brought a mortal.
"Brother Dante," Caelum called out warmly from his throne, white robes pooling around him. "How good of you to join us. And you brought your tribute. Excellent. Her circumstances could prove invaluable to our discussions."
The way he said "your tribute" carried emphasis, though his tone remained cordial.
His shadows thickened around his throne. "You said it was urgent."
"Indeed." Caelum's expression grew grave. "But let us not ignore our manners. Lady Seraphina, I believe you remember our brother's... advisor?"
From her throne of bound weapons, Seraphina leaned forward with interest. Her crimson hair caught the light, and the razor wire binding it glinted. "The little thief who wasn't afraid of The Reaper. I remember you from the ceremony."
"Lady Seraphina," the thief replied with a nod.
No tremor. No hesitation. Facing down a Death Lord who could tear her apart with bare hands, and she sounded like she was negotiating market prices.
"Still alive after a week in the Forsaken domain," Seraphina observed with something that might have been approval. "That's more than most manage. Tell me, girl. What's your secret?"
Before the thief could answer, Vex interjected with amusement. "Oh, I think we can all see what her secret is." He leaned back in his crystallized wine throne, dark eyes glittering with pleasure. "How fascinating that our Reaper has developed protective instincts. Tell me, little mortal, what hold do you have over the Lord of the Forsaken?"
Dante's shadows flared around his throne. Frost spread across the floor beneath his feet as the temperature dropped ten degrees in an instant.
"Lord Vex," he said, voice carrying warning.
The threat only seemed to delight Vex further. "Come now, brother. Surely there's no harm in curiosity? It's simply so rare to see you take a personal interest in anything." His smile turned sharp. "Or anyone."
"The girl shows promise," Dante said flatly, forcing his voice emotionless. "Nothing more."
"Promise," Vex repeated, tasting the word like wine. "How deliciously ambiguous. Promise for what, I wonder?"
Dante's hands flexed at his sides. His shadows writhed around his throne, frost patterns spreading outward in fractals. He was seconds from doing something he wouldn't be able to take back.
Before the situation could escalate further, Lady Thessa spoke for the first time. "The threads around her are unusual," she said in her whisper, tilting her head as if listening to sounds only she could hear. Her translucent form flickered between solid and ethereal as she studied the thief with intensity.
"Meaning?" Caelum asked gently, though Dante caught the sharp interest beneath his tone.
"Meaning the threads around her shimmer differently than most mortals." Thessa's pale eyes remained fixed on the thief. "Past andfuture tangled in her presence. Whether that's significant or merely curious remains to be seen."
An uncomfortable silence followed. Dante's shadows shifted, responding to his unease at having the thief scrutinized so closely by beings whose motives he couldn't fully read.
The thief, to her credit, met Thessa's unnerving stare without flinching. "I'm here to assist with whatever emergency brought this council together, my lady. Nothing more."
"Are you?" Thessa's smile was both sad and knowing. "How refreshingly direct. Though I wonder if you understand what forces have drawn you here."
"Enough riddles," Seraphina cut in with bluntness. "If the girl has unusual circumstances, let's understand what they are. If she's here to help, put her to use. Standing around speculating serves no purpose."
"Such a direct approach," Vex murmured appreciatively. "Though I do wonder what useful purpose a mortal tribute might serve in matters concerning immortal realms."
Dante's shadows shifted at the dismissive tone. The frost around his throne spread another foot.
But before he could respond, Caelum intervened smoothly.
"Brothers, sisters," he said, voice cutting through tension. "Perhaps we should address why I called this emergency council." He gestured gracefully toward the center of the star. "We have a crisis that affects all our domains. Shall we discuss what each of us has observed?"
Dante forced his shadows to settle. "Very well. What crisis?"
Caelum leaned forward in his marble throne, expression troubled. "Ward-locks failing across multiple domains. I've experienced... concerning losses in my realm."
