Chapter 22
“This is it,”Riley said, slowing down in the corridor deep beneath the fortress later that evening. He nodded to the massive black door in front of them, safeguarded by two enormous, seven-foot-tall demons.
Týr rubbed his shaven jaw but remained silent. Not like Wrath would need defending. Only an idiot would take on a primordial being.
Since his return from the outskirts of Stygia, he’d been in a really bad place and merely went through the motions of dressing and getting ready. Now, he locked out his past, along with his terrifying destruction of those shit-stirring demons earlier. This evening was about Kira.
“Enter after I take my seat,” Riley said, his gaze softening when he glanced at Kira. “Rules must be followed.”
“I’ll be fine. I have Týr,” she murmured. The hand she’d secured through the crook of his arm tightened fractionally as the mammoth doors swung open.
Riley nodded and strode off to one of the three empty seats at the opposite end of the long table set on a raised dais where Wrath and his demon allies sat.
A pin drop could be heard as Týr and Kira entered the enormous hall lit by a shitload of torches. Thousands of eerie-colored eyes swiveled to them like bouncing lights. Týr ignored the demons, examining the inside of the vast, great hall instead. Mounted on the walls between the crimson and charcoal-gray drapes were tapestry-like artworks depicting brutal, bloody battles.
Despite the gory artwork, the place laid out for the celebration had been lavishly decked out. Gray and red-draped tables groaned with food that looked reasonably edible…but from the far back of the enormous place, the coppery odor of fresh blood drifted to him.
Shit, better not think about that or wonder what their menu was like.
Kira inhaled deeply, her blunt nails biting into his arm as if sensing what he did.
He glanced at her. She cast him a quick look and grimaced, fidgeting with the narrow, black tiara embedded with blood-red stones, gleaming as if they were on fire—a gift her sire had sent to her.
Her sheer inner strength shone through those hazel eyes that he adored as she took in the place with wide-eyed wariness—a strength that anchored him. She was impossibly lovely. Her auburn hair swayed down her back in spirals, the way he liked it. Untethered. And as free as her giving soul.
For the presentation, she wore a fitted, blood-red outfit—Wrath’s colors, apparently. The shade was a striking contrast to her skin, which bore a richer tan from being in this hot place. The sleeveless top of the gown molded to her tempting breasts, and the long skirt hugged her hips before flowing to her ankles.
As much as he loved her sultry appearance, the eyes of every damn demon male watched her like she was a feast. It set Týr’s teeth on edge. His cold look made his intentions known. He would kill anyone who thought to come after her.
Týr helped her up the dais and led her to their seats at the long table where Riley waited.
Wrath nodded, and the meal commenced. The sounds of cutlery clinking against china filled the hall, along with chatter. Riley explained what the foods were, but Týr barely paid him any mind. Never in his life had he seen this many species of demons in one place, with every stare nailed on them. It corroded his gut. The urge to leave grew. But who the hell went against a Sin’s decree?
He turned his attention back to Kira. Much better. Safer.
The small V between her brows had him frowning. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
She gave him a wry smile, those tempting dimples winking to life. “I am, but all this is a bit intimidating.”
Her gaze flickered to the mammoth hall packed to the brim. She hastily returned to stirring her stew and mashing up whatever was in there, tension oozing out of her. Týr had no idea what the coming presentation had in store. Riley had said it was a mere formality, nothing daunting.
“I’ve known you for a year,” he said, wanting to take her mind off things. “Now, I find out you’re a vegetarian.”
Kira looked up from her bowl of mush. Frowned. “You could have asked.”
It still took his breath away every time her eyes met his, the sheer light blazing in their depths. It warmed his soul. No wonder everyone was drawn to her. How a Sin could have a daughter like her, Týr had no idea.
“Would you have told me?”
“No.”
Riley laughed. “How did you two end up together again?”
Kira smirked, eyes glowing with mischief. “He couldn’t bear being away from me for another minute, and after our friends’ wedding, he came after me, guns blazing.”
Týr bit back a smile. “Onlyafteryou eventually admitted, ayearlater I might add, that youmissedme. That’s when I realized you felt the same way about me as I did about you,” he deadpanned.
“Oh, honey pie,” she simpered, blinking her eyes rapidly at him like some cartoon character. Hell, he wanted to kiss her so fucking badly. “You should have said something earlier, I would have swooned at your feet, professing my undying love for you.”
