“Vorthain has become my most trusted advisor,” Victor explained. “He’s helped me in several matters, not least of all in developing my mate bond with Sage.”
He ran his nose along her neck, and she closed her eyes. Why wouldn’t she meet my eyes?
Look at me, please.
“Our bond is unconventional, to say the least. We had some growing pains, but Vorthain saw us through them.”
Even my dad shifted uncomfortably next to me. If this situation could manage to creep out Kenzo Oniguro, you knew it was fucked up.
“I wasn’t aware mate bonds were something that needed assistance,” Asmodiel replied, saying out loud what we were all thinking. What was painfully obvious about Victor’s lies.
Vorthain smiled. “I simply wish to correct a system which is far from perfect. But enough about my success here. Please tell me more about this witch whom you’ve hired.”
As Asmodiel gave a brief rundown, I finally caught Sage’s eye, and my heart pounded so hard, I thought it was trying to escape through my chest just to be closer to her.
“In any case, preliminary reports from the witch should be ready shortly. Now,” he said, clapping his hands. “Before I leave, I’ve been dying for a slice of Noctis cheesecake.”
Fire lit under my skin.
Showtime.
47
The Cavalry Arrives
Sage
Ifelt the shift in the air immediately. Victor’s fingers tightened around my waist, like he’d sensed a threat on the horizon.
From behind Premier Hellmora, a demon leaned forward.
Not just any demon
Ronan.
I’d known it was him immediately—all the charms in Lundaria couldn’t have hidden my mate from me.
But what was he doing here? He was going to get himself killed!
The glamour faltered. The sharp planes of his face, the familiar angles of his jaw, the curve of his horns, and the golden eyes I’d memorized… they all emerged, flickering in and out like a light bulb at the end of its days. Then the illusion shattered completely.
He was him, my mate, bare and unhidden.
Victor froze, his grip on me tightening even further. His eyes darted over Ronan, confusion twisting his features.
“What… what is this?” Victor hissed. “Blackthorne? Asmodiel, you… why did you hire this bounty hunter?”
Ronan tilted his head, smoke curling out of his nose. “I find it a little odd that you worked so hard to scrub the world of Sage’s existence, and yet you never even bothered to look into the man you hired to bring her back.”
The visage of the guard to his side melted away next, revealing an older man so similar to Ronan he must have been family. A man I recognized from somewhere.
“Oniguro…” Victor growled.
Oniguro… the crime family from Ignareth.
Did that mean…
Was Ronan in the mafia?
