I looked at Callum. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at his hands, tracing the scar on his thumb. Another, much deeper, scar climbed up his neck, given to him from a Fenrir attack. He seemed reluctant to look at me.
Too hurt, maybe.
“Since the moment we arrived here, you’ve done nothing but defend the demons,” he continued. “Telling us to trust them. One of them is even your pet, having bonded with you. Now, you defend Lord Onyx. I can’t help but ask myself why.”
Maddox’s good mood faded, causing a tightness to his jaw.
“Because he’s been kind to us,” I said, wondering where Callum’s mind was at. The sudden gloom didn’t bode well. “He’s given us shelter, protection, and food. Not once has he or any other demons tried to hurt us.”
“Is that the only reason you’re so determined for us to make peace with him?” When Callum finally looked up at me, his brown eyes appeared wounded. “I have little experience in romance, having never loved anyone before confessing my feelings for you, but I knowyou, Ev. I see the way you look at him.”
Something dropped like lead to my gut. Maddox wasn’t the only one who’d caught on. Callum had too. Which made sense. He’d always read me so damn well, like I was an open book.
“He’s one of us,” he softly added. “Isn’t he?”
Not trusting my voice enough to speak, I could only nod.
“As I suspected,” Maddox said. The lack of emotion in his voice did little to help my nerves. “Like Callum, I’ve witnessed the same. How you get flustered in his presence. The sadness in your eyes when he leaves. The demon lord is one of the seven mates Lupin told you about.”
Another nod, this one shakier.
“How long have you known?” he asked.
“A few days,” I rasped, throat tight. “I wanted to tell all of you sooner, but I didn’t know how.”
Maddox dropped his gaze to his ring. “I see.”
It wasn’t the reaction I had expected, from him or from Callum. There were no snarls or flaring nostrils. No clenched fists or lectures about it being dangerous to be with someone so… well, dangerous.
No. This reaction was much worse. The silence felt oppressive, pressing against my shoulders and keeping me planted in the chair.
“Say something,” I whispered.
“What do you want us to say?” Callum angled his head down and locked both hands behind his neck. Unlike Maddox, who lacked any emotion at all, he shook with it. “That we’re okay with this?”
A lump worked its way up my throat.
“I must admit, though surprised, it makes a lot of sense.” Briar’s brow furrowed in thought. He stood near the window, arms crossed and one hand resting near his mouth. “Lupin said each of your fated mates would play a pivotal role in yourdestiny. Having the demon lord on your side is quite pivotal, I’d say.”
“But which way will Ev’s path pivot?” Callum asked. “Demons don’t trust us any more than we trust them. Each day we’re here, we tempt fate. Hard to imagine any good coming from this.”
“The good is already evident,” Briar said. “Without Lord Onyx’s interference the night Nocturne attacked, neither Lake nor Evan would be with us right now. One would be dead and the other on a ship sailing for Haran. We’ve been given shelter and protection here as well.”
“But at what cost?” Maddox asked, gaze still on his ring as he slowly twisted it on his finger.
“What if there isn’t one?” Lake said from his spot on the rug, knees drawn up and arms resting on top. “Lord Onyx has earned not only the respect of his people but their love as well. Demons and demi-humans alike. You saw it this afternoon. How happy they were. That wouldn’t be possible if he were truly wicked at heart.”
“And what of his comment at dinner?” Maddox asked Lake. “How he wished to burn the world. Demons and demi-humans may be spared from his wrath, but humans—everyone in this room, apart from you—are his enemy.”
Lake’s ears drooped.
“You’re blinded by your training as a knight, Captain,” Briar softly interjected. “I understand your reservations. Truly, I do, for I share them as well, to an extent. But logically speaking, if Lord Onyx is one of us, bound to Evan by fate, he’d rather die than harm him.”
“Gotta agree with Specs,” Rowan said. “Not sure about the rest of you, but I felt the fated connection with Evan the moment we met. I reckon the demon lord senses the same bond, even if he doesn’t yet know the reason behind that feeling.”
“I don’t like it.” Callum expelled a breath, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Fate brought all of us together, and I’m thankful for it. You’re my family. I trust each of you with my life and would lay down mine for yours without hesitation. But I could never say the same of a demon.”
Maddox brooded in silence. Focused on the band of his ring.
