I guided Isolde to the open chair at Adan’s left, keeping her hand firmly in mine as we sat. My shadows curled around the base of her seat like a living shield. The representative’s eyes narrowed when he felt her aura mingle with it, clearly unsettled by how stable she had become.
He wasted no time. “The Council has been more than patient. The unstable succubus continues to pose a threat to the gate. Remove her from The Abyss immediately, or we will strip Kastiel Skaithe of his position as head of security and appoint someone who understands that duty must come before personal indulgence.”
Possessive fury ignited in my chest like hellfire. My demon roared, shadows flaring darkly around my shoulders before I forced them back under control. The casual demand to send my mate away made my every instinct scream to wrap Isolde in darkness and tear the representative apart where he sat.
“No, she stays. Isolde Virelyn is my fated mate. Her aura is no longer unstable. Feel it for yourself. The volatility is gone. She has stabilized, and she has already proven she can help protect the gate rather than threaten it.”
The representative’s gaze flicked to Isolde, and a flicker of unease crossed his face before he masked it with disdain. “Stabilized or not, the risk remains unacceptable. Protocol is clear. Remove her, or lose everything you have built here.”
I leaned forward slightly so he couldn’t mistake how deadly serious I was. “If necessary, I will walk away from my post. From my loyalty to Adan. From The Abyss itself. But I will never abandon my fated mate.”
The representative’s eyes widened, then narrowed in fury. “You would throw away centuries of service for one unstable succubus? This is not how things are done. The safety of the gate supersedes personal bonds. You are the head of security. Your duty is to The Abyss and the realms it protects, not to?—”
Adan’s voice cut through the growing tirade like a blade. “Enough.”
The single word carried the full weight of his authority. The representative faltered, his mouth snapping shut.
Adan stood, his presence filling the room without effort. Calliope remained seated beside him, her expression serene but unyielding.
“The Abyss is my domain. The Council has no say here. My word is law, and I stand with my head of security and his fated mate,” Adan declared. “Isolde has proven herself to me, and that’s all that matters. She has already helped contain a major rift and, in the process, healed Kastiel. I do not discard valuable allies because a few councilors feel threatened by change. Kastiel remains head of security. Isolde stays here, as she should, since she’s his fated mate.”
The representative’s face tightened, but before he could retort, the door to the chamber opened. Lirael stepped inside, and Thalvor Virelyn was behind her.
Isolde’s father.
A heavy silence fell over the room as Thalvor’s eyes swept the table, lingering first on his daughter, then on me, and finally on the Council representative. His displeasure was obvious, but I wasn’t sure whose side he was on yet.
Lirael spoke first. “I have been training Isolde since yesterday. Her progress is faster than anyone could have expected. In my expert opinion, she is no risk to the gate. Quite the opposite—her hybrid gift, once properly fed and accepted, will only strengthen The Abyss’s defenses.”
Thalvor’s gaze remained fixed on Isolde for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he turned back to the Council representative, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of Virelyn authority.
“My daughter’s power is not a liability. It is a rare gift of sea-storm blood from my line mixed with her mother’s succubus heritage. I will not stand by while the Council threatens the Virelyn name or my daughter’s happiness. If you force this issue, you will find the House of Virelyn aligned against you.”
The representative’s jaw clenched, his eyes darting between Adan, Thalvor, Lirael, and me. He was outnumbered, outranked, and facing the combined weight of The Abyss’s owner, its head of security, a powerful succubus trainer, and one of the most influential demon houses.
He leaned back in the spiked torture chair, clearly uncomfortable, and finally spoke through gritted teeth. “Very well. We concede, for now. Isolde Virelyn may remain. But we will be watching closely. Any sign of instability or any new rift traced to her aura, and this decision will be revisited. Harshly.”
“You can revisit it as often as you like, but the Council’s authority only extends into The Abyss when I allow it.” Adan inclined his head, a dangerous smile touching his lips. “Now leave.”
The representative stood stiffly, the iron chair scraping loudly as The Abyss returned it to a normal seat the moment he rose. He swept from the room without another word, the door sealing behind him with a decisive click.
The tension in the chamber eased, but not completely.
I pulled Isolde closer, my arm wrapping around her waist as my shadows curled protectively around us both. Quiet triumph settled in my chest, mixed with lingering wariness. The Council had backed down, but they would not forget this. Not even with Adan’s threat.
They would be watching, waiting for any excuse to strike again.
And if push came to shove, I couldn’t be sure whether Isolde’s father would still have her back. As far as I was concerned, he was a wild card I couldn’t depend on until he proved himself. Repeatedly.
But that was a concern for another day.
I pressed a kiss to Isolde’s temple, breathing her in. She was safe now, and I vowed that nobody would ever separate us.
15
ISOLDE
The secure training suite felt less like a cage and more like a space that finally belonged to me.
