The bond felt even deeper now, as if every wall that had existed between us had finally fallen.
Isolde traced the new lightning mark on my chest with gentle fingers, her voice full of wonder. “We did it.”
I pressed a kiss to her hair, holding her close. “And I’m never letting you go.”
She smiled against my skin, the storm inside her finally at peace. I knew, with every beat of my ancient heart, that she was worth every risk I had ever taken. And any I would take again to protect her.
17
ISOLDE
The lobby bar of The Abyss was quiet tonight. Kastiel and I sat at the far end of the mahogany counter, sharing a single glass of demon-fire whiskey between us. I couldn’t hold my liquor, so I limited myself to small tastes.
His arm rested along the back of my stool, his fingers occasionally brushing my shoulder absentmindedly, as though he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
He lifted the glass to my lips, letting me take a slow sip before he drank from the same spot. His dark eyes watched me with the softness that was reserved for me. “You look happy.”
“Because I am.” I leaned into his side. “For the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I belong.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple, his shadows curling gently around my ankles beneath the bar like a silent promise. The deepened bond between us hummed steadily, a living current that made every touch feel like coming home.
Then the air above us cracked.
It was much smaller than the vicious rifts we had faced before, but the familiar tear in reality still sent a chill down my spine. I had full control over my powers, but a tiny rift hadbegun to form on the level above the lobby, a jagged little wound pulsing with dark energy near one of the balconies.
Before I could even gasp, my aura reacted on instinct.
The lightning rose smoothly, reaching upward without hesitation. It flowed from me like liquid starlight edged with soft electricity, wrapping around the tiny rift and sealing it closed with precise power. There was a satisfying snap as the tear knitted itself shut permanently, and the latest threat to the gate was gone as quickly as it appeared.
The situation lasted only seconds, but it felt monumental.
A quiet thrill ran through me. Kastiel’s hand found mine on the bar, squeezing gently. When I turned to look at him, his dark eyes were filled with pride, and one of his rare smiles tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Look at you.” His voice was rough with emotion. “You did that without even thinking. Just trusted your skills and let loose before anyone else could react.”
With Kastiel’s pride wrapping around me like his shadows, I finally acknowledged what I’d learned to be true—I was no longer a threat.
Even better, I was an asset to The Abyss. And it was my home, the place where I’d always belonged. At Kastiel’s side.
The quiet thrill of closing the rift still buzzed under my skin as I turned to my mate, a wide smile breaking across my face. “I have to tell Lirael what just happened.”
Adan’s voice carried from across the bar. “Lirael isn’t here.”
I blinked, turning to find him striding toward us. “What do you mean? She didn’t say anything about leaving when I had my lesson this morning..”
“She had to leave suddenly,” Adan explained. “Right after that tiny rift formed. It looks like she inadvertently triggered it as she left in a rush, looking more troubled than I’ve ever seenher. She only said she may need to return…once she deals with whatever pulled her away so urgently.”
Concern for the woman I’d come to call my friend tightened in my chest. Lirael had been nothing but patient and encouraging with me, even when my power was volatile and unpredictable. The idea of her rushing off because of something that clearly weighed on her felt wrong.
“I hope she comes back soon. I wanted to thank her. She helped me more than she’ll ever know. Without her guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to close that rift so cleanly.”
Adan dipped his chin. “She knows.”
“And she was proud of you, Isolde,” Kastiel added. “She’s bragged to anyone who would listen about how your progress was faster than she expected.”
“I wonder what called her away,” I murmured.
Adan shrugged. “She wouldn’t go into specifics, but it seemed personal.”
