Kearan's gaze flicked to Ro, then back to me. He gave a slight nod, but remained silent.
Ro scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It should be obvious to you if you weren't so distracted. The wards and protections broke when you did whatever you did to take that ring off."
"Dammit, Ro!" my voice erupted in frustration. "I didn't take off the fucking ring!"
His growl was low and guttural, a sound so inhuman that it sent chills racing down my spine. Fear clawed at my insides, twisting them into knots. Sometimes, when he was acting like a shitty parent, I forgot he was actually a demon. "Semantics aside, Parker. I need to know what you did."
I took a deep, steadying breath and spoke slowly, clearly, enunciating each word. "I did not take off the ring." Holding up a finger to silence Ro before he could interrupt, I continued, "I just bonded with Grayson, and I think that might have something to do with it."
Grayson nodded in agreement, his dark eyes filled with concern. "Every time you've bonded with one of us, your demon powers have surged, causing chaos."
Ro snorted rudely, rolling his eyes. "Why do you keep bonding with them if it's destroying things?" He paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Though I must admit, I'm proud that you're causing chaos."
"Thanks for the support," I muttered sarcastically, my frustration growing.
"Enough!" Kearan's quiet but firm voice brought our bickering to a halt. "None of this is helping. We need to find the ring."
"Exactly," Ro sneered, turning his attention back to me. "You must know where you sent it. Somewhere safe, perhaps. Somewhere it would belong and wouldn't be found."
Grayson furrowed his brow. "What's the big deal with the ring, anyway?"
"Simpleton," Ro snapped. "It's a soul ring, containing the soul of a human that Parker bartered with."
Grayson groaned, rubbing a hand over his face while Kearan pinched the bridge of his nose. I didn't understand what the big fuss was about.
"Okay, so it holds a soul, but that's it," I admitted, trying to wrap my head around the situation. "But why is everyone so freaked out?"
"Because," Grayson sighed, his expression pained, "if word gets out that the ring is missing, every supernatural creature in existence will be hunting for it. It's a game-changer, Parker. Whoever has that soul ring will have a shit ton of power."
"Fantastic," I muttered, my heart sinking as the gravity of our situation settled over me.
"Then we need to find it before anyone else does," Kearan said softly, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.
I took another deep breath and steeled myself for the fight ahead. The ring had to be found. I had enough supernatural creatures bothering me as it was.
"Sooo," Grayson mused, his voice low and filled with concern, "since you're new to the whole demon thing, Ro used the ring as a way for you to hold the soul. But now that it's not on you, there's going to be a massive disruption in the supernatural world. Creatures will be putting bounties out on anyone who can find and retrieve it."
I stared at him, my heart skittering around in my chest as my brain processed his words. Kearan remained silent when I glanced at him, but he nodded in agreement, his expression somber.
"Great, just what we need," I muttered bitterly, unable to contain the surge of anxiety that threatened to consume me. So much for thinking I finally had control over things and that they might actually start calming down.
Suddenly, Trux and Rhiot burst into the room, their expressions frantic. Trux let out a string of curses before charging at Ro, but Rhiot grabbed him, grunting as he tried to hold him back.
"Trux, calm your shit down!" Rhiot hissed, struggling to maintain his grip on the enraged man.
Ro, however, seemed unfazed by Trux's aggression. He looked him over with an expression that suggested he recognized Trux was losing control to the Hesolga. I expected Ro to say something about it, but instead, he simply addressed Rhiot.
"Keep control of your friend, rat," Ro drawled, a smirk playing on his lips. "I don't feel like dealing with his pathetic attempts at fighting today."
"Fuck you, Ro!" Trux spat, lunging at the demon once again. This time, Grayson stepped in.
"Trux, keep your composure," he warned, his voice firm but gentle.
"Ro, stop provoking everyone," I scolded, my hands on my hips. "We have a big problem on our hands. The least you could do is try to get along with everyone for once."
Ro shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "I'm a demon. Chaos is in my nature."
"Don't even get me started," I huffed, knowing that arguing with Ro would be futile. "But we need to find that ring before it causes even more chaos."
