Then Nina raised one hand. “…That sounded horrifying.”
“It is sacred.”
“That did not improve the sentence.”
The council woman ignored her completely.
“True names will be exchanged willingly before witnesses. The bond then becomes permanent.”
The room quieted slightly after that. Because it stopped sounding like romantic chaos and started sounding real. Permanent real. I felt my demon’s attention shift toward me instantly from across the lounge. Like he was checking whether I panicked hearing it.
Before anyone could spiral further, palace doors burst open hard enough to shake the silver lanterns overhead. A demon woman staggered into the lounge breathing heavily. At first I thought she was injured. Then I saw the knife.
After that, everything started happening far too quickly.
“You stole him,” the woman screamed violently before shadows exploded across the room.
Servants panicked hard. Council members surged to their feet. My demon moved instantly but the woman was already rushing toward me.
Silver shadows tore through the lounge while Nina yelled something aggressively nearby and the younger brother lunged forward at the exact same moment.
Then ancient power slammed through the palace hard enough to crack the floor beneath us. The entire room went completely still. Not metaphorically. Literally no one moved.
The attacking demon collapsed instantly under crushing pressure while black fire erupted violently across the lounge walls.
Every council member went dead silent.
Two figures stood in the shattered palace doorway surrounded by enough terrifying power to make the entire room physically shake.
The woman was beautiful in the frightening way storms were beautiful.
Dark silver horns curved through black hair while ancient shadows moved behind her like living creatures. Beside her stood a tall demon man adjusting his gloves calmly like he hadn’t just casually broken reality entering the room.
The palace guards instantly dropped to one knee. The council bowed instantly. Even Anderson was alarmed. And beside me, my demon whispered one deeply exhausted sentence:
“…They’re back.”
The demon woman’s ancient silver eyes moved across the destroyed lounge before landing directly on the attacker curled on the floor.
Then finally on me.
The room fell even quieter as the woman stared at the knife lying near my feet and her expression changed instantly from shock into something far worse. Maternal fury. She moved so fast I barely saw her cross the room.
One second she stood across the room. The next , the attacking demon was suspended violently against the wall by shadows wrapped around her throat.
The entire palace shook.
“Who,” the woman asked softly enough to terrify everyone alive, “touched my future daughter.”
Absolute silence. Even the shadows stopped moving. Beside me, Nina whispered:
“…Oh I like her.”
“Nina,” the younger brother muttered quietly, “now is not the time to cheer my mother.”
“She threatened someone for Eva. That’s family behavior.”
Meanwhile the entire lounge remained completely frozen beneath the overwhelming pressure filling the room. The attacking demon still hung suspended against the wall struggling desperately against shadows wrapped around her throat while my demon’s mother stared at her with terrifying calm.
