“I said no.”
The change in his voice was immediate, colder and sharp enough to make the entire street tense at once as the air around us shifted violently, forcing nearby demons to step backwardwhile even the silver flames lining the street flickered hard before finally settling again.
And I understood something terrifying. He was holding back constantly on Earth. Not because he was weak. Because he chose to be gentle there.
The head guard lowered his gaze carefully. “The council believes the bond is dangerous.”
Without thinking about it, I moved slightly closer toward my demon again, and his hand shifted behind my back in a protective gesture that was so automatic and familiar by now it made my chest ache despite the fact that I was still angry with him.
Nina caught it. She leaned toward me whispering, “…okay THAT was attractive. Tragically.”
“Please stop narrating my suffering.”
Anderson stepped forward before the situation could escalate further. “The bond was not formed intentionally.”
“That feels worse,” one guard muttered quietly.
The younger brother bristled. “Actually, I think it's kind of romantic.”
“Your standards are demonic,” Anderson informed him tiredly.
“They literally are.”
Meanwhile the head guard still hadn’t looked directly at me again. Every word he spoke stayed carefully aimed toward my demon instead.
“The council is already assembling.”
My demon’s expression hardened slightly. “Then the council should learn to mind its business.”
Every demon nearby froze instantly. Even the guards were alarmed now.
One of them quietly whispered, “…he’s serious.”
“No,” the younger brother muttered while staring at his brother with visible concern. “That’s actually the problem.”
For one dangerous second, silence spread across the entire street before massive bells began ringing somewhere deep within the city, their slow ancient sound rolling through Hell hard enough to make the ground beneath my feet vibrate.
The sound rolled across Hell like thunder while every demon nearby lowered their heads toward the distant black palace towering over the city bridges.
The younger brother went genuinely pale.
“Oh, that is BAD bad.”
My gaze snapped toward the palace as cold dread settled in my stomach. “What now?”
Nobody answered.
Then Anderson said quietly:
“The rulers just got involved.”
Chapter 20
Eva POV
Nobody moved for half a second after Anderson said it. Then everyone backed away at once.
The guards stepped aside while Anderson started walking down the center street without another word. The younger brother grabbed Nina before she could wander in the wrong direction, and my demon stayed close enough beside me that the back of his hand brushed mine every few steps before pulling away again deliberately.
