“That made it MORE threatening.”
The ruler seated at the center throne finally rose to their feet, and the reaction throughout the chamber was immediate as every demon lowered their head at once while even Anderson straightened subtly beside us, which told me everything I needed to know about exactly how dangerous this person was.
The ruler’s ancient eyes shifted toward me calmly. “You arrived in Hell attached to a prince. You carry a royal mark. The kingdom will speak of nothing else by sunrise.”
Nina whispered softly beside me, “This place gossips fast.”
The younger brother’s expression soured. “We are an ancient civilization.”
“You are supernatural Reddit.”
That hit harder than expected, mostly because several demons nearby were deeply offended by the accusation.
The ruler continued speaking like Nina hadn’t spiritually insulted their entire society. “Until the council determines whether the bond threatens the throne, the human will remain inside the palace.”
My stomach tightened as I looked toward my demon instinctively and saw the fury already settling across his expression, not loud anger but the controlled terrifying kind, while the entire throne room seemed to grow colder around us and the silver fire lining the walls flickered violently once before stabilizing again.
“She is not a prisoner,” my demon said quietly.
The ruler held his gaze calmly. “No. She is the center of a political disaster.”
“That sounds dramatic,” I muttered. Several council members reacted as though I'd just insulted their ancestors.Honestly, it was satisfying to watch their expression.
Anderson stepped forward quickly before the situation escalated into civil war apparently. “The palace is the safest location currently available.”
“That sentence did NOT comfort me,” Nina informed him.
The younger brother quietly leaned toward her. “In fairness, outside the palace someone already tried to assassinate Eva once.”
Nina froze. “You know what, suddenly the creepy castle feels fine.”
My attention returned to the rulers while my demon stood rigid beside me like he was one badly phrased sentence away from declaring war on the entire government.
“So what exactly happens now,” I asked carefully.
One council member answered. “You remain under observation until the council decides whether the bond becomes a threat.”
I blinked once. “Wow. You people made romance sound illegal.”
“Currently,” the younger brother admitted quietly, “it kind of is.”
My demon’s patience had clearly evaporated. The central ruler studied both of us silently for another long second before finally speaking again.
“The human will be given royal guest chambers.”
Nina raised her hand. “Question.” Nobody acknowledged her.
She continued anyway. “Am I also under supernatural house arrest?”
One ruler regarded her with undisguised confusion. “Why is the second human here?”
The younger brother answered instantly. “Unfortunately, that situation also became complicated.”
Nina gasped dramatically. “You looked at ME first.”
“And regrettably kept looking.”
“That was weirdly smooth. I hate that.”
