Rune sent me a sharp feeling of reproach and defensiveness.
I shrugged. “You could’ve swallowed the soul whole. You’ve done it before. But you’ve always loved to chew on your victims and bloody your muzzle.”
Rune’s ears flattened as if I told her the hellion was about to leave and never speak to her again. I sighed and ruffled the shadow fur on her head. “Stop it. She loves you,” I assured.
Rune licked my hand, our connection humming with happiness again.
“Muddy fur and all,” I teased. To which she responded by shoving me into the barn door with her large head. The wood slammed together with a loud bang.
I shot her a glare. “Little demon.”
She tilted her head, acting as if she heard but didn’t understand, but I could feel her smugness through the connection.
“What in the circles is going on out there?” Alexei shouted as I opened the door. He had his dagger positioned, ready to launch it at me. “Took you long enough.” He released his blade.
Rune, ever my bodyguard, caught it in her jaws and flung it back at him. The dagger landed near his feet.
“Damn.” He patted one of his Hellcats’ heads. Not sure which one. They all looked the same to me. “I need to train the ladies to do that.”
I grunted.
“Any clue as to why Hell’s ice circle is turning tropical?” he asked as casually as if he were asking my favorite weapon.
“No,” I practically hissed. “And the king has decided to barricade himself in his rooms.”
Alexei quirked a brow, but his fingers drummed against the handle of his dagger. “The infected Damned Lucifer recycled—you said a black substance seeped into the marble, right? And Lucifer had felt a growing and lessening?”
I nodded.
“What if he wasn’t feeling one thing, but two? What if, as aninfected soul recycles, a piece of that infection absorbs into the land before the soul disappears and corrupts it? Maybe that’s why Hell’s melting.”
I considered it. “Lucifer hasn’t recycled that many infected, though. It would take a lot more to poison this land.” The Redemption Circle was big and powerful. “Even so, if Lucifer is losing control of the land, wouldn’t we see a gradual decline in the weather instead of abrupt shifts?”
Alexei ran his hand along the spotted coat of the Hellcat closest to him, thinking. Her purrs were loud, and Rune peered up at me from my side, desire sifting through our connection. I gave in to her and scratched behind her ear.
“Unless his powers are battling to keep control? So when he wins, we receive blizzards from his grief, and when the infection does, our circle melts.”
“It’s a good theory, Lex, and if I saw Lucifer recycle more infected, it’d have merit. But even Sam said the more powerful they are, the longer the infection takes to root. This is something else.” Which meant I had yet another fucking thing to figure out. I released a heavy sigh. “I shouldn’t allow this little excursion.”
Alexei gripped my shoulder. “The only way we can help our king is by finding the infected and destroying them, and the Dreads and Nightmares are searching. There’s nothing else we can do.”
“There is.” I told him about my new theory. He didn’t wear the skeptical expression MJ had. After our failed sightings and staring at a map that held no answers, an impossible theory didn’t seem so impossible anymore.
“Anya might actually fall in love with you when you talk to her about her witchy powers.”
I shot him an unamused look.
He rubbed the spot just above where his wings connected with his back. “Ro, you know Lucille needs this. And you do too. We’ll be gone an hour max. We’ll relieve some stress, then we’ll divide and conquer.”
“Fine. Where is she?”
Alexei jumped into the sled and immediately grimaced, scooting forward to give as much room as he could for his wings. He grabbed thereins attached to the Hellcats. “She’s with MJ. They decided they wanted to lusceler there. Something about getting some fresh air.” He patted the seat beside him. “Let’s go! This was supposed to be my date with Lucille, and everyone’s ruining it.”
“You wanted me here,” I reminded him as I reluctantly climbed in the sleigh, being cautious of Alexei’s draping wingtips and leaving space for Rune.
“You’re right. Lucy inviting Aspen ruined our date, and I had to salvage it with you.”
“What exactly makes it a date?” I inquired, trying to distract myself from what was to come and gain valuable information.
