Page 67 of Hell-Bound

“That depends entirely on you,” he said, his voice quiet. “I won’t let him touch you. You’re under my protection.”

She nodded small, processing. “But he could, potentially?”

Azur’s nostrils flared.

“Does he have the power? Yes. Would he have the opportunity,fuckno. I will not let him use you.”

She scoffed. “When did you start to care so much?”

His sharp ears pinkened.

“Because you’remine, Ren,” he replied sharply, nostrils flaring, eyes flashing.

She didn’t know how to respond. She was too surprised at his abrupt loss of composure.

He cleared his throat.

“But there is something else, darling.” His voice still maintained its sharp edge. “Something that perplexes me. The document you found? Xarek plans to useyouto take down mykingdom.”

Xarek does not know the hell I will rain down upon him.

Ren felt lightheaded again.

“This is why he wants to compel me? To get some sort of advantage—information about you?”

Azur rolled his neck, releasing the tension there.

“That is what the documents seem to imply.”

Her mind spun. “What do we do?”

He stopped, tilted his head.

“Ren,wedon’t do anything. This isn’t your fight—”

“It most certainlyismy fight! This Devil prick wants tocontrolme! I won’t let anyone control me. Not him, not anyone. I’m done with people telling me what I should do and who I should be.”

Though the words surprised her, she realized they were true. She didn’t want to be Renata anymore. She wanted to beRen. To get to decide who she wanted to be, that’s what mattered. Whathadto matter if she was going to keep living.

Azur eyed her skeptically.

“I told you I wouldn’t let anything befall you. Now you want me to let you run headlong into a war between some of the most powerful creatures alive?”

“Can’t you…do both?” she asked, a crease appearing between her eyes.

“Not as well as I would like,” he huffed, exasperated. He lifted his hands to massage his temples. “I want you to stay here, at my safe house for a day or two while I figure out what we can do. I am sure Xarek will not strike out in the open, especially not now that we know their plan, but it would be moreconvenientif you were close.”

Her first impulse was to reject the offer, she was too involved with him and she still had the tome to think about.

“I have guest rooms for the others. You can occupy one for the time being. Jester will make sure you know your way around.”

“Jester is here?”

Strangely, the idea of the little red Devil being close comforted her.

“Yes, he lives in private quarters. I’m sure he’s told you that he has been with me for some time.”

Her stomach lurched.