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Mom squeezes my hand as she stands. “I’m proud of you.”

“For what?” I ask with a frown.

“For not making a rash decision without consulting the people you love.” She kisses the top of my head before exiting. Wren and Lucifer are right behind her, the horsemen trailing them out.

As soon as the door shuts, I glance at my mates. “So?”

“So, what, little mate?” Cassian chuckles. “Do you want us to weigh in on what your father wants you to do?”

I shrug. “You can if you want, but I think we need to have a conversation about our future. Obviously, we’ll be together, but we haven’t talked about what that looks like. Clearly, Wraith has to continue to run Scythe Academy and Cassian will continue to judge souls, but what about everyone else? Nex, the way Lucifermade it sound, you aren’t required to be in the horsemen’s service any longer. Is teaching at the academy what you really want to do?”

“It is.” Nex glances at Wraith. “As long as Wraith will allow me to be a professor there, that’s what I want to do.”

Brenden nods. “Me too. I know you enjoyed reaping souls, but I’ve never had the desire to. I never thought I’d want to teach others, but here we are.”

“So that leaves Donovan and me.” I turn to my remaining mate. I don’t actually know what he does at the academy. I just know he’s always there because that’s where Wraith is. “Donovan, what do you do at the academy?”

If I’m not mistaken, my hellhound flushes. “Nothing, actually. I usually just hang out with Wraith and help him wherever he needs me. But maybe it’s time I take on a role?”

Donovan doesn’t sound sure as he looks at Wraith, but our lover gives him a soft smile as he nods.

“You never seemed to mind just being my errand boy, so I never brought it up, but my intention was always to have you run security on campus.” Wraith shrugs. “We don’t have a great need for security, but sometimes soulsfind their way to Bristix that need to be returned to where they belong. They can cause a lot of havoc in a short period of time, so I employ a few reapers as guards.”

I wrinkle my nose, realizing I’ve never seen one. “Really? Where the hell were they? Because I certainly never saw one.”

“Nor should you have. They’re not there to deal with the students, but the things that might wish to harm the students. Donovan, if you want the job, it’s always been yours.”

Donovan’s eyes light up as he nods. “I just figured if you had a job for me, you’d tell me to do it. If that’s the role you want me in, then I’m happy to take it.”

“So that just leaves you, gorgeous.” Nex’s eyes find mine. “What do you want to do?”

“I have no fucking clue. Brenden’s right, I do enjoy reaping souls, but it also takes a toll on me. I don’t even know what being Lucifer’s heir means. Maybe I should’ve asked more questions.”

“That I can help with, at least slightly,” Wraith says. “A lot of what Lucifer does is oversee everything in the underworld. He visits each of the islands and the underworld gods who reside on them at least once a month, if not morefrequently. He makes sure everything is running smoothly—that none of his citizens are in desperate need of anything. When he’s gone, we mainly just make sure that no wars break out between the demons. We make sure everything is running well in Ephonia.”

I consider him for a moment. “That doesn’t sound too difficult. But what if I tell him yes and it turns out I hate the job? Then what?”

“Then you go back to reaping or you find something else you want to do,” Wraith assures me. “Lucifer isn’t going to make you be his heir if you don’t like it.”

“That we know of,” I say, ignoring the looks my mates send me.

I know I’m being ridiculous. Aren’t I the one who said he was squishy when it came to me and Wren? I know he wouldn’t force me into a role I hated. It’s why he called us here today—not to force me to become his heir but to ask me if I’m interested.

Fear is what’s holding me back.

Not fear of Lucifer but of what being his heir might lead to. It’ll require me to spend more time with him.

That thought shouldn’t scare me, but for some reason, it does. Maybe it’s because I’mafraid of being a failure in his eyes. Or maybe allowing him to get too close.

It doesn’t really matter why I’m scared. It just matters that I am.

So, what am I going to do?

My mates remain silent as I work it over in my head. I feel like I should at least give it a try. I know Lucifer will be disappointed if I tell him no.

He’ll try to hide it, but it’ll hurt him. And what will it hurt to try?

Nothing.