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The Demon Duke of Brimstone caught his friend in time, his enormous black wings creating strong gusts of wind with every movement. Behind him, an impressive-looking winged horse landed, and astride him was the stoic-looking Marquis of Sangre. On the other side of the duke, the Marquis of Aquarius stepped down of a platform made entirely of water.

The students behind Soleil fell silent in a mixture of fear and awe. At that moment, faculty members had also started to come out, but they, too, were unable to speak when they realized that it was Brimstone’s lord and his Galere that were causing the uproar.

“Enough of this,” Silviu murmured grimly as he helped his friend straighten.

But Ilie only shrugged him off. “I must make her hear me out.” He didn’t care if he was disobeying the man he had sworn to protect and follow throughout eternity. Silviu had his loyalty but it did not make him more important than his woman.

Looking back at where he knew his heartkeeper was, he called out roughly, “Come out, Soleil—-”

Soleil shook her head, crying.

He whitened. “I can smell your tears, ma lisse.”

She cried harder.

“I am sorry I lied,” he said hoarsely. “I am sorry beyond words and if I knew how much it would cause you pain, I would not have lied.” He swallowed. “And yes, I did care for her still even though I had already known you by then but I think it was more because I was used to the feelings and I did not think it possible it could fade so quickly—-” His voice broke. “But when I saw you dying, I knew then, ma lisse. I knew that I loved—-”

“I don’t believe you.” Soleil bit her lip hard, using the pain to give her strength, to remind herself that she could survive even when she was hurting.

“Then tell me—-”

Ilie charged towards the shield, and the guards repelled him off. He fell to his back, but he forced himself to get up again.

“Tell me, ma lisse. Tell me,” he begged rawly, “what I should do to make you believe me—-”

Another attack against the shield, another blast, and he fell to his knees.

She covered her mouth to keep herself from crying out.

He stared at her with eyes that could and couldn’t see. “Tell me,Soleil.”

She pressed her hands harder against her trembling lips.

“Do you want me to leave the Galere so you can be sure I won’t see her again? Do you?”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Will you really do that for me?”

“No.”

“Then why did you even ask?” Soleil gasped, laughed, and cried.Oh, Ilie.And she cried harder when she saw his lips curve in a weary smile.Oh, Ilie—-

“Because if you were selfish enough to ask me that, then you would have given me a reason to stop loving you.” His eyes seemed to capture hers past the shields. “But you won’t ask me that, will you?”

No.

She was unaware that she had connected with him in her mind until she heard him answer gently,Then I have no reason to stop loving you.

Her heart lurched.

She watched him stand up.

Stop this madness, milord. Please.

Mihail clasped Ilie’s shoulder. “No more, Marcovici. You know we can only let you get away with so much.”

Ilie stared at the vampire. “Try stopping me.”

Behind him, the demon duke sighed. “There is no reasoning with him.”