Page 38 of Beauty At Stake (The Twilight Court #18)

Star tossed the body onto the floor. “Someone get that trash out of my sight. Take it outside and burn it. In front of the wolf.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Sal grinned and winked at me as she went for the body.

“The rest of you, help the others clear the house.” Star waved them away even as he turned to face me, his big, devil body condensing into the form I was more familiar with. His clothes went from skin-tight to baggy.

“Are those your eating pants?” I grinned.

“We were prepared to shift this time.” He grabbed the shackle on my wrist and tore it open, then moved on to do the same with the rest.

“Seren!” Daxon's voice came to me from the hallway.

“In here, babe!” I called back.

Daxon appeared just as Star finished with the last shackle. My magic came rushing back, and I breathed in deeply with relief. Before I could even sit up, I was in my husband's arms, pressed tightly against a tattooed chest. I could feel the ink shifting beneath my cheek, and I knew he had accessed their stored power recently.

“Hey, you.” I leaned back to look at him. Then I frowned and lifted a hand to rub at the wrinkles in his forehead. “I'm fine.”

“It was a close call, wasn't it?” Daxon demanded. “I sensed it. I sensed how close to death you were, and I couldn't get to you.” He glanced at Star. “Only he could. And he didn't take me with him.”

“You were on the other side of the yard.” Star rolled his eyes.

“It would have taken a second for you to lalek to me.”

“A second that Seren didn't have.”

“Hey!” I jumped off the altar and got between them. “Can we focus on the fact that I'm fine and Star played a big part in that?”

Daxon sighed and nodded.

“Where's Killian?”

“Right here, Twilight.”

I looked over to find Killian lounging against the doorframe, grinning at me.

“Kill!” I rushed over to hug him.

“Seren.” He folded himself around me and breathed in. “You okay?”

“Yeah. You?” I pulled back to look at him.

“Yeah.”

A terrible howl came, and Kill lifted an auburn brow.

“That would be Rue,” I said without the glee that Sal had shown. “Sal's burning Sarai's body in front of him.”

Killian winced. “Harsh.”

“Are you two seriously feeling bad for the traitor?” Star crossed his arms and found something to lean against.

“Love is love, dude,” Killian said. “And that guy loved someone enough to betray his pack for her. That's huge.”

The howling went on, becoming even more pitiful.

“What will you do with him?” Star asked.

Killian looked at me.

I shrugged. “That's for the Coven to decide. We'll hand him over to them.”

“Killing him would be a mercy.” Star headed for the door. “So, I fully support your decision to keep him alive.”

As he left, Daxon snorted. “I can enjoy his humor now that I don't want to murder him.”

“He made quite the dramatic entrance,” I said. “A ring of fire surrounded me and Demons appeared within it. It was even better than a circle of guardian Angels.”

Killian chuckled. “I'm telling Sever you said that.”

“Are you kidding? He'd agree with me.” I pushed at Kill, then headed out of the altar room. “Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

“I'm down with that.” Kill came after me, with Daxon bringing up the rear.

We went past several rooms with open doors—rooms that had been shut on my initial trek down the corridor. I glanced in one and saw a toilet in the corner, opposite a bunk bed. Grimacing, I put on speed.

Then the howling stopped.

“Shit!” I hissed as I began to run.

If someone killed Rue, the Coven would be pissed. And since Killian and I were the Ambassadors in charge of the mission, they'd be pissed at us. Rightfully so.

I ran up a set of stairs and burst into a spacious kitchen. Ignoring the questionable liquids bubbling on the stove and the acrid fumes coming from them, I darted through the room and out of a door that led into the yard. Outside, I found the remains of a slaughter.

My footsteps faltered as I navigated the bloody terrain spotted with bodies and body parts. But there was a gathering up ahead that I had to reach ASAP. So, I put aside my horror and put on speed. My team was circled around something.

“Don't kill him!” I shouted and pushed through them.

When they saw it was me, the extinguishers, vexes, hunters, and Demons parted, making a path. I reached the center in seconds to find Star standing over a comatose Rue. Rue's hands were before him, bound in hellchains—Hell's version of magic-dampening manacles.

“He's alive. We had to knock him out before he hurt himself.” Star brushed off his palms and kicked Rue in his side. “Who's taking responsibility for this baggage?”

“That would be us.” Leo stepped forward.

“Uh, I don't think so,” I said. “You're too invested in this, Vex. Stand down. I'm taking custody of the prisoner.”

“You need to take care of our other issue first.” Star motioned to his right.

Apitron and Nassar brought a Demon bound in hellchains forward. The Demon stared at me balefully, but then he brightened. “You're the Light-Bringer! Queen Seren, I'm freed. Please, tell them I was bound by that Witch, but now, I'm free. I was released upon her death.

“She was a sorceress, not a Witch,” I said. “But yes, her death should have freed you.”

“Just in case.” Star waved at him. “Do you mind?”

“Sure.” I laid a hand on the Demon's shoulder and the purple glow of my Uncrossing Magic seeped from me into him.

He continued to stare at me. No change to his expression.

“He's clear,” I said.

The Demon looked at his captors. “You see? Now, will you unchain me?”

Nassar and Apitron looked at their king.

Star nodded. “Go back to Hell. Now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for the rescue.” The Demon bowed even as they released him from his chains. He inhaled in relief, then vanished in a rain of embers.

“All right!” Killian clapped his hands together, then rubbed them. “You're hosting this time!” He pointed at the Vexes.

“Hosting what?” Melissa, the Quake Vex, asked.

“The victory party.” I crouched to grab Rue, then looked at my husbands. “I'm going to deliver him to the Coven. I'll meet you at the vex house.”

“Very well,” Dax said.

“I'll save you some stuffed chicken wings,” Kill added.

I looked at Star. “Thank you for the save.”

“Of course.” Star inclined his head to me.

“No, Star. Thank you. Truly. Dax is right. It was close this time. You saved my life.”

I laruked away, knowing that it would hurt my husbands too much to watch me use Demon Magic after thanking Star for my life. It would just be salt in their wounds. So, I left in a vortex of air—magic given to me by my Angel husband back when he haloed me in Heaven. It helped to center me—something I needed after seeing the look in Star's eyes.

The one that said he loved me.