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Chapter 16

Velis Takes a Stand

~VELIS~

Earlier That Night

“What year is it that we need to bunk in a cabin in the jungle ?” Arrik grumbles. “Underground would be best for avoiding airborne enemies. Book us somewhere nice using Daddy’s money. Put it under the greenie’s name.” He lobs his Ray at me. “Drop some funds into Dolly’s account while you’re at it.”

My dickhead brother is overcompensating for that racing in his chest, and it’s concerning.

I force him to meet my eyes. “ Arrik, I’m trusting you. Can you keep it together alone with her for one night?”

“ I’m in control of my actions, thank you. Dickhead . ”

When it comes to Dolly, I’m not so sure that’s true. I saw the way he nearly strangled Father the night he gave her to Beckham. But I don’t have a choice. Not tonight. It’s that very passion that makes him the only option.

“ I’m going to block her scent from you. ”

He takes my shoulder. “ Fucking don’t. If you’re that worried, why not just take her yourself and flee the manor for good? Now is as good a time as ever. ”

“ I can’t. I’ve worked too hard for this. I’m not about to let some random angelic asshole fuck it up. ”

Arrik looks at me intently, as if he’s contemplating my next move. It’s possible he’s realizing the truth of what I’m about to go do. He flicks his eyes upward to the hole in the ceiling, and the next part he says out loud, if only to further the ruse to Dolly.

“Ask Evaris for backup. You have that card now. Play it. Father uses him as his own demonic watchdog. If you prefer, you can task him with watching our lady, and I can go with you.”

I already considered that. But Arrik isn’t in the best shape for combat—he’s sleep-deprived, food-deprived, and physically weak. Still, when it comes to protecting Dolly, there’s no one better. If her life is in danger, he’ll break his code and do whatever it takes. He has nothing else to lose.

“I’ll call Evaris to come help me, but you’re the only one I trust her with,” I tell him.

Dolly stands by with her big brown eyes, judging my decisions. I can tell she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. It’s not, but we have limited options. She’d be even more upset if she knew the truth.

Apparently, I need more allies. I nod her out of earshot of my brother so I can reassure her in private, savoring the moment alone and planning to add on double time for every day of our holiday taken up by this affront. She tells Arrik she’s ready, and her heart pounds loudly enough with nervous energy to catch any empath’s attention. Arrik catches my eye. He feels it too. I nod to let him know we’re proceeding as planned. I can’t take her with me while hunting magical species.

Because I’m not really going after the Celestial thugs. Evaris can deal with all that.

Arrik’s hand settles on Dolly’s shoulder, and with a quick, soundless shift of energy, they disappear.

I press send on a message to Evaris, then crouch in the darkness beneath the ungodly amount of clothes Bellamy prepared with the help of Mother’s old tailor. Evaris is bound by a demon’s contract to the manor itself. Now that I’m laird of the manor, I can call upon him the same as my father. In return, he gets eternal shelter and a cut of our souls.

The things I’ve learned since being sworn under oath.

Dolly has unofficial lady’s rights as my proclaimed mate, but I haven’t told her yet. She is not a fan of demons.

My Ray pings.

Arrik already.

They’re at an underground novelty hotel on the other side of the realm? If this is some part of a very specific fantasy, I swear to Maka—

‘If you’re freaking out right now, stop. I promise you this night is going to be worse for me than it is for you. Your girlfriend is adorable. And she’s so sad right now. If I had no morals...’

‘I’m not going to thank you for not stealing my wife, Arrik.’

‘You should. It’s been really fucking hard. And she’s not your wife.’

‘If you touch her, I actually will kill you. I’ve been plotting ways to cover it up since youth. I reached out to Evaris. I’ll let you know when help arrives. In the meantime, keep your hands off my wife.’

Before I can tuck my Ray away, it pings again. I wipe the wet of the jungle from my forehead. Evaris is alerting the embassy, and then he’ll be waiting at the coast where I met him yesterday. I always thought he respected my father. Now I wonder how much of it was forced through this bond.

I could go down to the coast and wait for him while the natives outside play cat and mouse with no mouse, but I’m waiting for someone else.

The only reason that Celestial would have let Dolly in here alone with the confidence his death trap wouldn’t break is if he believed there was a guard stationed over the moonroof in here. This is the only blind spot. But it shouldn’t be.

Either that guard was ambushed by one of our allies or they intentionally broke the death trap to let us in. And if the latter, there’s a chance they’re watching or listening in.

“Dolly’s gone,” I whisper-call to the opening around the tree breaking through the roof, where the damp night air clings to my clothing, carrying the distant calls of nocturnal creatures too fearsome to ever tell Dolly about.

“She seems to be central to whatever this is, and you don’t seem to want her to know who you are. I’m over the games, so whatever it is you have to say, fucking say it.”

I wait, listening for a creak.

I hear only the impatient voices of those out front of the rental. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes over here to check on her.

“Are you an enemy or a friend? If it’s the former, now’s as good a time as any to see which one of us wins hand-to-hand. Arrik won’t leave her side, and no one else is coming to back me up.”

Again, I wait, this time hearing the creak.

“Come on out, then,” a voice says from the hole above where the bell tree sprouts.

No fucking way.

I figured it out before Arrik. Ha!

Dolly thought this person sounded familiar. It’s not a voice I recognize. But I’ve heard a lot of voices, especially since becoming a wish-granter.

Still shielded by a protective layer of armor, I teleport outside the safety of the ambassador’s lodge, where the jungle foliage is thick and eerily still. For a moment, I see no one.

But I feel someone. A presence lurking in the shadows where the jungle’s natural glow doesn’t reach, moving with athletic precision, barely disturbing the leaves.

Then, he steps into my peripherals—emerging from the darkness above me like a specter. He’s not a Celestial. Dark eyes. Dark hair. If I probe, he feels human. Why would a human be here? He’s dressed in a red, oversized hoodie, unzipped, and white sweatpants—definite human attire.

The possible-human turns his back and rubs at his eyes. When he faces me again, he flicks something clear from his fingertips, the motion unbothered. “Contacts,” he says, blinking to reveal the shimmery eyes of a Celestial.

“And the hair?” I ask.

“Naturally dark, unique amongst my brethren. You and I have that in common, mate.”

The other Celestials all have white hair. He’s confirming he’s mixed race.

“You’re a human-Celestial hybrid?”

“Ta-da,” he says, like it’s the final clue in some grand mystery.

No idea who this guy is. Some drunk from the prince’s posse? Or a rogue human pet, driven mad by his mystic owners, mistakenly thinking we have some sort of history.

“Ah. I forget you’ve never seen me, mate. Lackluster reveal. We’ll wait for Lolly. She’ll be surprised.”

From an adjacent room, a man sings a song: ‘Foll-y. Loll-y. Love my baby Doll-y.’

‘Lolly’—the name I heard Dolly’s dad sing to her in the past the day I placed a lock on her soul.

My fingertips pulse with a ready storm.

With his hands in his pockets, the partial-Celestial hops down from the limb he’s on, and though he has no wings, his body hovers before hitting the ground as if he does. I even hear the faint whoosh, like phantom wings flapping. He doesn’t appear to be fleeing—merely drifting, slow enough for me to follow without needing to give chase.

“Are you taking me somewhere?” I ask.

“I’m taking myself somewhere. You’re welcome to join.”

I teleport a safe distance behind him, weaving through the dense jungle as it stirs with hidden life. The hybrid moves like a shadow, effortlessly slipping through the glowing underbrush, where the air shimmers with particle magic, drawn to the forest’s light. I take the opportunity to shoot Evaris hasty instructions to handle things back at the rental while I ‘follow a lead into the jungle.’ Learning from past mistakes, I flip my location on .

Oh look, there’s another message from Arrik, ‘checking in.’

He thinks I’m incompetent, and he’s distracting. I need him to focus on Dolly and stop worrying about what I’m doing. Hopefully, he convinces her to sleep. She doesn’t realize how greatly her fatigue is impacting us both.

I stow the Ray into the void and continue after the wingless Celestial, who I suspect is behind the voice Dolly’s been hearing since we entered this realm. “I’m curious to know where you got that special vessel,” calls the Celestial, showing me his full back and making no effort to defend himself. “Someone in your family?”

“It was my grandfather’s,” I say. “He passed it on to me through my mother.”

“And where did he get it?” asks the Celestial, his hands casually slid behind his back.

“I don’t know.”

“ I do,” says the Celestial, with an irritating air of smugness.

Who the hell is this guy, and why does everyone feel the need to be so Maka-damned cryptic?

“Care to enlighten me?” I ask, my annoyance surfacing. “Where did my grandfather get our heirloom vessel?”

“It wasn’t meant for you, usurper.”

“Usurper? Pfft.” I roll my eyes, already tired of this game. “Let me guess, you’re a friend of Beckham’s?”

“Brother, no. He’s my least favorite. Used to be you, mate, till you won me over last time we met.”

All that to imply we’ve met before. I don’t recognize his face, though. Maybe I’ve heard the voice.

“You’ve clearly got something you’re getting at,” I press, narrowing my eyes. “Why not just spit it out?”

“Because the more I interfere, the more we steer off course, and it’s my wings on the line, not yours.” He stops abruptly, and I instinctively step back, fingers sparking with blue light. But all he says is, “Have you ever read your mother’s journal, Velis? ”

Mother kept a journal. I know that much. But I have no idea where it is—probably with my father.

“What do you know about my mother?” I demand, my suspicion mounting.

The stranger slides his hands into his pockets and turns to walk away, leaving me to follow.

Ping! Another message from Evaris. Apparently, the prince knew nothing of the ambush. That rogue royal acted on his own. The prince’s council is seeking an audience with me and Dolly. They’re attempting to pay for our silence.

‘Stall. I’ll be there when I can.’

I slip my Ray into a pocket of void near my thigh and follow the stranger’s leisurely pace through the jungle behind our rental. The birds are awakening. Dolly would hate it. Not a bird person.

“It sounds like you know my family history,” I say, taking a new approach. “What about yours? Rare for a non-Earthen to have offspring with a human.”

No response.

My Ray ripples through the air.

Goddamn it, Arrik, I’m in the middle of something!

‘Everything is under control. Get Dolly to bed, regain your strength, and wait for further instruction.’

I look up while typing: “Where are we going?”

The stranger ignores me, jumping, and ultimately floating, over a branch fallen across the path.

I kinesis myself to his side. “Hello?”

The Celestial hybrid finally turns to face me, his expression darkening with something I can’t quite place. “She’s a fine girl, our Lolly. But I’d advise you to consider whether she’s truly worth your life.”

Before I can respond, he vanishes, as if using a djinn’s teleportation, leaving me alone in the middle of the jungle. His words hang in the air, like the blade of a guillotine poised to drop.

I’m not loving this night. A fucking human-Celestial hybrid disguising his eyes to look human, with unknown ties to my family and an interest in my soulmate, my brother, my mother, and my grandfather’s vessel.

I teleport to the treehouse balcony, where young Prince Lyrian is waiting for me beside Evaris, two djinn representatives from the nearest embassy, and a handful of attendants.

Tree debris flies into the air with the push of his wings that lands him directly in front of me. “Lord Reilhander.” His eyes are red from fairy hash, and he’s in an oversized robe and freaking out like he’s afraid the press will catch wind of this. “Is your human lady okay?”

I take in his otherworldly eyes and look beyond, finding sincerity and worry. He doesn’t seem to be fishing for information.

“She’s safe. In a secure location.”

“Cursed fate!” Prince Lyrian swears. “I assure you, this wasn’t done in any official capacity. My cousin has been spiraling, drowning himself in foreign substances for weeks. You were caught in the worst of it. He’s being detained, and everyone who assisted him is under investigation. Most were just following orders—he is a duke, you see.”

He tucks an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer.

“I feel terrible about this, truly. But I must admit, I’m on thin ice with my father. He’s been threatening to strip me of territories. Another scandal could be the final straw. If we can keep this under wings, I’d be deeply in your debt, Laird Reilhander.”

I also desire to keep Dolly out of the Celestial news cycle.

“I’m not interested in money. I want protection. Besides tonight’s incident, someone has been harassing my lady since we arrived. I suspect they might be connected to your guard. I’d prefer an independent security detail.”

“My guard? Do you think it’s someone associated with my cousin?”

“Not at this time.”

“I’ll assign my best people to look into it. In the meantime, may I offer you lodging at the palace? It’s the safest place in the realm.”

“As I mentioned before, my family is heavily involved, and what my lady and I need most is privacy and discretion. There is a risk of our holiday being further disrupted. A direct line would be appreciated if we need emergency sanctuary.”

“I understand your concerns. It’s hard to know who to trust, even among family.” Lyrian straightens and gestures to one of his attendants. “Upgrade the lord’s travel allowances. Ensure free passage for the duration of their stay.” Turning back to me, he asks, “Would you like to return to the palace with me to organize the security detail?”

“I appreciate the offer, but my lady is waiting. I’ll have my estate’s attendant, Evaris, handle the arrangements.” I offer the Célesteen prince, whose secret and alliance I now hold, a firm handshake, noting the way one of his guards is whispering about Evaris.

“Evaris, a word?”

The eternal butler doesn’t show it, but I know he isn’t thrilled to have one of the Reilhander sons giving him orders. He’ll have to get used to it—we’ll be working together for a long time.

I instruct him to finalize our security arrangements, ensuring it’s all tied up with a non-disclosure contract. “Make sure it’s void if their alliances fall.”

“Your father sends his birthday wishes and has requested I remind you that it would be unwise to impregnate your human bride during this holiday. Additionally, should you desire, a harem of approved surrogates will be awaiting your return to the manor. How would you like me to respond to him?”

My expression is dry, limp, and disgusted. “I’ll get back to my father directly on that one.”

He bows but jerks upright when he sees me preparing to depart. “And where are you going?”

“Back to the manor.”

—To find my mother’s journal.