Page 16

16

Dagny

The warmth thrumming down the bond has my toes curling, my adrenaline spiking, and my head swimming.

But all of it fades away as a deep, arousing voice breaks out from the center of the clearing. I poke my head under Lir’s bicep, a frown pinching my lips and a hateful glare directed at the irritatingly gorgeous, red-eyed demon.

“We need to get off ground level,” Malice repeats, tone laced with irritation. “Preferably before the sun flips.”

“Why?”

As if in answer, a rhythmic clicking noise echoes from deep within the forest, low-toned and thudding, like a heartbeat. The sound vibrates through the air, raising the hair on the back of my neck as a million tiny spiders wriggle beneath my skin, scrambling to get out.

“What the fuck is that?” I whisper, clinging to Lir as my eyes scan the shadows. “ What the fuck was that? ”

“Arachnyx,” Malice deadpans. “Just one, but the fact it’s awake this early means it’s already smelled us.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, my tongue like sandpaper as I ask, “How do we get off ground level, again?”

Malice’s lips spread into a smirk as he gestures for me to follow. He turns on his heel and stalks toward the other end of the clearing, where Kaebl waits at the tree line with Fenryr’s limp body draped over his shoulders.

Malice waggles his fingertips and winks before disappearing behind a welwig trunk that's as wide as Roark is tall. Kaebl stands in place for a moment, staring with such strong longing that it causes my chest to constrict. He blinks, and the connection is broken—and he follows Malice behind the tree.

With a resigned sigh, I push out of my mates’ embrace and stand, breathing through the wave of dizziness that hits me, threatening to send me back to the ground. Once I know I can stand, I slowly force my feet forward, determined to get away from the eerie clicking noises and the beasts that accompany them.

With Lir, Cyprien, and Roark on my heels, I stumble across the clearing, following Malice’s footsteps around the back of the mighty tree trunk—but he’s not there, and neither is Kaebl or Fenryr. I’m about to call out for them when I catch sight of a dark shadow at the base of the trunk. I move closer, my mouth opening wide in a gasp when I realize what I’m staring at.

The tree has been hollowed out. But why? And how far down does this tunnel go?

Throwing caution to the wind, I grab onto the sides of the trunk and feed my legs inside, finding no bottom in sight. Taking a deep breath, I push off my perch, my stomach flying into my throat as I fall down the hole.

The wind whips around my head, filling my ears with a high-pitched screaming as I hurtle through the tunnel. Just when I decide there’s no end in sight, the tunnel curves, slowing my descent as it gradually bottoms out.

When I reach the end, I’m met with the sight of a small circular room, the walls carved from shimmering blue ice. There’s no adornment to the space—only an ominous doorway cut into the stretch of wall opposite the tube I just entered from. Kaebl and Fenryr are nowhere in sight, but when I cut my gaze to the left, I find Malice standing by the doorway, his lips tipped in an eerie smile.

“What is this place?” I whisper, unable to take my gaze off the shimmering blue walls. Now that I think of it, they remind me of the tunnels Cyprien brought me to when I first entered this world. Though unlike them, the walls of ice in this room are rougher, as if carved by hand. “Did you build this?”

Malice’s eye gleams with pride. “I did. It took nearly five years, but it was well worth it.”

“Is this where you locked Fenryr away?” I ask, my tone souring as I remember all the awful things he’s done. “Where you hatched your traitorous plans?”

A deep sigh puffs from Malice’s chest, all the arrogance fleeing with his breath. “I do most of my plotting out in the open air, under the light of the flipping sun. It helps me think, so to answer your question… no. ” My face sours as Malice turns on his heel, stalking toward the carved doorway with his fist clenched at his side.

“Where are you going?” I demand. “ Stop! ”

He freezes just before passing into the shadows beyond, the muscles showing through his torn armor rippling with discomfort, fighting against the invisible force holding them in place. But it only lasts for a moment.

I blink, and Malice’s head is turned toward me, a secret only he knows shining in his bright red eye. “You’re welcome to follow whenever you’re ready. I have a feeling you’ll enjoy what’s on the other side.”

In two steps, the shadows envelop his body, blocking out the powerful outline of my mate as he descends deep into the earth. I turn my head, making eye contact with Roark, Cyprien, and Lir, before scurrying after Malice.

Just past the doorway are a set of stairs, though I can’t see past the third step due to the endless black void that lies just beyond. I swallow thickly and descend, blinking rapidly against the encroaching darkness. The farther I go, the thicker the air grows. Humid and stifling, the air clings to my skin and coats my nose and throat in a thin layer of dew that has me huffing for breath.

A blast of heated air strikes my face as I step onto the ground level, blowing my hair back off my face and bringing tears to my eyes. I blink as my eyes adjust to the orange light glowing from the sconces lining the circular room, casting a warm hue onto the walls and floor. A dense fog swirls through the air, originating from the large, heated pool in the center. The water encased within is crystal clear, shimmering with the same magical energy that lives in the earth, the trees, and in my veins. A healing bath.

I shift my gaze to the side, electricity crackling in my veins as I make eye contact with Kaebl. Slowly, he rises from the water, his golden eyes unblinking and fixed on my parted lips. Water streams down his bare chest, hundreds of tiny droplets beading across his freshly mended skin and sliding between the sculpted grooves of his abdomen. As each one falls, it ripples the surface of the water, spreading out in a halo that travels to the edges of the pool, inviting me closer.

I take one step in his direction and?—

“Cannonball!” Cyprien yells, sweeping me off my feet in one powerful movement before propelling us into the air. We crash down a moment later, breaking the surface of the water in a mighty splash before sinking to the base of the pool. The dirt and grime of the dungeon is sucked from my flesh in an instant, billowing out in a thick gray cloud before disappearing entirely. I’m overcome by an intense stinging sensation as the magical properties of the water penetrate my wounds, clearing the infection and threading the jagged edges of skin back together. I resurface a few seconds later, coughing and sputtering yet utterly relieved as the last of the pain fades away. As soon as I recover from the shock, Cyprien’s laughter makes its way to my ears.

I whip my head in his direction, my eyes narrowing in a glare. “That was uncalled for, Cyppy.”

His eyes flash with joy as a delighted purr rumbles in his throat. Ignoring my irritation, he wades closer, wrapping his muscular arms around my waist and tugging me flush against him. “I love it when you call me that. I’ve missed it so.”

I smack his chest lightly, trying to hold on to my irritation as an answering smile tugs at my lips. “I missed you too, you big goof.”

“ Your goof,” he murmurs, his lids lowering as he takes his lip between his teeth. “I’ll be anything you desire as long as you keep smiling that way.”

“Try being a little more conscientious.” Lir’s sullen tone breaks out over my shoulder, and my face heats as I turn my head, finding him topless, dripping with the same shimmering water as Kaebl and just as stunning. His sapphire eyes are narrowed in a glare directed at Cyprien, irritation rolling off his shoulders in waves. “You could have harmed her.”

“It was just a little water.” Cyprien rolls his eyes, his grip tightening possessively around my waist. “ Healing water, mind you. If anything, I was helping by getting her fully wet.”

“I can think of more than one way to get her wet,” Roark chimes in, a smirk pulling at his bearded mouth. A large wave ripples from the far end of the pool as he delves inside, causing the water to lap at the edges of the pool, nearly overflowing as it accommodates his enormous frame. “Too many to count, actually.”

“I like the sound of that,” Cyprien murmurs, his eyes flickering with shadows as his claws extend, scraping lazily down my spine. “What do you think, bunny?”

I take my lip between my teeth as a spike of adrenaline courses through my veins, blanketing all rational thought in a thick cloud of desire. The bond purrs in agreement, quivering in anticipation of having all my mates at once.

“She needs rest and a meal first.” Malice's voice echoes off the stone walls, breaking me from my trance and sending me crashing back to reality. I pull away from Cyprien with flaming cheeks, unable to bring my gaze to meet Malice’s heated stare.

“We all need something to eat,” he continues, turning his attention toward Roark. “ Especially that one.”

My stomach flips at the mention of food, and the blood drains from my face as I’m reminded of what I might need to consume now that my powers are awakened. “I don’t… I’m not hungry.”

Malice’s gaze squints with sympathy. “You don’t have to worry about that, little one. You are still very much human—at least partly—and you can still have your beloved crackers and nut butter.”

“But in Slaine’s dungeon…”

“A side effect of your demon fully awakening,” he answers. “Not to mention the stress of being locked away in a dark pit with the constant, looming threat of death. That would make anyone lose their appetite.”

“Oh,” I whisper, a wave of relief pouring over me. “That’s good to know.”

He nods tersely. “Yes. The rest of us, however, will need something more… substantial. We can’t go to the human realm to hunt—I’m certain by now, Slaine has surrounded the door between worlds—but the creatures of The Far Place will work for the short term.”

“But the creatures here are so gross ,” Cyprien groans dramatically.

“Agreed,” Lir murmurs, his face pinching in disgust at the thought. “I think I’d rather go without sustenance.”

“Speak for yourselves.” Roark rises out of the water, palm pressed to his rippling abdomen. “I’m fucking starving. I’d eat an arachnyx soul if that’s what’s available.”

“We all know your standards are nonexistent, Roark—no need to remind us.” Cyprien rolls his eyes to the ceiling. “I personally will not be partaking in that meal.”

“We’ll hunt along the coastline,” Malice interjects. “The beasts there are far better than anything found inland and are much easier prey.” His gaze narrows on Cyprien in a hateful glare. “You will partake, and you won’t complain—because you will need all your strength if you want to protect Dagny.”

At the mention of my name, Cyprien’s demeanor changes entirely, his expression softening at the corners of his eyes and the curve of his mouth. “Fine. If it means I can better serve my mate, I’ll try it.”

“As will I,” Lir agrees, nodding his head with resolution. “Gladly.”

We all turn our gazes toward Kaebl, who shrugs nonchalantly. It’s our only option. I have no objection.

“Perfect.” Malice claps his hands together, his smile widening. “In that case, I’m going to check on Fenryr.”

I gaze around the pool, noting for the first time he’s not with us. “Where did he go?”

I put him in the bed chamber, Kaebl responds, nodding his chin toward the stairwell Malice is disappearing into. His body is mended, but he refuses to wake.

“Is that normal?”

Kaebl’s mouth presses together in a thin, pale line. No. But he used up so much strength to escape Slaine’s palace, it’s to be expected.

Fear clutches my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs at the thought my mate might never awake from his hibernation. “Take me to him.”

I will once your wounds are fully healed. Kaebl gestures to the faint pink scars peppered across my arms and neck, still tingling as the magical properties of the water mend the damaged cells. You still need a few minutes.

“I’m fine. I want to see my mate.”

Kaebl tilts his head, his eyes flashing with an indiscernible emotion. As you wish. Follow me.

Kaebl steps out of the pool, water glistening from the shuddering muscles along his spine, dripping from the tips of his freshly healed wings. My eyes track down his spine, heat rising to my cheeks when I notice he’s fully nude. If he turned slightly, I could see the outline of his ? —

I’m flattered by your ogling, but I thought you wanted to see your mate? Kaebl cuts me a look out of the corner of his eye, his mouth tipping in a rare smirk.

Cyprien’s chest shakes with a chuckle under my palms as I push away fully, turning my back to both of them as I wade to the edge of the pool. The fabric of my suit clings to my body as I push out of the water, highlighting the curve of my ass and thighs. A thrill runs through me at the feel of four sets of eyes locked on me, tracking every slight movement.

“Are you sure you have to go?” Cyprien asks, his voice raw and gravelly. “It would be so much better if you stayed… just like that.”

Let her go, Cyprien, Kaebl orders, his golden eyes narrowed in a glare. Don’t be so selfish.

Cyprien mumbles something indiscernible under his breath as he walks to Kaebl, making sure to keep my gaze above his waistline. With a flick of his wrist, the water is sucked from my skin and clothes, raining down to the floor in a luminous shower.

Before I can thank him, Kaebl turns on his heel and hurries up the stairwell, leaving me no choice but to follow. Just before we reach the top, Kaebl cuts to the left, passing through a narrow tunnel I hadn’t noticed on my way down—the opening cloaked in shadows and perfectly hidden from view.

The passage opens a few steps in, widening to a space that could easily accommodate three demons standing shoulder to shoulder. It goes back as far as I can see, the endless stretch of tunnel illuminated with iron sconces every few feet.

Another shadowed doorway appears a few steps in, the archway crudely carved and cracked in several spots. Kaebl gestures for me to step inside, and despite the anxiety coursing through my veins, I don’t hesitate. As soon as I step into the room, a flash of green in the corner catches my eye. I blink against the dark shadows coating the air, my heart thudding wildly against its cage as I take in the sight of my mate curled in the corner—seemingly deceased. His eyes are closed, body utterly still, save for the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

In the next moment, I’m crouched in front of him, my hand reaching for his face, far paler than the last time I remember. At my touch, his eyes twitch but refuse to open, and my heart clenches with fear. “Why won’t he wake up?”

“He will eventually,” Malice answers, stepping out from the dark corner where he lurked. “Just give it time.”

I brush my hand over his forehead, my eyes widening as I take in the raw pink flesh around his mouth—rubbed raw and scarred from months of being stuck in that awful muzzle. I brush my fingers over his cupid's bow, tracing the peaks and valleys of his face and committing them to memory. My eyes scan Fenryr’s freshly healed skin, stopping at the glowing bond mark shining through the fabric covering his hip. With everything that happened, I haven’t had time to process this newest bond. It all happened so fast that I haven’t even asked his familiar’s name.

“Where are the familiars?” I ask, turning my head to face Malice. “Shouldn’t they be here?”

Malice’s lips spread in a sly smile. “They’re in the human realm with Nya, hunting. She’s keeping them preoccupied.” His expression changes, turning to one of amusement. “If you miss them, I’ll have her bring them back.”

“That would be nice,” I murmur, turning my attention back to Fenryr. “Maybe if his wolf comes, he’ll wake up?”

“Maybe.”

Before I can say anything else, Lir, Roark, and Cyprien barrel into the room, their multicolored eyes shining like fog lights through the dark.

“What are you doing to her?” Lir demands, stalking over to Malice with an accusatory expression. “What have you done ?”

“Wha—nothing!” he scoffs. “Get that fucking finger out of my face before I snap it off.”

“I felt her pain through the bond—we all did,” Lir snarls, his canines lengthening and shoulder muscles rippling with his transformation.

“She’s hurting over Fenryr , you pea-brained imbecile.” Malice rolls his eyes, smacking Lir’s arm out of the way as he stalks toward me. “She’s perfectly fine otherwise.”

“And we were all getting along so nicely,” Cyprien mumbles, catching my eye with a teasing wink. While Roark goes over to whisper something to Lir, Cyprien bounds over to me, throwing his arms around me in a violent embrace. “I missed you, bunny.”

“I’ve only been gone for a few minutes,” I say, moving back from Fenryr so Cyprien doesn’t accidentally crush him. Once we’re far enough away, I turn, allowing Cyprien to squish me fully against his bare chest.

“It felt like an eternity,” Cyprien murmurs, a purr rumbling deep in his throat. “I wish to always be by your side. If I could crawl into your skin, I would.”

“I have no doubt about that,” I whisper, holding in the chuckle that tries to break free. “I don’t think you would fit, though.”

“That’s what you said the first time we fucked you, and look how well that went.” His brows wiggle as a shocked laugh falls from my open mouth.

“Stop harassing the poor thing,” Roark says, appearing at Cyprien’s side with a smirk. “And hand her over. I haven’t gotten a chance to hold her properly.”

“We can share!” Cyprien tries to dodge Roark’s attack, but it’s too late. In the next blink, I’m ripped from Cyprien’s arms and folded up in Roark’s, his great purple wings wrapping around my body and cutting out the light.

“ Much better,” he murmurs, pushing his face deep into the curve of my neck, taking a breath as if he’s been without for years. “My sweet little doe. My heart is finally full. I’m so happy to have you back.”

“As am I.” I reach up to his face, cupping my palm over the unruly beard spreading over his jaw. “So, so happy.”

“That’s quite enough.” Cyprien’s distraught outburst has a giggle rising in my throat. Not wanting to torture him, Roark unfurls his wings, allowing Cyprien access once more. Before he can get to me, Lir rushes forward, pressing his body flush against my back, curling his arms around my throat possessively. He leans down to my ear with a rare chuckle, relishing in Cyprien’s pained whine.

“Let's get you to bed,” Lir murmurs, his breath coasting over my skin and sending a shiver down my spine. “Do you want that, Dagny?”

I nod, my eyelids lowering as a rush of warmth spreads from my core, curling my fingers and toes. Instead of giving in to the bond's desires, Lir leads me toward the bundle of furs in the corner of the room, allowing me to pick my spot before curling up next to me.

Roark and Cyprien join us in the bundle of furs while Kaebl turns and walks toward the exit, his shoulders tense and fist clenched at his side. Before I get the chance to ask where he’s going, he disappears into the shadows, leaving us all confused.

“He’ll be fine,” Malice answers, his glowing red eye piercing me from across the room. “I’ll sleep out there with him tonight.” Seeing the look on my face, he adds, “And every other night after, if that is what you desire.”

As he leaves, a painful throb echoes down the bond, crying out for him to reconsider, ordering me to call him back. If I said the word, I know he would, but I’m still not sure if I trust him enough to sleep next to him.

As I lie back against the furs, I tell myself I’m doing the right thing, that it’s what I must do. But as I do, I know I’m lying and will break for Malice eventually.

But that’s tomorrow's problem.