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AJAX

K uro bristled on my shoulder, his sense of alarm telling me something was very wrong.

Az froze at the same time, his head cocking in a way that told me his Phoenix had taken over. “ Cami ,” he breathed as a pang echoed in my chest.

He spun around, his large form resembling a shadow, thanks to the light being at his back. But I didn’t need to be able to see him to know his heart was breaking.

Just like mine.

Our mate was in trouble.

We should never have stayed down here. But I’d followed Az’s lead, just like I always fucking did.

Now isn’t the time to cast blame, I thought. Now is the time to align and find our fucking mate.

“Kuro,” I demanded, my familiar fully aware of what I needed.

Using my wand, I created a portal based on his instincts—just like I’d done when trying to locate Az moments ago—and stepped through the opening without looking back.

Az’s Phoenix practically burned at my back, the two of us still shirtless from our sparring earlier. We could have changed before heading to the Netherworld Kingdom, but we hadn’t bothered. Just like Cami hadn’t wasted time changing out of her bloodstained tank top.

Flames, she’d better be okay . But I could feel in my soul that she wasn’t. She needed us, and we…

“We’re still underground,” Az said, sounding as confused as I felt. “I don’t?—”

“Wake up!” The demand cut off Az’s words and sent us both running toward the owner of that voice. Melek .

Az entered the cavern first. I made to follow but jumped back as a spout of flames shot up from the floor right in front of me. Another burst to the side and several more up ahead. Az either didn’t notice them or didn’t care. Being a Black Phoenix, he was basically fireproof.

Me, not so much.

Another geyser of fiery liquid shot up, the whooshing sound nearly drowning out Melek’s plea for Az to help him.

The light from the fire allowed me to see why he needed help—Lucifer was unconscious on the floor, his suit burned in various places and his face a bloody mess.

“What the fuck happened?” I breathed, looking around the violent cavern before peering up into a black abyss.

“He fell,” Melek gritted out. “ On purpose .”

“He’s protecting his Source,” Az replied.

“I know. But Cami…” Melek looked at Az with more fear than I’d ever seen in his expression. “He has to wake up and help Cami!”

Another pang went through my chest, causing me to twirl my wand again to create a second portal. But it only led here. “Damn it, Kuro!”

“Melek’s right—we need Typhos,” Az told me. “Your owl knows it, too.”

I growled. “Cami’s hurting.”

“I feel her as well,” Az said, looking back at me. “But we need Typhos. So get over here and help us power him up.”

Power him up? I repeated to myself. But there wasn’t time to debate or contemplate what that meant.

Cami was in trouble. I could feel it in my soul. My heart. My everything .

And I would do whatever I had to do to save her.

“Tell me what to do.” My words were for Az and Melek as I forced myself into the cavern. Flames shot up to my right—flames I doused with a spell from my wand. Sweat dotted my brow, my limbs instantly overheated. But I pushed onward, then knelt beside Az at Lucifer’s side.

Kuro bristled, clearly not liking the fire either. However, he was the one who’d brought us here, so I considered it his punishment to bear.

“Bite him.” Az’s command had me blinking up at him.

“What?”

He didn’t repeat himself, just put his hand over Lucifer’s heart and pushed energy into him. Similar to what he’d done to Cami after the incident in the paradigm.

The phoenix tattoo on his chest rippled as his power filled the cavern, all of it focused on the unconscious fae.

“Even if this doesn’t work, it’ll empower his Source,” Melek said, his hands also on Lucifer. “And the Source will give that vitality to Cami.”

I wanted to ask how he knew that. But I knew better than to question his knowledge.

If biting Lucifer was going to give Cami strength, then I’d do it. I’d do fucking anything. Even mate the Hell Fae King .

Grabbing his arm, I pushed his sleeves up, then brought his wrist to my mouth. “If Lucifer kills me when he wakes up, tell Cami I did this for her and that I’ll love her… forever .”

I didn’t wait for Az or Melek to acknowledge me, just sank my fangs into Lucifer’s veins. And hoped like hell we could wake him up in time.