Page 10 of Hunted By Fear

“A lot.”

Without another word, he turns and heads into the castle, leaving me to follow him. I’ve been here hundreds, if not thousands, of times, mostly for work, but not always. We sometimes came here for dinner or because Lucifer summoned us.

Bast always said he was lonely here, and despite his efforts to hide it, I’m inclined to agree after all these years.

It doesn’t take long to fill him in, but it still would have been much faster if he hadn’t felt the need to interrupt me constantly with questions.

“Kai can’t break through it?”

See?

“He said he wasn’t able to when he stumbled upon her this afternoon.”

“Strange. I wasn’t aware that Rome had that kind of power.”

“Neither were we,” I tell him, glad to know we're at least on the same page.

“So what are you going to do? I’ve never heard of a demon having a mate, but I’ve also never known Bast to be wrong.”

That’s also something I’ve considered. Bast knows his stuff; that’s kind of his thing. He enjoys learning about both demons and mortals.

Just because we’ve never heard of a demon having a mate, does that make it the truth?

I’m not sure.

But if he has a chance to find his mate, I want to help him. Not to mention, Aerilyn doesn’t deserve to be stuck with Rome.

Nobody does.

“I don’t know yet. Right now, the goal is to get her away from him.”

Lucifer nods as he paces the length of the huge dining hall where we’re currently seated. His castle sits in the center of Hell and is a sight to behold. Every inch is dark stone with red accents, but it somehow still doesn’t feel as suffocating as one might think. It’s somehow eerie and elegant at the same time, but the size is obnoxious. The table could easily hold fifty people, and he’ll be the first to tell you he doesn't even like fifty people, let alone want them over for dinner.

Candles line the center of the table; fruits and flowers only found in Hell sit between the place settings. The high-back chairs give everything a regal feel that reminds me a lot of the stories the mortals tell of times with kings and queens.

Nothing like Heaven, where the only one to enjoy such luxuries was God himself.

The dim light from outside pours in through the huge stained glass window, and between that and the chandelier overhead, the whole room has a comforting feeling that shouldn’t be possible given its size.

A smile pulls at the corner of Lucifer’s lips, and he shakes his head.

“What?” I can’t help but ask, seeing his clear amusement where there really isn't a reason for it.

“Nothing,” he says, but I know that’s not the case. I remain quiet, and he comes to a stop at the chair across from me. “It’s just hard to believe that all four of you have taken an interest in the same woman, a mortal woman no less.”

“It’s not like that,” I tell him, but he ignores me.

“She must be something special.”

I don’t waste my breath because, while I might not be interested in her the way he seems to think I am, I can’t deny she might be special.

If she really is Bast’s mate, that could change everything.

Not to mention, she’d somehow caught Rome’s eye. I know he said her ancestors had made a deal, but something made him pick her.

“So what brings you here?” Lucifer asks, pulling me from my thoughts and back to our conversation now that it’s no longer one-sided.

I grit my teeth, hating what I’m about to say, despite our being friends.