Page 51 of Hunted By Fear

I cross my arms over my chest and give a huff of annoyance. Yeah, he’s pretty much the same.

“Not funny,” I grumble as we reach the other side of the river, and I feel his soul press against mine. It’s not painful exactly, but it’s not pleasant, my divine powers and soul hissing as the inky black of his reach out and mark me.

It’s necessary, all of this, to see Aeri, and while it might go against so much of what I know, I can’t bring myself to turn around.

He releases me, and as my feet hit the ground and my brain starts to function again, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure that was going to work either. Good to know it does.” He claps me on the shoulder as he walks past, and it takes a whole thirty seconds for me to digest what he just said.

“What do you mean you didn’t know if it would work?” I demand as I turn to chase after him, only to stop, open-mouthed, eyes wide as I lay eyes on the kingdom of Hell for the first time.

The sky is dark, and I hope it’s night and not just always like this, but it’s very possible. We stand on a ledge; a vast canyon stretches out below with what looks like a town or city, lava flowing around and through it. It’s hot, and I can smell smoke, but somehow it’s beautiful in a chaotic, dangerous sense I’d never see in Heaven.

In Heaven, everything is pretty, pristine, and bright. I used to think it was because we embodied excellence, but I’m not so sure about that anymore.

The town isn’t our destination, though; the castle is.

It sits on the ledge we’re currently on, a large river of lava surrounding it, so the only way it can be accessed is by the bridges. The castle has a gothic vibe, and with it sitting in a lake of lava, it definitely screams fortress. It’s a dark stone with only a few scattered windows. Five towers, two on each side and one in the center, rise into the sky as if trying to puncture it.

It’s huge.

Something fills the air, and I’m not sure if it’s fog or steam, but it makes everything look impossibly more sinister.

Like the town below, a network of bridges connects the castle to everything else. Logically, I know magic keeps it all protected, but I can’t help the twinge of fear I feel knowing I have to cross them. I’d feel better if I could fly, but Luce warned me about having them out while down here, so unless it’s necessary, that won’t be happening.

Still a good backup plan, though. It eases some of my concerns, and the knowledge that Aeri is in the castle has me moving despite any other issues I might have.

I’m in awe, speechless, and grateful that Lucifer seemed to notice and waited for me to snap out of it and catch up. I’m goingto go out on a limb and say wandering around Hell on my own isn’t the best idea.

“Is Aeri okay?” I ask, my concern getting the better of me as we make our way to the castle. I’m not sure why he didn’t just teleport us, but I’m not complaining. As much as I want to see her, I need to know what I’m walking into.

The muscles in his back stiffen, but he keeps moving, and I have no idea what that means. Is that good? I don’t feel like it can be.

“She’s alive and fighting. That’s more than most would be able to say in her shoes,” he says finally, and some of the tension bleeds from me.

It’s impossible to miss the way he said it, though, the reverence in his tone.

He doesn’t pause long enough for me to question him, doesn’t miss a beat as he looks back at me over his shoulder, a smile on his face that isn’t the least bit sinister. His eyes shine with something I can’t understand before he turns back around to push the castle doors open with a flick of his wrist.

I’ve seen a lot of things in my immortal life, but I think the most unsettling thing I’ve ever seen is the devil with a genuine smile, happy in Hell…

Imight be imagining things, but ever since Aeri and Luce mated, she seems more present. There are still times when she forgets us, begs and cries for Rome, and looks at me like I’m the bad guy. Some random man who took her away from her love.

It fucking kills me every time, and I swear I’d love nothing more than to get five minutes alone with Rome to make him pay, but he knows better.

He’s been conveniently missing since he came and attacked the only one of us who couldn’t do anything. Ruin doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, but I’m pretty sure even he is getting sick of this. Last I heard, he’d asked Kai to talk to Luce about coming to visit, which is kind of a big deal.

This is Hell, after all.

I sit in Aeri’s room, at the top of her bed, my back against the headboard. Aeri lies asleep, her head in my lap as I run my fingers through her damp hair.

The castle is vast, so much so that even I have yet to see it all, but so far, Aeri’s favorite room is the bathroom just down thehall. There, of course, are others scattered throughout the castle, but that one has the largest tub and is the only one heated by the realm.

It’s a great place to relax, and Asta had shown me some herbs I can place in the water to help her sleep more deeply. Originally, Kai had suggested he put her to sleep with his mind manipulation in hopes of keeping her deep enough that Rome couldn’t reach her, but there was no guarantee when it comes to the subconscious. Not to mention that Kai had never done something like that on a long-term basis; who knew how long he could sustain it before it failed, and we would be right back where we are now?

No, the best bet is for us to find a way to push him out and keep him out, and I’m almost positive that her mating with Luce is a step toward that.

I can’t lie; I wish it had been me. I’m still sure she is mine, even if she is also his. But I can’t deny the fact that if he wasn’t enough, I probably wouldn’t be either.