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“This can only take so much,” she said, studying it with a mixture of awe and worry. “You’d have to store the rest of the Celestial magic within yourself,” she warned.

“I’m well aware.”

“Kai,” V uttered on a grumble, not liking that she’d revealed that I had been more than willing to put myself in jeopardy.

Like he wouldn’t do the same thing in my position for Ariana. For any one of us.

“That’s undeniably reckless,” Lucian spoke, his tone challenging, as he studied me shrewdly, while also watching Vorzyr warily. His vampiric senses were no doubt picking up on V’s dragon side being unstable currently and right on the edge.

“It’s a calculated risk,” I said. I held my hand out expectantly for the scepter. “If you will, I have work to do.”

“I can’t allow you to do that.”

Her tone was firm, but not harsh. It also wasn’t an act of dominance—I wasn’t getting that from her at all.

In fact, it reminded me of Ari when she didn’t like how I was approaching a problem or situation—like the torture of Sorin. It was a very similar patient tone with that familiar firmness that didn’t want a fight, but made it clear it wasn’t entirely off the table if things were escalated.

She was Ariana’s mother. She was also close friends with my parents.

Challenging her, or forcibly taking back the scepter wasn’t a move I wanted to make.

While Ari was angry and hurt by her family at the moment, that wouldn’t last. It would mend.

For our foursome to develop and flourish, V and I couldn’t make enemies out of them.

But they were also the ones currently standing in our way of bringing Ari back to us, making themselves staunch obstacles in our path.

A growl rumbled from V, but it wasn’t his aggressive reaction that preceded an act of violence. It was deep frustration, as he’d obviously come to the same complicated conclusions that I had.

“I’ve been watching you,” Lucian spoke, cutting into the intensity in a very jarring way.

The shrewd look in his eyes made it clear that had been his intention.

Hmm. He was good, I’d give him that.

Game recognized game.

I folded my arms across my chest. “In a general sense? Or with a specific focus in mind?”

“The specific focus, as you so charmingly put it, was obviously Ariana’s wellbeing initially.

I’m aware that Nyx already reported what I’d picked up on where that was concerned during her party.

It was my intention to step in if Ariana proved unable to handle you.

” His eyes glinted. “But she rose to the occasion, even against the likes of you. More than that, she needed that exploration. As you were clearly already aware. It quickly became apparent that you possessed an understanding of her that even we did not, an understanding that was fueled both by your broken childhood friendship with her, and your obsession. I identified your strategy. While I didn’t care for the unsavory aspects, it was undeniably sound.

And it worked. She opened up to you, to all three of you, she gave you her trust, and it was safeguarded by you all in return. ”

V and I exchanged a look of surprise.

I didn’t normally like surprises, because to me they were just things that I’d failed to predict, something I abhorred.

But it felt different in this case.

And this was Lucian Black I was going up against as well, nine-hundred-year-old Ancient vampire who was known the world over as a professional persuader.

He stroked Mia’s hair comfortingly, then stepped forward.

“Given how you were able to approach that entire thing, the multi-pronged, highly calculative plan you executed so well, while harboring such profound feelings for our daughter, it’s clear that you deeply appreciate how much rationality and strategizing effectively matters.

With that said, even though emotions are high in this particular situation, it means you have the ability to summon that levelheaded approach now.

And you must. For your benefit as well as Ariana’s. ”

“If we weren’t summoning a levelheaded approach, we would have headed right back to Jaxon and Cornelius after they banished us to the Academy, and we would have fucking ripped into them,” Vorzyr told him.

“Especially Jaxon, after the way he made it crystal clear how much he hates the idea of us with Ariana. That’s essentially a threat, keeping us from our woman.

” He flashed a snide smile. “That said, we were rational enough to register that he’s Ariana’s family, so no harm can come to him from any of us.

That’s completely off the table. So, here we are, pursuing our own plan to track Ariana and bring her back to us. ”

Mia was obviously used to dealing with this sort of protective aggression from her own lovers, because she barely reacted to Vorzyr’s harsh words.

But then something sparked in her eyes, and Lucian turned toward her, nodding along.

They were obviously mind-linking.

Lucian eyed Vorzyr. “The fact that Jaxon is an Immortal Descendant didn’t come to mind when you were managing to employ this rational approach?”

Fuck. It was all I could do not to visibly tense or react.

“Knowing as a dragon you didn’t stand a chance of actually being able to rip his head off , or do much of anything against him, even if you employed your fire?” Lucian pushed. “Even Kai, as accomplished as he is, couldn’t hope to withstand Immortal Descendant might.”

He was pushing this too intently, probing.

Had Mia picked up on something concerning the consecrated ground? Had she felt that Vorzyr had a connection to it somehow?

“Well, that’s the thing about being dragon,” V responded. “Even when I’m being rational while something is upsetting me greatly, it’s strained and a struggle.”

I smiled inwardly at his response.

“That’s a noteworthy point,” Lucian agreed.

“And one I want you to pay heed to. As vampire, I experience a similar issue, but rather than animalistic reactions I need to tamper down, it’s my bloodlust. In times like this where emotions are running high, the struggle is indeed intense.

For you, being a great deal younger, it will be even more so, to the point where you may not actually be able to hold on to your control, where you may very well snap.

You saw Jaxon tonight and that was him restrained, with a great deal of experience controlling his wolf side, and with his Immortal Descendant side able to help check it as well. ”

Mia stepped forward. “If you attempt to take on Cassius, you will suffer greatly. You’ll sustain severe damage.

Ariana has just taken back her full power, so she will be in a state of flux.

She’s just been traumatized enough by watching all of you be harmed by a True Celestial being, and from being taken as well.

All of that will be causing her a great struggle as it is in order to control her power, especially at this stage of recent reunification.

If you arrive on the scene and she sees you hurt yet again, it could very easily push her too far.

She could go nuclear, for want of a better word.

That’s what it is in essence when she loses control, to be honest. We can’t allow that for the sake of the supernatural world, but also because Cassius is here to monitor her, and to test her stability.

The Celestial Plane is looking for any excuse to tear her from this plane.

Believing she is a danger that cannot safely exist here is one they will jump at. ”

She shifted her weight and took a moment, struggling with her own emotion over this entire situation. “And Ariana really cannot take another hit to her confidence where her ability to regulate her power is concerned. She can’t lose control. It will break her into pieces. She’ll lose all hope.”

“I strongly disagree,” I ground out. “She’s much more capable than you believe her to be.”

“There is a better way that you can help her,” Mia insisted. “And that’s why we’re here.”

“Ariana will be found and extracted from Cassius, regardless. That is already in motion, so you really don’t need to concern yourselves with that,” Lucian told us.

Mia nodded, then went on, “We’re here, not just to convey that, but because we need your help.”

“Our help?” Vorzyr queried.

“Yes. With Ariana discovering that we’ve kept a secret from her lately, she’ll be understandably upset, so she won’t come to us now. But she needs support through this. And we’re aware that she’s formed a strong bond with the three of you. That’s the best way you can help her.”

“She was already absorbing it well and we were helping her through it,” I told them.

Her and Lucian exchanged a heavy, disturbingly grave look that I didn’t like one bit.

“There’s more. That was just a part of a much bigger secret that we’ve kept for more than two decades. But now that Cassius is here, it will be revealed all too soon. Very likely, as we speak.”

A chill rolled down my spine. “What secret?”

“For us to be there for Ariana, we need to know,” Vorzyr insisted.

“And you will,” Lucian said with an edge, because Mia was growing more upset by the moment, wringing her hands, pinching the bridge of her nose, tears springing to her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her and tucked her into his side. “Would you like me to continue, beauty?” he asked her quietly.

“No,” she said, after a moment. “It’s okay, Lucian.” She looked out at the both of us. “Jaxon and my father had to strike a bargain with the Celestial Plane years ago before Ariana’s birth.”

“What kind of bargain?” V asked.

I remained silent, not liking where this was going at all.

An unsettling sensation of dread beset me.

Mia sucked in a steadying breath, then revealed, “A bargain to spare her life. However, it came at a cost.” She grimaced and looked absolutely wretched as she told us, “That cost was branding Ariana as a servant to the Celestial Plane.”

Vorzyr snarled.

I felt sick to my stomach.

“My life is not my own.”

Ari’s anguished words to us burned into me with a painful heat I could barely stand.

She hadn’t known the half of it when she’d uttered them.

Things were far worse than she’d known.

She’d just reached a good, strong, and positive place.

And now there was this.

It had the power to destroy everything.

To destroy us.