Page 164 of Princess of Bael

“The veil will fall,” Zerak continued. “And soon.”

“How many years?” Mietek asked.

Zerak smiled. “I guess you’ll have to interrogate that out of me, won’t you?”

Scion growled, his sword disappearing as he grabbed Zerak by the neck. The pair of them disappeared, causing Mietek to sigh.

“He’s right, you know. The veil is still going to fall. It’s always been inevitable.” He lifted his gaze to the sky before settling it on me. “This just resets the countdown clock.”

“Which means we can’t kill Zerak.”

“No, we cannot,” Mietek agreed. “But I would like to understand his choice to work with Dariel. Raziel isn’t a surprise; he always follows Dariel. But Zerak? Zerak is practical to a fault.”

I ran my hand over my face and nodded. “True.” Understanding his motives would help us decide how to move forward. “I want to know what he can tell us about the shadows in this realm.”

“My guess is Morax cast them,” Bael interjected, reminding us of his presence. He was squatting beside Kayla, his fingers gently stroking her wing. Johanna stood behind him with a hand on his shoulder, her gaze on Kayla, too. “The Shadow realm is near his own; it’s quite possible he’s found a way to control them. Which could explain Xai’s recent rise to power over them, too. They need a master to protect them.”

Mietek released a sardonic snort. “I highly doubt Xai will have any interest in protecting them.”

“No, but I suspect he’ll have an interest in countering the control of others and ensuring they remain in their own realm,” Bael replied.

The Archangel of Chaos considered that for a moment before dipping his chin. “That may be true. I’ll talk to him.”

“See that you do,” Bael said as he started gathering Kayla into his arms. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my daughter requires healing.”

I stepped forward. “Bael—”

“You’re to follow.”

He disappeared with her and Johanna before I could comment or react.

“Fuck.” What was with the Archdemons today and pissing me the fuck off?

“You can go to her in a minute,” Mietek said. “But I need your help with this cleanup first since it seems Scion isn’t coming back down to assist.”

My jaw tightened. “I can’t just let him take Kayla again.”

“And you won’t,” Mietek replied. “Help me clean up. She’ll be safe with him. Go retrieve her when we’re done.”

“She’s not a pet, Mietek,” I gritted out, irritated by his casual dismissal.

“No, she’s your mate.” He met my gaze. “Now stop wasting time and help me clean this up so you can return to her.”

The words held a double meaning.

He wanted to clean this all up so he could go to Fate.

Just as I wanted to chase after Kayla.

“Bonds are a powerful creation,” he added, his tone almost fatherly. “We cherish them, and we do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Sometimes that means sacrificing time. Sometimes that means infuriating our other halves through our protective decisions. Regardless, it’s worth it. Because their souls are what keep us going. Their hearts are what we live for. And the connections are where true power lies.”

“This is the kind of lecture I needed in the beginning, not the comments about using her.”

His lips twisted into a wry smile as he slowly shook his head. “We both know that’s a lie, Ezra. You’re ready to hear the words now because you finally understand. She’s your new purpose. Keep her safe. Cherish her. And be prepared to grovel a little. You just abandoned her in Hell again. I can’t imagine she’ll be too pleased with you when she wakes.”

My jaw clenched. “Fucking Bael.”I’m coming for you, Kayla. Don’t give up on me.

She didn’t reply, either because she couldn’t hear me or because I’d already pissed her off by not immediately following her father.