Page 26 of Princess of Bael

Rather than say any of that, I merely shrugged and turned back to the growing map. “I’ll show you your guest room options, then we’ll check the map again in six hours.”

I didn’t wait for her to agree, just started toward the door and tucked in my wings as I stepped into the hallway once more. The width more than accommodated my feathers, but it still left me feeling a bit boxed in with the ceiling over my head. Twelve feet never felt tall enough, as it would be hard to fly in such a confined space. Fortunately, it only lasted for the length of time it took me to find the kitchens and the back staircase. It was wide open with glassless panes all around it, allowing me to come and go as needed from this space.

Of course, that same area probably left Kayla a bit uneasy since it meant a simple misstep could plummet her to the ground below. I glanced over my shoulder to briefly check on her and found her gazing out into the courtyards—this time with a view of the pool and its waterfalls—with an expression of wonder on her face, not fear.

“Don’t let the view distract you,” I cautioned. “We have three stories to climb, and I don’t want to play ‘fetch the falling demon’ right now.”

She snorted in response but didn’t otherwise comment.

I took that as a sign to continue upward along the spiral of stairs. No banister, of course. Not that Kayla seemed to need one.

The third floor, which was technically the second floor in my home, just three stories up, boasted more windowless halls and skylights above that could be opened via a latch.

I led her to the guest quarter wing, then gestured at the three separate doors.

“You can stay in any room, but I recommend this one”—I pointed to the room with windows overlooking the front of the house—“if you want to feel more secure. The other two have open walls meant to accommodate wings. This room, however, has glass doors that lead to a balcony with railings. Towels are in the en-suite bathrooms. There are probably some clothes in the closets, too. Guests come and go.”

The Divinity had a lot of admirers, and rather than house angels at their respective residences, I hosted them here where I could watch them.

Steeling myself, I finally allowed myself to face Kayla again.

And felt the air deflate from my lungs.

Stunning.

It was the only word I could use to describe seeing her standing beneath the sun’s rays, her hair illuminating in various shades of brown, some of which were tinged with red.

Fuck, it hurt to look at her, to see how beautiful she’d become, and then to catch those agonized layers in her caramel-colored irises.

I cleared my throat and forced my gaze away from her. “Do you need anything else?”

“Alastor’s blade?” she asked sweetly.

My eyes slid back to her, my momentary thrall burning to ash at my feet. “Try to sleep, Kayla. And just a reminder, there’s food in the kitchens if you need it.”

Rather than stand around to wait for whatever retort she imagined, I stepped toward one of the outside exit points and took flight.

Try to sleep, I repeated to myself.Because I doubt I’ll be sleeping at all.Not with a potential assassin in my home.

As much fun as it would be to engage in a lethal dance with my mate, I had work to do.

And a balance to evaluate.

War is coming, I thought, my feathers bristling in the wind.What side will we fall on?

Kay

This place is a palace,I decided as I wandered down the hall toward the back stairs.

The “guest room” Ezra had given me for the night was more like a full apartment than a room. It had a living area, en-suite kitchen, a half bath near the dining room—which had a table for six in it—another bathroom in the master suite, and a final room set up like an office.

As the daughter of an Archdemon, I was used to opulence. My father’s estate was at least four times the size of this one, but he also had an army of staff who lived with him. From what I could tell, Ezra lived here alone.

Which begged the question—where do the members of the Divinity stay?

I wandered down the stairs, my gaze snagging on the exterior once more. Night had fallen while I’d slept, thoroughly confusing my sense of time.

Of course, I’d spent the last ten thousand years or so in Hell. And nothing about the moons’ or suns’ cycles down there could be consideredtypical. They changed based on mood and the desire to shine.