Page 29 of Ringmaster (The Kingdom of Shadow & Bone #1)

Azrael

Sleep is stolen from me, snatched away by a summons from Lucifer. It scorches against my soul, demanding my immediate presence. I bristle with irritation but wake from my short slumber more than refreshed. Mercy’s soul still lingers on my teeth—I lick over each fang, savoring the exquisite taste.

Another demand burns through me, sharp and agonizing.

I search for the bond I keep hidden and send a wordless reply of acknowledgement down it.

The pain subsides to a dull ache—a reminder that my presence is expected right away.

I snap my fingers, and fresh clothing wraps around me: a perfectly pressed black suit with ruby cufflinks.

Before vanishing downstairs in a cyclone of black mist, I steal a quick glance in the mirror to ensure I’m adequately put together for a meeting with the High Lord.

Downstairs, the house is empty and quiet, save for the servants who cling to the shadows, scurrying around and completing their tasks.

In the sitting room, I pour myself a glass of whiskey, unconcerned with the hour.

If I’m going to outwit the devil himself, I need something to settle my nerves.

It’s barely morning, and chances are Lucifer’s already been scheming.

Now that I’ve found my mate—and bound her soul to mine—everything is sure to intensify.

It’s no mating ceremony, but it’s a start.

And it keeps Mercy safe from anything that might try hunting her down in order to harm me… or the realms.

I take a sip and begin pacing in front of the fireplace. Guilt consumes me as I brew in my self-loathing. I’ve handed Mercy a death sentence, trading one life of confinement for another. Damning her to serve me for eternity. I feel terrible about everything I’ve done. What the hell was I thinking?

But I don’t have time to ruminate. The fireplace groans, then stretches—elongating and expanding—until the heavy stench of magic fills the air.

He’s arriving. Lucifer, the Morning Star, steps from the hearth and onto the black marble floor as if gliding.

The things I’d do to take the seat of the Morning Star.

Even sacrifice your one true love? A small voice whispers.

It’s unsettling, but I shrug it off. My gaze shifts to the second figure emerging from the hearth.

A lesser demon follows Lucifer’s every move, its stench of rotting flesh turning the air foul. Even the ancient magic recoils, shrinking away in disgust.

Strange. The Ringmaster’s absence from this little family reunion feels... intentional. I’m sure he’ll appear before the end—he always does. Unless he’s intentionally preoccupied, which would be on par for Lucifer and his games.

“Good morning, my lord,” I say, allowing the hint of disdain to bleed into my tone. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning summons?”

Lucifer’s lip pulls up in a snarling sneer, revealing his displeasure. He stares at me, stone-faced and unreadable, clearly assessing how far he plans to push me today.

“The enforcer,” he finally replies, motioning to the demon beside him, “has informed me your task is incomplete. You haven’t found or returned the hunter, and now he’s freed the Leyak. The two are wreaking havoc in the human realm.”

I shrink back from his confession. I haven’t had much spare time to continue the hunt, preoccupied with Mercy and the Fates. My duties to the High Lord have been completely ignored.

He continues to scold me, not waiting for a response. “The task remains incomplete, and now there’s unrest in the sector. Other monsters are attempting to escape, which doesn’t make things look good for me. Like I’m doing my job to maintain the balance, now does it, Azrael?”

I nod silently in agreement, unwilling to push my luck. Beside him, the enforcer lets out a harrowing roar, rattling the decorative pieces and glassware in the room.

“As you can imagine, our friend here is in quite a bit of pain—after allowing such an escape to happen. He’s one of my top enforcers, honestly, and I need him to be at full strength.

Find the missing monsters, Azrael, or you’ll soon find yourself suffering a disappointing fate.

” Lucifer growls, his words menacing, laced with the binding chains of hellfire he reserves for occasions exactly like this.

I clamp my mouth closed, refusing to scream out in agony as they twist around me, singing my skin as they sink below the surface, ensnaring me under their control.

“Now, now, Azrael. Come on, don’t look so disappointed in me. I gave you an order and you failed to deliver. Stop messing around with that girl from the town, find your mate, and send these monsters back to hell.”

I dip my chin in understanding, too afraid to speak—afraid he’ll sense the satisfaction staining my conscience from having found my mate. He doesn’t know about Mercy yet, and I have no intention of telling him anytime soon.

“Fail me again, and I think I know exactly what I’ll take as a sacrifice. Wouldn’t that be just tragic?” he taunts.

White-hot rage simmers within me. How dare he threaten to harm Mercy? I tamp it down, unwilling to give him the reaction he craves, and instead, I smile indifferently.

“No worries, my lord. I will complete your tasks immediately. You can expect the souls delivered by the end of the day tomorrow. Is that soon enough for your liking?” I retort, glaring at him.

“It will do,” he sneers, unhappily. “I expect both the hunter and the Leyak returned to their prisons in Hell—or you leave me no choice.”

With that, he steps back into the hearth, the demon trailing behind him. Just as quickly as they appeared, they’re gone—leaving me to my solitary brooding once more.

I toss back the remaining liquid from my drink, draining the glass, then hurl it into the hearth, where it shatters—just like the calm I’ve been clinging to.

I’ll find the hunter and the Leyak tonight.

Make no mistake. I won’t lose Mercy now that she’s mine.

Not that Lucifer could ever touch her—not while I still draw breath.

But it’s the principle. He threatened what’s mine.

A ripple of fear that’s not my own floods through me.

The only plausible explanation is Mercy.

It crashes through every one of my nerves, unfiltered, raw, and desperate.

I never realized the power of owning a soul that belongs to me.

The closeness. The connection. It’s so unexpected.

I never imagined it would feel like this.

Fracturing. Blinding. Mercy’s fear hits me like a blade through the chest.

Why didn’t I feel it sooner? Could she have unknowingly shielded herself from me? The questions don’t matter. All that matters is Mercy, and right now, I can sense she needs me.

I reach down the bond between us, soaring toward her mentally, but before I can reach her, I slam into a wall.

Thick and ancient. It drips with old magic.

Oozing decay and judgment, layered in whispers not meant for mortal ears.

My power recoils at its touch, and still I press forward, clawing at the barrier like an animal desperate to break free.

The Fates must be impeding our bond, stopping me from reaching her.

They’re the only creatures with magic this timeless and powerful.

Mercy must be dreaming of them in her sleep.

I reach again and again, until I’m exhausted.

Each attempt costs more than the last. Magic drains from my bones, fury tightens in my chest. I shouldn’t care this much—but I do.

I always have. Even when I pretended otherwise.

Frustration coils deep within me, then snaps.

Rage races down our bond and slams into the wall…

except there’s no longer a wall between us.

Finally, I break through. I search—inspecting, over-analyzing—and ensuring she’s unharmed.

When I’m satisfied, I pull her back into a dreamless slumber, just long enough to conjure the future I want her to see.

The life I hope we’ll share. I show her our hands tangled beneath silk sheets, her laughter echoing in a place made only for us.

I show her safety. Peace. Belonging. The child from her dream, cradled in gold.

The calm washes over Mercy, and I stay tethered to her, sending image after image down the bond—until I’m certain her fear has quieted.

Only then do I pull away, letting her drift into rest. As much as I ache to unleash the fury coiled inside me, to become shadow and storm racing through the streets to reach her—I can’t.

Not yet. Dawn hasn’t yet broken, and being caught now would be too risky.

I’m too close to bringing her home with me. Too close to fulfilling my destiny.

And I will do whatever it takes.

Every rule—shattered.

Every oath—forsaken.

Every realm—burned to ash.

If that makes me a traitor, so be it.