Page 37

Like they were already celebrating what this alliance could mean.

I looked away in time to take in the towering double doors that led into the throne room. I expected to feel nervous—or that familiar sense of panic—but none of it came.

Maybe my magic knew that this was the right call.

Or maybe I did.

The great doors opened to a small set of stairs that led down into a hall filled with demons and other creatures.

Denizens from all houses filled the space, but there were other creatures within, too.

Shifters, Fae, witches and mages, a few vampires.

As I breathed in, I caught the scents of all creatures.

My magic prickled as it recognised their presences.

The throne room was lit with torches, their flames the colour of ice. They were spaced around the room, lighting the entire room in a bright glow. Down the centre of the walkway were white petals.

I swallowed thickly, letting my eyes find the male himself.

The Elysian King.

He stood at the very end of the aisle. The throne room was so big, I couldn’t make out much of him other than his horns and power. It swept over everything, potent and strong.

The tattoo on my arm warmed comfortably, the one on my thigh moving ever so slightly.

I wasn’t sure if it was to reassure me or freak me out.

With Damon, I couldn’t be certain. My heartbeat skipped, but I still couldn’t bring myself to feel nervous or scared.

There were plenty of reasons to be terrified of making a mistake.

Because if this deal ended badly, it could mean the end of everything.

Sao stepped to the side, leaving Maeve and Hawk to finish guiding me the way. There was something symbolic in having my mates be the ones to give me away to another male, I thought. Perhaps not in a good way.

I owed them a lot . And once everything was done, I would show my appreciation.

That’s a nice thought, Angel , Elias said, but keep that to yourself .

Fuck . I threw up a few bonus barriers between them and my bonds, but I kept open access to their thoughts. I was not about to risk having my connection to them compromised, even if their worries were based on experience. There were people here who could use our thoughts—our connection—against us.

As we descended into the throne room, I assessed the magic of the room for anything that felt off.

That screamed wrong . Every time we’d faced one of Dante’s soldiers, there’d been a strangeness about them I’d never been able to identify.

Now, I knew it was him. The way he tried to alter Nyx’s magic.

Adrian and Rowan were tense sentries either side of me. I had a feeling they were seeking out the same anomalies.

But the further we walked, the less I felt. If Dante or any of his followers were here, then they were hiding themselves too well.

Damon had his hands behind his back, the robes he wore appearing more…

distinguished than earlier. Like he’d changed between entering the chamber and appearing here before his people.

There was a throne behind him, large and black like the rest of his palace.

The stone also had veins of silver and gold within it.

Like it, too, had been carved from the mountain.

Our eyes met; Damon lifted his chin, his chest heaving as he breathed in. His shoulders seemed to straighten as his eyes followed me down the rest of the aisle. Soft music played from somewhere in the room, the creatures quiet.

Maeve and Hawk stopped at the end of the walkway and split to cover either side of the aisle. I glanced at my vampire mate, who offered me a tentative smile and a single nod.

I blew out a breath as Damon reached out a hand.

“I love you,” Adrian said, gently releasing my arm. “And I trust you.”

Turning to him, I blinked rapidly. “Thank you.”

He took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckle softly.

Rowan released me next. “I believe in you,” he whispered. “We’ve got your back. Always.”

Dammit, I did not want to cry. So, I pressed my lips together and stepped towards Damon as both Adrian and Rowan joined Maeve and Hawk.

Elias and Orion closed in either side of me, my wolf shifter touching my hand lightly as a sign of support.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye as he moved to stand with Hawk and Adrian. When our eyes met, he winked at me.

Orion made no move to touch me, or offer any sort of reassurance, which I should have expected. But my heart still cracked a little bit at the clear dismissal. He stalked towards Maeve and Rowan, wearing the mask of the Luna Prince, not Ry, my first mate.

I shoved it aside and refocused on the demon king. His hand remained outstretched, and at my back, the tension of the other demons and creatures thickened the air. Magic pulsated under my skin, rising to the surface. Soft gasps filled the air as my magic, thin violet tendrils, danced over my skin.

Damon’s lips quirked. Like he understood there was acceptance from my magic.

But that didn’t mean there was full trust from me.

Taking his hand, I joined him in front of the throne. The tattoo on my right arm moved down the length of my forearm to wind partly around my wrist, and also around his.

I barely suppressed a gasp, but my gaze met his.

My eyes widened as the smile only grew. “My Queen,” he said, voice booming.

The music softened, and the creatures fell silent.

“I stand before you, not as the Elysian King and Protector of the Elysian Fields. I come to you as a humble, loyal follower of our Goddess Nyx, and a creature under your rule.”

I held my breath as his red eyes darkened. He lowered himself to one knee, keeping my hand trapped in his, eyes locked on mine. The crowd reacted, their gasps louder than before.

He was good at putting on a show .

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Not as my magic, still dancing across my skin, grew brighter. Not as my heart raced and the shadow tattoo warmed, tightening around our wrists.

I wanted to know what they all saw. But I understood the power in his actions.

He was showing the creatures under his rule who he bowed to.

Who he knelt to.

And that was the Queen of Nyx.

To me .

“I offer myself to you, Queen of Nyx,” he continued, voice darkening, eyes turning black. “I offer my body as your shield. My power as your own. I pledge not only my loyalty to you, but I promise you my eternal soul. I am yours.”

I inhaled sharply through my nose. Every word of his had been even.

Clear. The denizens of his kingdom understood the gravity of them.

There were hushed whispers. More gasps. A shuffle of surprise as the weight of his declaration settled upon us.

My mates each had their own thoughts on his speech.

Which I had to shove back, because if I focused too much on what they were thinking, then anxiety would take over.

Damon’s eyes bored into mine as he took my other hand. He turned my palm up so it faced the ceiling, keeping his hand beneath mine, holding it between us. I watched as a dark spot appeared in the centre of my palm.

“My soul is yours, my Queen,” he murmured, closing my hand into a fist around the new mark. “And should I fail you, it will remain yours for eternity.”