Page 71 of Wings of Darkness (Daughter of the Seven Circles #2)

Chapter

Forty-Six

RONEN

I stood next to Lucifer, who sat on his throne, gazing at all of Hell’s citizens mingling in their finery.

The blue bags beneath his eyes and the pallid tone of his face told me he was still transferring his energy to Saraqael.

I’d bet if I forced him to show me his arms, he’d have more carvings than he should.

“You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“When I ask for your opinion, General, you’ll know.”

My shadows curled around my palm, inching for an outlet. “You can’t keep going like this.”

Lucifer took a sip of his drink, nodding to a few passing souls. “I will not let anything happen to Saraqael. And I will not stop Lucille’s training. Sam is helping me.”

“Sam won’t be able to keep that up forever, either.”

“We don’t need forever. We just need until Lucille can save us.”

I turned to face him fully. “What? ”

Lucifer stood, ignoring me, and stepped down to talk to some dead noble. I had half a mind to rip him away and demand answers. How would Lucille save us? Did this have something to do with the deal he made?

Speaking of the hellion—where was she?

Her anxiety brushed up against my mind. She was probably nervous about the number of people who wanted to see the warrior who bested Moira .

My own anxiety was getting the better of me.

Tonight, I planned to tell her everything.

MJ was right—why not try for something good in my life?

Once the truth was out, if she still decided to love the pet, then fine.

But at least I would’ve tried. At least I’d have given her the freedom to choose with all the facts in play.

A sudden shot of guilt speared through her anxiety, along with concern from Rune.

What was up with the two ladies in my life?

After a moment, Rune sent me an urgent emotion, calling for me to link to our connection. Sighing, I followed the thread between our souls and connected with her senses. She stared at a wooden door, whimpering and scratching. Then she barreled into it.

Rune, I chastised.

She ignored me, sending waves of suspicion and worry.

Show me where you are.

She twisted her head back to show me the hellion’s room.

Who would’ve locked her in?

Rune sent more urgency down the bond and slammed into the door again.

Okay, I’m coming. Don’t break her door down .

I disconnected, but when I arrived at said door and saw it in splinters, I kicked myself. Rune was no longer there. I was about to reconnect when something exploded down the hall.

Wreathing my hands in shadows, I strode toward the source, only to find Alexei walking through my blasted-apart door.

“What the fuck?”

He winced, then quickly sobered. “Lucille and Oliver locked me inside your room after lying to me about talking to you.”

Odd. “They haven’t spoken to me since the challenge.”

“They were both still wearing their gear,” he added.

“I found Rune locked inside Lucille’s room.” I stepped on my broken door and entered the sitting area, scanning my weapons wall.

Tsal-mawet was gone. She’d stolen the dagger from my runed wall, along with many others.

I didn’t take into consideration that she could take my weapons. But we were technically two parts of a whole.

“What are you looking for?” Alexei asked, peering around.

“The dagger that created Hell. She stole it.”

Alexei’s eyes widened. “Barring the fact you didn’t tell me you found that particular dagger, why would she take it?”

“She asked for it after the challenge.”

“What does she want with it?”

There was only one thing the hellion wanted—to save her loved ones. And there was only one way to do that. I didn’t know how the knife came into play, but somehow, it did.

“She’s going to attempt to leave.” My shadows tightened on my hands and pressed against my eyes.

“But she can’t… can she?”

I sighed, a terrible feeling brewing deep in my gut.

“We’re about to find out.” I quickly connected to Rune. “They’ve stolen a carriage and cats, and they’re…” I waited. “At Portal Lake. Get MJ and meet me there.”

Alexei nodded before luscelering to find MJ. I wouldn’t risk time changing, so I ran to the roof in my expensive suit, manifested my wings, and took off. I reconnected with Rune on the way—and nearly lost all altitude.

“Fuck!” I shouted into the punishing air, feeling the hellion’s pain.

She had carved a symbol into the palm of her hand, and the moment her blood touched the lake, it began to swirl.

She opened the portal.

“No!” I bellowed. She couldn’t be ripped away from me now. She couldn’t enter my life like a blazing star, tearing apart all my barriers, and then disappear.

I put on a burst of speed and disconnected from Rune.

I could finally see the edge of the cliff, making out their tiny forms. They’d just finished backing up and were now starting to run. My heart slammed against my ribs, and worry—unlike anything I’d ever felt—stole all logical thought.

They jumped, and I tucked in my wings, plummeting with only one goal in mind.

Her.

They didn’t see me coming, too focused on the swirling mass of light and color.

Only a few feet away, I made myself known and threw out my shadows, hoping to create a barrier between them and the portal.

They bounced off and stopped, but I hadn’t realized how magnetic the pull of the portal would be.

The tail end of my shadows was already being sucked in, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to yank us back.

I dove and wrapped my body and wings around Lucille just as we were pulled into the vortex.

My name on her lips contorted as the wind stole our air and sense of gravity. We twisted and turned in the unknown force, and all the while, I held her with everything I had, refusing to let go.

No one was allowed to travel with the king to the circles. It was against the laws of Hell. So I had no idea where we’d end up—or what we were about to encounter.

I tightened my already crushing hold.

Seconds later, the lights darkened, and we crashed into warm water.

I didn’t even have time to put away my wings.

Like the clothes on my body, they soaked up the water like a sponge, threatening to drag us both down.

I released Lucille and pushed her to the surface, while my shadows helped pull me up as I kicked.

Breaking the surface, I immediately searched for her. She was inches away, staring at me with stunned surprise. Oliver and Rune popped up a moment later, and the lines in her face relaxed when she saw them.

I tilted my head up to the swirling gray sky, then just past the rocky beach to the miles of purple and black flame. Flames that were at least a mile away. But their sweltering heat flushed my face and warmed the lake we treaded in.

I had a feeling I knew where we were.

“Lucille,” I said in a grave tone. “Where did you bring us? ”

Before she could answer, something splashed behind me. I whipped around, and a piece of the sinking dread lightened.

“Lucy, if Ronen doesn’t rip your ass a new one, I sure will!” Alexei shouted, slowly swimming over. His dappled wings dragged behind him, explaining both his slow progress and irate expression.

“Not until you’ve had your bottle and we’ve changed your diaper,” MJ mocked, swimming with ease beside him. She must’ve put her wings away right before diving in.

“What am I, just chopped liver?” Oliver added.

Alexei twisted, about to yell at him too.

“Let’s swim to the beach, and then you two can explain yourselves.”

No one complained about my recommendation. It took a few minutes, but we all swam to the rocky, black beach. I grimaced as gravity tugged at my drenched wings, their tips dragging across the heated stones. I kept the irritation and pain to myself, unlike someone else.

“This is why we don’t fucking fly into Portal Lake! This is why we don’t fly near water at all! What the hell were you two thinking?” Alexei jabbed a finger at Lucille and Oliver.

Immediately, I felt her defenses go up.

“We were thinking we were doing this alone!” she shouted back. “But you three and Rune had to spoil that.”

“Spoil that? Excuse me , Princess. One challenge must’ve gone to your head if you think you can just go portaling into the Seven Circles of Hell by yourself and survive!” Alexei gestured toward me. “Tell them, Ronen. ”

I wanted to. I wanted to rage at her just as Alexei was. This place—what I was now certain was the Immolation Circle, based on the sweltering heat—was the most dangerous circle of them all. Every instinct I had set my shadows slithering across both our bodies, alert and ready.

But as I stared into her double-ringed eyes, seeing and feeling her resolve, I knew my words would be as useless as Alexei’s. She planned to come here and save the pet, and nothing would sway her. She believed a Hell Rune controlled him, and that Lilith had my feather.

Could it be possible?

Lucifer had told me he checked for my feather in their kingdom ages ago, that I never needed to search there. Did Lilith hide it that well? Or did she not have it then? Regardless, if she had it, I needed to steal it back. And I supposed… the pet too.

Additionally, Lucille held the key to Portal Lake. I didn’t know how or why, but she was our only way out. We either complied, or she would leave us here. And there was no way in this circle or the next I’d let that happen. Which meant Alexei, MJ, and I better get filled in.

“Tell us your plan—and how we can help.”

She scrunched her face, and I regretted the doubt I sensed in her.

I’d put that there. I’d forced her away, and now she didn’t trust my intentions.

But why would she? I knew what she wanted.

She planned to rescue the pet, and she knew I hated him.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that I’d rather be by her side, making sure she was protected, than have her go it alone.

I should’ve figured that out sooner, along with her plan. But never in my imaginings did I believe someone could escape Hell.

“You said you wouldn’t help?—”

I stepped into her space, cutting her off. “I will help you rescue Aspen if you tell us your plan and allow us to adjust it so we can make sure everyone escapes unscathed. Okay?”

She searched my face, lips parted slightly.

I wanted to kiss her. Or at least allow her to feel the tingles vibrating at my fingertips, the ones I continued to block from her senses.

As much as I wanted to tell her, to let her feel what was between us, now wasn’t the time.

If we were to succeed, she needed to stay focused, not thrown off balance by a secret I’d kept for two months.

“Thank you,” she breathed. Her eyes glistened with relief, and I had to step away before I really did kiss her.

Alexei gaped at me. Anyone else, and I’d probably force them to take us back.

But she wasn’t just anyone, and I wasn’t sure I could force her to do anything.

MJ didn’t look surprised. If anything, she surveyed the landscape with eager eyes.

Oliver grinned. Rune sat beside him, her shadow fur whipping chaotically.

She didn’t like it here. This sweltering circle was her birthplace.

Which meant we also had to watch out for Hellfire and Hellhounds.

Lucille turned, pausing as she took in the Hellfire fields. “I believe we need to go through that, get to the base of those cliffs, and find a cave with a portal that’ll take us to the Tenebrous Kingdom.”

Alexei stretched his sagging wings in an attempt to dry them. “There’s no portal to the Tenebrous Kingdom here, beautiful.”

“Yes, there is.”

I internally cringed as I expanded my own wings, muscles straining under the weight. “The only portal that leads to Elora is Hell’s gates. ”

“Trust me. There’s one here.”

She believed that. I could feel it. “Where did you get your information?”

“Aspen.”

Alexei’s wings dropped. “That piece of shit prince?” He grabbed her shoulders. “You can’t trust a word he says. How has he even contacted you?”

I glanced at MJ, surprised she wasn’t chiming in, only to find her scrutinizing me. I could see the gears turning, piecing things together—my silence, what I’d told her earlier about Lucile loving another. She shook her head, lips tight with disapproval. Not for the pet. For me.

“It doesn’t matter. But Oliver and I are rescuing him.”

“The prince can’t be saved. He’s a lost cause. If anything, we should drag him here and leave him to burn.”

A strange pulse of energy flowed through Lucille, muddying her other emotions. She whipped out a knife and leveled it beneath Alexei’s chin. “I’d refrain from saying things like that. If you don’t want to come, then stay. We only need Ronen to remove the Hell Runes.”

Alexei slowly released her and turned toward me. “What the fuck is going on, Ronen?”

I sighed. “Lucille believes Lilith is controlling him with my feather. If that’s the case, we need to get it back. And if we save the pe—prince along the way, so be it.”

“Excuse me? I know she’s your cor?—”

My shadows flew out, tightening around his neck. “Careful.”

He gave me a sharp nod, and I released him.

Alexei cleared his throat. “This could be a trap. We could all end up burning here. ”

“No. Lilith wants me whole. There’s no trap here. But there could be one on the other side of the portal,” Lucille admitted.

“Then why go through with this?” Alexei pulled a dagger from her belt, nerves clearly fraying.

That same urgency flared in her. I didn’t understand it.

“I have no other choice,” she said quietly.

“We have to save my sister too,” Oliver added. “But we don’t know where she is.”

Alexei stole another blade, flipping and catching them repeatedly while fanning his wings.

MJ’s wings burst free, perfectly dry, and she laughed at Alexei’s distress. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Alexei whipped around. “You would think this would be fun! We don’t have any battle gear.

My wings are almost steaming as they slowly dry.

I’m about ready to say screw it and jump back in.

We’re not even close to the Hellfire fields—and there’s most likely a trap waiting for us inside that godforsaken kingdom!

And what about the fact that we’ll die if we don’t have Ember Metal? ”

“There will be some in the caves,” Lucille said.

“Your trusty prince tell you that?” Alexei snapped.

MJ wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “We’ll strategize along the way. It’ll make you feel better.”

“Hard to strategize when we don’t know what we’re getting into. No maps. No backup. We’ll be sitting ducks walking through that portal. No powers. Might as well just slit my throat now.”

MJ rolled her eyes. But Alexei had a point.

“We’ll run through every scenario we can with the resources we have before crossing the portal,” I said. “We’ve been through worse.”

Alexei scoffed and pointed a dagger at Lucille. “Beautiful, I better not die rescuing that scumbag.”