“They do, do they?” Lillien teases, though her tone is razor-thin.
“Ancient history,” I snap, catching her face in my palm. “I love you. Nothing will happen with Velora.”
Bastion sits up, grin lazy. “I’ll go with him, Hellcat. Keep him in check.”
“I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”
“Sure you don’t.” She pats my chest and turns, leaping into Bastion’s arms. He catches her, kissing her with a laugh.
My jaw tightens as I open a portal. “Let’s go.”
Cassiel smirks from the bed as I shoot him another glare. “Behave yourselves.”
And Bastion and I step through the portal, leaving my mate tangled in my brothers’ arms.
The archives are silent when the portal spits us out, the air heavy with dust and incense.
She appears almost instantly, stepping out of the shadows as if she’s been waiting for me all this time. Velora. Her lips curve, sly, eyes glinting as they rake over me.
“I thought you forgot about me.” Her voice drips like honey, low and teasing.
I snort, fist slamming into Bastion’s chest before he can open his mouth. “I always keep my word.”
She tilts her head, smile widening. “Mmm. I like that in a man.”
Bastion clears his throat pointedly, and I catch the roll of his eyes. I ignore him as my eyes lock on her. “What do you want from me?”
Her smile falters, softens into something almost fragile. “I’m jealous,” she says. “Of what you have.”
Bastion clears his throat loud enough to echo. “He’s already mated, witch. Best watch yourself.”
Velora rolls her eyes. So do I. I’m already fucking irritated.
“That’s not what I meant,” she snaps. “I want what you have. A mate. Love. But I can’t find it—because I’m trapped here. The archives. My tower. Lucifer keeps me on a leash so tight I can barely breathe.”
“And what the fuck does that have to do with me?” I demand.
She hesitates, gaze flicking away, then back. “Talk to him. To your father. Ask him to release me. I’ve served my time. I’ve been here longer than you’ve been alive. I’ve suffered long enough.”
I bark out a laugh, sharp and humorless. Her mouth tightens into a frown. “There’s nothing I could say that would change his mind,” I tell her. “Especially after what happened with Lillienand Zepharion. My mate isn’t even allowed in Hell anymore—not after mating with all three of us.”
“I know,” Velora says quietly. “I know what he fears. He’s afraid of her power.”
Bastion laughs outright, the sound booming in the cavernous chamber.
I nod once. “That’s what I assumed. So tell me, Velora—what the fuck do you expect me to do?”
She flinches, then steps closer, voice softening until it brushes the edge of a whisper. “I’ve always been good to you, Deimos. Always given what I could, when no one else would. I kept your secrets. I helped you when you had no one else to turn to.” Her smile wavers, trembling between coy and broken. “Don’t I deserve this one kindness in return?”
Her hand almost lifts toward me, then falls uselessly at her side. “Break me out. Please. I can’t stay chained here any longer. I’ll never find my mate if I do.”
I hesitate. Bastion’s jaw tightens, his voice a low growl. “Don’t do this. It’s reckless. You’ll damn us all.”
“Maybe,” I mutter, still staring at Velora. She looks back at me, eyes shining with something that isn’t quite hope, isn’t quite desperation—something she knows how to wield. My blood hums with defiance.
“Fuck it.”
I tear open a new portal, hellfire sparking at my fingertips, and gesture sharply. “Let’s go.”
