Page 120 of Unleashing Chaos

“I can’t believe you were going to bond yourself to this asshole for the rest of your existence,” Colére says, pushing a restrained Cannon forward.

The remorse written on Cannon’s face tugs at my heart. It isn’t the type of regret someone has when they’re caught doing something wrong. The sadness radiating from him is like a heavy weight causing his shoulders to slump and his face to contort in pain. Perhaps I’m mistaking his fear of punishment for something deserving of pity. Knowing that Dex may sentence him to the Perpetual Torment and set his soul on its final journey should trigger regret. It’s hard to decipher what the true state of his emotions is.

“He’s not an asshole,” I mumble under my breath, and Jace looks down at me, squeezing my hip.

I resent the tears that fill my eyes as we walk toward the atrium where Dex presides. I don’t want to shed a tear for Cannon, not knowing for sure what his true motives were, but I can’t help it. All the memories we made together are rushing back to me—all the Star Wars movies we watched on the couch, the trips to eat fried pickles, ice skating, target shooting—was all of that a ruse and am I that foolish?

“I know,” Jace says, placing a kiss on top of my head. “It’s hard to believe that my little hurricane is a softhearted demon queen.”

My lips lift into a reluctant smile and as we stop behind the rest of my family, I turn to him and press my body flush against his. Rising to my tiptoes, I whisper, “I may have some soft spots, but don’t worry, I have plenty of rough patches that I save especially for my king.”

“Rough patches?” One side of his mouth quirks. “I’m very interested in seeing what those parts entail.”

“And I’m happy to show you.”

Jace places a hand on either side of my face and presses his lips to mine. “You’re all over the place right now. I think you can’t figure out if you want to ravish me in the back of the carriage or do your duty and get to the bottom of what Cannon was up to when he came here.”

I smile against his mouth. “Oh, no, I’ve figured it out. I want nothing more than to take the carriage back to the palace, ravish you in my bed, and then figure out Cannon’s motivations in the morning. Unfortunately, that’s not an option.”

He shakes his head, and we follow my family.

My father leads the way up the white steps to the enormous stone doors. The moment we step inside, the atmosphere changes. It becomes lighter, as if nothing resides in the space. We are no longer in Infernis, or Pax, or the human realm. This is the gateway to the In-Between—the place the most powerful being in the universe calls home. Images depicting the creation of the realms are chiseled into the arched ceiling, which is held up by towering columns. The judicial building has no walls, giving a clear view of the billions of tiny lights zipping across a black backdrop. There is no beginning and no end to what lies beyond, just the In-Between. When my mother and father are ready to take their final journey together, they’ll walk through this building and into the onyx oblivion.

A shiver runs down my spine as I take in a wide hole in the middle of the floor. It’s the brightest white I’ve ever seen, but instead of all of the chaos and beauty of Infernis or peace and light of Pax, it’s nothing but a meaningless reflection of the two. It’s the embodiment of nothingness. The Perpetual Torment.

A woman sits behind a raised desk and peers down at us. Her eyes, such a dark shade of brown that they’re almost black, rake over each of us. Her black hair is pulled into a tight bun, placing her sharp nose and round cheeks on perfect display. The golden robe she wears contrasts with her red lipstick but complements her brown skin.

“Chaos,” she says, and her voice is steeped with authority, even more so than my father’s. “My clerk has filled me in on the gist of the story here, but I want to hear directly from the parties involved—namely Desideria and Cannon.” She looks around the room, her bottomless eyes landing on all of us before saying, “Where is Angelo?”

My father opens his mouth to answer, but his words are cut short when the doors to the atrium fly open and bang against the wall with an echoing thud.

“Who is that?” I ask whoever’s listening.

“Angelo,” my dad and Mandis answer at the same time, both rolling their eyes.

The ruler of all tranquil things looks as if he just came off a hard night with his rock band. His shaggy blond hair flows past his shoulders, and his beard is in desperate need of a trim. The attire he chose for today is more fitting for a day at the beach than to witness his son’s judgment by the most powerful being in existence. He’s out of place in his fringed shorts, tie-dyed T-shirt with a peace sign over the chest, and leather flip-flops. I expected a lot of things from the ruler of Pax, but this wasn’t one of them.

“Sorry I’m late. I was in the middle of this relax fest and just chilling to some psychedelic tunes. Man, there is nothing like some shrooms and great music to help you find your zen.”

Dex raises a sculpted brow and clicks her tongue on the top of her mouth. “If you’re done enlightening us about your latest head trip, we have a problem that needs to be addressed. And why am I not surprised, Angelo, that it involves your son?”

The older angel flashes a look that makes Cannon flinch.

“Father,” Cannon says, the normal certainty he speaks with muted into a timid greeting.

“How and why did you end up in Infernis?” Angelo’s voice is so buttery smooth, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was actually confused. “Do you want to kill every demon who lives there? Explain. Now.”

Jace shifts beside me and crosses his arms over his chest. He lifts his brows and gives Cannon his undivided attention. The next words that come out of our friend’s mouth will make or break them, these two men who have formed a tight friendship built on so many common interests. I don’t think any of that was fake; at worst, it was a side effect of Cannon’s ulterior motives.

Cannon’s eyes harden with rage. “What do you mean how did I end up here? You sent me to distract her by, and I quote, ‘Any means necessary.’ And when I told you how well Desi and I got along and what a tough time I was having deceiving her, you suggested I should become her eternal partner. Where did you think I’d have to go to marry her, Dad?”

Angelo shakes his head and laughs. Laughs. “Cannon, you must’ve skipped school on the day they talked about what happens if an angel goes to Infernis. I would never suggest that.”

Cannon’s eyes narrow. “You know damn good and well I never missed a day of school. They never—”

“They did, you just weren’t listening. Just like you weren’t listening when I told you that you can’t bond yourself to a demon in her realm. Why would you want to do this? You two aren’t sexually compatible. All the headaches of marriage without any of the fun.”

“Agreed,” Lux says.

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