Page 124 of Unleashing Chaos

“Tell me I was right about him and the way he feels about you. Let your old man win this last battle.”

A grin spreads across my face. I’m happy to give my father this victory fair and square.

“You were right. Even when we came here the first time, and it was all a ruse to buy me a little more time, it was real. It was just that neither one of us was ready to admit it yet.”

He nods and flashes a proud smile. “A good ruler always knows when to admit they’re wrong. You’ll make a great, lazy queen.” Father gives me a kiss on the forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you,” I say, choking back tears.

He pulls back and nudges me in the direction of Jace. “Let’s get your eternal partner home so we can complete the ceremony and bond him to his form. I’m guessing you want to keep him as he is.”

“Yes,” I say with a laugh.

I return to the carriage to find Jace leaning on the side, his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn’t say a word, just pulls me to him, where I can safely let my emotions go. When I feel drained, yet a little lighter, I pull away and say, “Are you ready to face life in Infernis?”

His lips pull into that contented smile that always melts my heart. “If that entails being your eternal partner and sharing a bed with you, then yes.”

I sweep my arm in front of me and bend at the waist, saying, “Then after you, my king.”

Epilogue

JACE

One Year Later

The last thing I should be is the king of Sloth. Anyone who knows me would say it’s asinine. I thrive on productivity, order, and most of all, control. The slightest change in my schedule sends my entire day into disarray. Yet here I am ruling the most laid-back of the seven circles of Infernis by my wife’s side.

Desi cares for the energies under her rule in a way I can’t. She understands what they need to feed their lazy natures. She is so attentive and kind, always striving to make them happy. And that is where she turns to me.

I know how to make her visions for our Circle come to life. Everything from the dark caves where some choose to live to the ice-cream shops with hammock swings in the center for naps, even the lazy river that winds through our Circle, were my creations.

We make quite the team, designing our little piece of forever together. I never imagined that chaos and order could create something so flawless.

But Desi did.

I was too stuck in my head but she saw what we could be together. She knew it when she accepted Cannon’s offer to be her eternal partner, and when I let her leave. I was the idiot who almost let her slip through my fingers—a mistake I will never make again. And I think I’ve found the perfect way to prove it to her.

She fidgets with the scarf I tied over her eyes as I race down the road in my demon-made sports car—a perk of living in my new realm.

“Don’t you dare peek, Desideria,” I chide, fighting to keep a straight face. She is adorable when she’s nervous.

“I’m not going to peek, Daddy,” she teases, reaching over to squeeze my thigh.

I shift under her touch, hungry for more, but manage to keep the desire she invokes in check. “Keep it up and I’ll pull this car over and show you just how Daddy I can be.” She opens her mouth and I place my hand over it. “And before you say that’s fine with you, I suggest you opt for the surprise over the spanking.”

She licks my palm and laughs when I squeeze her cheeks. “Fine. But only because I really want to know what you’ve been up to. Just so you know, though, I might try to earn a spanking later anyway. How about that?”

“I wouldn’t expect any less from you,” I say with a chuckle, wiping my hand on my pants.

I must hand it to Desi; she has only hounded me for details about my secret project a few dozen times. That is the height of patience for her. I’ll admit that it was tempting to give in when she offered sexual promises that made my imagination run wild. I’d managed to resist, which was difficult considering the chances have been rare lately; our grueling schedules have kept us busier than I’d like.

After Desi, my attention has gone to the demons who help us run our Circle. I listen to their concerns and work to find solutions that will best meet their needs. Every extra moment I’ve had, I’ve slipped away to ensure every detail of my gift to her was just the way I pictured it. The wait is finally over, and I can’t wait to show her what I’ve been up to.

In a hurry to get to our destination, I floor it, and we speed down the tree-lined road. Immortality has given me the freedom to let go of some of the worries that used to weigh me down. I still have moments when ruling gets the better of me. My anxiety hasn’t just gone away because I’m a king. The eternal happiness of countless energies relies on me and Desi, but I no longer fear what lies ahead. I’ve found safety and trust in the arms of a stunning demon, and death no longer has a hold on me.

“Are we almost there?” she asks, her knee bouncing rapidly in the seat, fingertips drumming on her thigh.

I reach over and grab her hand, clasping her fingers with mine and planting them on her leg, calming her nerves enough that she stops shaking her thigh. “Yes, Mrs. Impatient.”

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