Page 30 of Eternal Mate

“I’m not good at portals yet,” Ashe begrudgingly admitted. “I only made my first one recently, and that was under panic.”

“Then you’d best learn quick, starting now. Come. The rest of you know what to do.”

I shot a look at Elias. He really looked like he wanted to protest Barimuz teaching Ashe anything, but a look from Ashe himself made him shut his mouth.

“Fine,” the hybrid said with a sigh, getting to his feet. “Let’s do this.”

Everyone else did the same, then filed out of the building and went their separate ways. Ashe trudged after Barimuz, but the demon stopped and half-turned when Auren started following, too.

“Your presence isn’t needed, young man. Unless you can also make portals?” Barimuz commented.

Aria and I stopped to watch and listen.

“Is there a problem with me being there?” Auren challenged, crossing his arms.

Seeming to notice the slightly rising tension, Ashe held up his hands. “Uh, he just wants to chaperone for peace of mind. That’s what he said, anyway.”

Barimuz narrowed his eyes. “I heard no such conversation.”

“It was a mind conversation.” Ashe tapped himself on the head pointedly.

The Archdemon wasn’t stupid. It didn’t take him long to piece what he’d meant together.

“You have a mate bond,” he said, eyes widening. “How is that possible?”

Ashe shrugged. “Like we know. I was pretty sure this couldn’t happen, either, but here we are.”

Barimuz brought a finger to his chin in thought. “Maybe your blessed-blood half overrode your demon half,” he said a few seconds later. “No one with demon blood has ever been recorded as having a soulmate, and it’s supposedly impossible, but… demon hybrids are the rarest kind. There might just not be enough information.”

“Or maybe Lucifer isn’t as good at making laws as he thinks,” Ashe quipped. “He seems more crazy than smart.”

“That might be so. Let’s go, then.”

He changed his tune about Auren pretty quick, I said to Aria as we watched the trio leave. It might have been my imagination, but Barimuz seemed to be a lot less tense than before.

Remember what he said about soulmates? I keep telling you he’s got a better side!

I snorted. Good for him, I guess.

12

A BITTER VICTORY

ARIA

Alarms sounded off throughout the encampment, just like we’d known they would.

Sariel and I left our walk and sprang into action to meet up with Atlan at our previously discussed meeting point. As we ran along, I saw a dark shape in the sky quickly approaching our compound.

God, I hope Ashe will be okay transporting him, I worried.

We can only hope, Sariel grimly answered.

Atlan was already waiting for us at the spot in the woods. He nodded at us seriously, shifted—I felt Sariel tense at his appearance—then took us through the portal to the cavern.

This place was a mile away from the compound. Set into a cliff face, it was extremely wide, yet didn’t go very deep at all into the rock, and sunlight streamed through small holes in its ceiling. The magic circle Zuzanna had helped create was already carved into the rock itself, taking the shape of an extremely complicated pentagram that I couldn’t very well read.

Barimuz had said this chosen arena would be perfect for the trap he had planned; Azazel would be easiest to kill when bound down, he’d explained.

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