Page 57 of Eternal Mate

The coronation. I hadn’t seen wrong, after all.

I shook my head at myself. I’d almost forgotten that Mikey was Azazel’s son, and therefore Hellbound like any other—I really should have expected this.

I could process the fact that he was alive in some capacity later. We had a job to do.

“Why not Kiyomasa as the other demon representative?”

Auren surprised everyone by suddenly speaking up. His mouth was set in a firm, unreadable line.

Barimuz paused, giving my brother an indecipherable look. “I doubt he would want any part in this,” he said.

Ashe scoffed. “But he’d do anything for Auren!”

Barimuz’s horned head tilted in acknowledgment. “Given that we are going to perform a sealing spell that goes against most laws of nature, I doubt he would be interested in participating. He seems sensitive to issues involving the natural order of the world, even if it would benefit him by getting him out from under Lucifer’s thumb.”

Nobody could argue with that, considering the man had taken up arms in defense of hybrid-kind because people tried to slaughter them rather than let nature take its course.

Auren waved a hand. “Fine. It was just a thought. If you and… Mikey are willing, then it’s no real loss.”

He stumbled over our brother's name. I had to sympathize.

"Now, the real question: who gets to be the bridge?" Barimuz mused, folding his arms over his chest.

I felt several pairs of eyes land on me, and a cold sweat broke out across my skin. The thought of spending any time in Hell—even if it was just to make sure Lucifer couldn't leave it—made me nauseous.

Aria squeezed my fingers reassuringly. I let out a slow breath.

Auren's eyes flickered toward Atlan for a moment. "What about Kiran?” he asked. “He has connections to both Heaven and Hell. You said Lucifer stole him, right?"

Predictably, the wolf twin stiffened, completely shutting down as those words sunk into us all.

Reese reached for him and squeezed his forearm, and he surprised me by giving her a brittle smile of thanks.

Barimuz's expression soured. He let out a sigh. "That is true, but I would need to give it more thought than we have. It's very likely he’s too tainted by Hell’s energies at this point."

I shuddered to think about what that meant.

The flames of the bonfire flickered, casting dancing shadows upon our faces. It was as if nature itself was urging us forward.

The incoming decision was a collective burden we were prepared to bear. We had faced countless trials together, and this was yet another step in our shared journey.

Barimuz sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Fine. I will speak to Kiran, but I make no promises. If he refuses or simply cannot be used, we must be ready with an alternative plan."

Auren leaned forward, begrudging gratitude evident in his voice. "Thank you, Barimuz."

"Don't mention it. We all have a stake in this."

The Archdemon shrugged as if it was no big deal, but we all knew better. None of us had forgotten how… passionate he had been when everything with Azazel and the cosmic laws came to light.

Barimuz was furious, and biding his time.

“I will reach out to Michael and see if he will assist,” Barimuz continued, “though I doubt he would deny us, given the circumstances.”

With that, he vanished as abruptly as he’d appeared, leaving a small cloud of black in his wake.

As we sat in the glow of the bonfire, the evening grew deeper, and the night sky unfolded above us, adorned with twinkling stars. Our conversation shifted to delve into the specifics of the ritual and the challenges that awaited us. We discussed strategies, shared knowledge, and fortified our resolve.

A sense of unity washed over us. We were a diverse group, brought together by circumstance and a shared purpose. Each one of us possessed unique strengths and weaknesses, but together, we formed a formidable alliance.

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