Page 66 of Eternal Mate

I took a steadying breath and turned to head my own way, scanning the room for Barimuz in the hopes he would send me home. I’d been here long enough; there was no telling how much time I had lost back home, and Sariel was probably growing ever more furious with me.

But then I spotted Mikey.

His gaze was fixed on the ground as his jaw clenched and unclenched with unspoken emotions, his misery a tangible force in the room.

Without hesitation, I enveloped him in a tight embrace that he immediately returned.

“There’s just… so much,” he choked out, and I squeezed him tighter in response.

Where Kiyomasa had little to say, my brother-in-law obviously had the opposite problem, so overwhelmed with emotion and things he needed to say that there was no way to get it all out.

Remembering his daughter—who he would never get to meet until a century passed, and wasn’t that just the cruelest kind of torture?—and mate, my heart broke for him.

"They'll all be alright, Mikey," I whispered. "I won't let them be anything else. I promise."

Michaelson chuckled, gratitude and vulnerability coloring his voice.

"Promise me that none of you will come back," he implored, his words causing my heart to ache. "At least not until it’s your time. I want all of you to find happiness, Aria. Please, just… be happy."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I squeezed him once more, attempting to swallow the lump in my throat. He released me, but held onto my shoulders firmly, his gaze locking with mine.

"I promise," I managed to utter, my voice breaking with emotion.

The squeak was followed by a sob, and he groaned dramatically, giving me a playful shake.

"None of that! We won, so get out of here!" he exclaimed with a mix of exasperation and affection. "Seriously, this place sucks. Take care of our family."

He pushed me gently, and I turned. I saw Kiran conjuring a portal, the swirling vortex waiting to transport me home.

But before stepping through, I couldn't help but hesitate, taking one last look at their familiar faces.

They all gave me the brightest smiles they could muster, and I tried to return them through my tears.

As I moved to finally leave, my gaze caught Barimuz's piercing stare.

His head dipped. “I’ll be in touch.”

I pursed my lips before stepping through.

Stepping through the portal, that familiar tingling sensation swept over me, and I emerged on the other side.

I'd been transported from the throne room in Hell to the quiet familiarity of my home at the compound. The air felt different here, lighter and more serene, contrasting starkly with the chaos and darkness I had left behind.

It was almost eerie how peaceful everything was, actually. Birds were singing in the trees, which were a beautiful green as they swayed gently in the breeze.

The quiet was almost too much after everything I’d been through.

As I approached the front door to the apartment building, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders, I was greeted by a sight that tugged at my heart.

My mate.

Sariel spotted me in the same moment I did him, his fiery hair a mess, dark rings under his beautiful eyes. It was clear that he’d endured his own trials and tribulations in my absence, probably worrying himself sick over me.

Wonder soon flooded his expression. He hurriedly closed the distance between us, his steps quick and urgent.

Without a word, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms encircling me protectively.

"I was so worried," he whispered into my hair, his voice filled with relief and exhaustion. "You were gone for so long, and I didn't know if you were ever coming back."

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