Page 9 of Eternal Mate

I talked their ears off as we led them up the stairwell. Ashe was steadily typing on his phone, working through the details and making notes.

“I’ll text Elias about getting your apartment set up,” he told them after a moment, breaking in on my rambling about how distant Atlan and Reese had been since Barimuz saved them. “It shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”

“You guys can come and rest in ours,” I offered, earning a small smile from them both. “We have a shower and everything. Plus, Sariel did another painting this morning, so it would be cool to have someone other than us look at it.”

I was going to let them get settled first, Sariel chimed through the bond when Johnny chuckled. They’re probably exhausted.

I didn’t think about that, I admitted, and he chuckled too, pressing a kiss to my temple when we hurried down the hallway that held our home.

As we entered our apartment, I motioned for Johnny and Marilyn to take a seat on the couch. Sariel joined us, his expression grave.

“Do you want to get cleaned up and eat? Sleep?”

My questions were met with four tired eyes. Obviously, they wanted all of that.

I felt a little bad about springing the mystery of my mate’s vision onto them as soon as they walked through the door. I hadn’t been thinking about what they’d been through these last few days.

“I think we just want to sit for a bit if that’s cool,” Johnny said with a grin, and the pair practically melted into the couch. “Show us the painting?”

My mate grabbed the canvas from the table, passing it to his friend with a frown as I wrestled down my guilt. They’d always wanted to be kept in the loop before—I doubted that had changed just because they’d had to go on the run by themselves for a bit.

“It seems to be connected to Lucifer,” Sariel said, gesturing toward the canvas without really looking at it.

Johnny leaned forward, studying the painting intently. “It looks like some sort of ritual or binding. And those chains... they remind me of something.”

Marilyn’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it beside him. “I’ve seen similar symbols in ancient texts. They usually represent containment or imprisonment.”

Sariel sighed, frustration evident in his voice. “Barimuz wasn’t much help in deciphering it. He claimed not to know anything, but I can’t shake the feeling that he knows more than he’s letting on.”

I bit my lip, contemplating our next move. “We can’t rely on Barimuz. We need to gather more information ourselves.”

“Of course we can’t; he’s caught up in a thrall bond.” Johnny sighed, shaking his head. “Have you shown Jack?”

“Not yet,” Ashe interjected, eyes flicking up from his phone. “He’s on his way up to give it a look. Maybe he’ll pick up something we can’t with all his witchy instincts.”

Marilyn seemed to be in a trance, staring at the painting with narrowed eyes and a flexing jaw.

I wanted to ask how she had been, seeing as the last time I’d seen her, she was only a little better than catatonic at the loss of her magic—but it felt invasive, like the timing was all wrong.

You can always talk to her in private later, Sariel reassured me through the bond, and I nodded, still watching when Marilyn finally looked away from the painting with a scowl.

Ashe’s phone buzzed, and he promptly turned to open the door.

Jack stalked in with his regular haughty expression, pausing to offer us a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes before looking at the canvas on the table. He studied it intently, fingers tracing the contours of the chains and symbols, brow furrowed in concentration. Then, after a few moments, he let out a slow exhale.

“This painting... it depicts a powerful binding ritual,” he said, his voice carrying a weight of seriousness. “The chains represent the containment of a malevolent force. And these symbols... they’re ancient sigils used to seal away dark entities.”

My heart sank at his words. It confirmed our worst fears.

Whatever this painting represented, it was a warning of a close threat—one that involved Lucifer and the unleashing of a malevolent force.

“But who—or what—is being contained?” Johnny asked, his voice filled with apprehension.

Jack’s eyes met each of ours in turn, his gaze steady and somber. “I don’t know.”

A heavy silence fell upon the room as we absorbed Jack’s words. We were running out of time. There were too many enemies surrounding us, closing in too fast.

I took a deep breath, trying to wrangle in the burst of panic that hit me in the chest. Sariel’s fingers curled around mine, giving my hand a squeeze that I quickly returned.

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