Page 41 of Dating the Dealing Demon

A moment of silence and stillness has me thinking maybe we’ve gotten through this, maybe the standoff is over.

Then madness erupts in a clash of antlers and horns, claws and talons, grunts and snarls. I duck and swing, keeping behind Monty’s flames and within the protection of Theo’s wings. I lose count of the number of blows the mob land against Theo’s already battered and bruised body. He’s too busy protecting me to defend himself properly.

“Enough.” A bellow echoes through the throne room, and the crowd freezes. A demon drops from above, a heavy-looking iron crown around his brow below his horns. He’s the same shade of scarlet as my demon, but cracks cross his skin like veins of molten lava.

The demons around us drop to their knees, their gazes falling to the floor. At least Theo’s still standing next to me, and Monty hovers at my side.

“Father.” Theo bows his head.

I don’t bother with the same courtesy. Not with the ugly look the king gives me. There’s no way I’ll take my eyes off Theo’s scary dad. I’m not sure if I should curtsey, stab him, or try for both.

“One of you needs to die,” the king announces to the crowd.

Panic squeezes my chest tight, and I curl my fingers around the dagger’s hilt. Looks like it’ll be stabbing after all.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Theo

Icheck on Val, keeping my head bowed and not daring to raise my gaze until granted permission by my father. She continues to clutch her dagger as though she’ll take on the entire demon court.

Gods, what a mate.

If I could take her away from here right now without risking the king’s wrath, I would. Instead, I wrap my tail around her wrist in a gentle hold. Her startled glance my way along with a sharp inhale has me less worried she’ll stab my father and more certain she’ll turn the blade on me. When she lowers the dagger, its ruby pommel glinting in the firelight, I hug her more tightly with my wing in appreciation of her acquiescence, however short-lived it might be.

She’s a vision from her knockout beauty to how she wears the dress I picked for her to the way her skin flushes and her chest rises from the exertion of an almost battle.

Fuck, I hurt everywhere. Blue blood smears across my skin from reopened wounds and new ones. With the way my fatherloves a dramatic entrance, he probably planned the attack. Or at least prompted some suggestions to the family members most likely to turn a mandatory summons into an all-out war. He certainly factored in the spectacle it would make, especially with his death threat following so soon afterward.

Of course someone in our family needs to die. If the asshole responsible for opening unauthorized portals would come forward, I could execute him and get on with other priorities. Like convincing my mate to let me finish what she’d been so receptive to when I’d helped her dress earlier. I can still feel her softness under my claws, scent her sweet arousal, imagine the taste I’d denied myself.Soon.

“You may rise,” Father calls as though remembering he has the rest of the court on their knees or bellies or whatever appendage their fealty and forms require them to be. I would be kneeling as well except there are privileges to being the crown prince.

He moves to take his seat on the throne, and I lead Val closer. She can’t join royalty on the dais—not yet anyway—and I don’t dare leave her alone even with Montejanus here. I have no idea how we’ll explain the soul guardian’s presence to my father.

She shoots me a look ofwhat the fuck, but thankfully, she stays silent when I shake my head.

I wait for my father to give the reason he summoned us, hoping he hasn’t joined forces with my mother in the insane delusion she has about Val being unworthy.

The Fates themselves chose Val.

She’s divinely selected.

Whatever deal my mother struck with Bonettis must be unraveling for them to want to renegotiate. But how does keeping Val from becoming my mate figure into that? How would preventing me from gaining the magic I need to rule someday do anything but hurt the kingdom?

“I’ve called you all here tonight for one reason.” Father’s voice booms across the throne room. “It has come to my attention that my successor has become distracted by a human he alleges is his mate.”

I stiffen, every muscle in my body tensing. His tone implies this will be a public torture session with me as the recipient instead of the enforcer. I’ve lived through this before, but I don’t want Val to witness it. I pray to the gods he’ll let me teleport her back before he begins.

My father keeps going. “Which means I have to intercede for the good of the kingdom. One of you here has betrayed me.”

A nervous rustling of wings and clacking of claws disturbs a quiet punctuated only by the crackling of brimstone flames.

My father holds their attention, their fears, their lives in his grip. “Someone has allowed their blood to open portals between worlds without my consent. Only royal blood unlocks portals. Onlyourblood. Which means the villain must be one of you. My son and my oldest daughter have failed to discover the culprit.”

Shame burns the breath from my lungs.

His gaze locks on me. “Their failure could lead to the downfall of the kingdom. See how my son allows this soul guardian, this terror of our kind, into our throne room. Such disrespect proves how preoccupied he has become. Therefore, I’m announcing a competition.”

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