Page 40 of Magic and Mayhem

He’s cut off by the sound of a scream and what seems to be a lot of people in a panic outside. Eryx listens for a minute, his ears almost flexing like a dog’s on high alert before wide, panicked eyes look back at me.

A strange energy fills the air, something dark and ominous. Evil to its very core.

“He’s here,” Eryx whispers.

“Who’s here?” Although I get the feeling I really don’t want to know.

“Lucifer.”

Havoc breaks loose around us and dread tugs at my chest. If I thought Lucifer could have been anything like Lilu and Eryx, I was dead wrong.

I can practically feel the wickedness of his power tainting everything around us, and I have yet to even lay eyes on him.

“You need to cross the barrier,” Eryx says.

My heart clenches at the thought of being separated from him. He notices instantly and pulls me in for abruising kiss. It helps my nerves calm slightly, and when he pulls away, I swallow the lump in my throat.

I’m not a weak little girl, I never was.

So I won’t give into the fear of being away from him.

“Why do I need to cross the boundary?”

Eryx jumps up, throwing a loose, long-sleeved white shirt over his deep purple skin before helping me to my feet.

“The veil that separates us from the outside world will mute our connection. If I can convince him you ran from me, then you will have a chance to escape him for now.”

“And what about next time?”

A pained expression crosses his gaze before he hardens his features. “I will protect you with everything I have, Ev. Everything.”

The desperation and worry in his tone sends fear coursing through me, but I said I trusted him, and I do. If this is what he needs from me right now, then I will just have to put on my big girl panties and figure it out.

Besides, what are the chances that my nightmares are waiting just on the other side of the veil?

I grab a dark hoodie from the wardrobe and some warm pants, unsure of how long I will be hiding away. Kieres walks in as soon as I’m dressed, looking to Eryx.

“Lilu told me who she is, I’ll protect her. Lucifer is summoning you.”

So many questions come to me, but then Eryx grabs my waist and kisses me so hard I forget to breathe, much less ask Kieres what he meant.

With a growl of determination, Eryx pulls away and storms out of the door with his muscles bunched.

“Come on, Little One. Time to hide you from the big guy.”

Kieres holds out his hand and I take it, that thrum of energy sparking between us. It’s like fire where our skin connects, and I can’t help but enjoy the thrill it brings.

We race out of the tent together to the boundary I almost went through before.

“Hide in the bush right on the other side of the veil. My brother and I will keep an eye out, but if we are seen lingering here, you could get caught. Yell for help if you need us, and we’ll tear through the veil to get to you.”

I nod, looking into his swirling red eyes that remind me of lava.

“Who am I to you, Kieres?”

He sighs, pulling me in for a brief hug before pushing me towards the boundary. “As soon as Lucifer leaves, I’ll tell you everything I know. But for now, you must hide.”

I nod, walking backwards until I feel that pressure build behind me. My ears pop as I make it to the other side, the veil looking like mist in front of me separating our two worlds.

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