Page 71 of The Crown of Nyx

We took the stairs slowly, Sao making his way down first, as more demons appeared, like a guiding path towards the throne room. A small part of me wished I could take in the elegance of the space, from the giant crystal chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling, to the sparse decoration around the landing and down in what I assumed was a foyer. Everything was the same dark stone of the mountain, which seemed to be Damon’s calling card.

My heart thundered as we hit the next floor. Again, the demons dropped to their knees as we passed. The more I saw, the more I realised that I wasn’t just seeing demons.

Magic tickled my fingertips, my blood humming as the power of Nyx buzzed beneath my skin. I knew, now, just by a glance, that these were not just demons of one house. There was a stunning, elegant demon with horns and wings who belonged to two houses. Another that was half-shifter, half wrath demon. Triplet males who were all of House Lust, but also of three different species, too.

I wasn’t sure why my throat thickened as we left them in the foyer. Something about seeing them all, seeing the different parts of Nyx’s creatures, standing together as one, made my emotions run high—and reminded me we were capable of better. Of more than what Dante wanted.

Rowan squeezed my fingers where they held his arm. But he said nothing. And that was enough.

We made it to one final hall. This one opened up similar to the ones back at the palace in Avalon, with tall arched windows overlooking the outside. But rather than beautifully groomed gardens, these windows overlooked the rest of the demon city. And the city was alight with fire.

I sucked in a quiet breath; small fires dotted the landscape, and between them were large, leaping flames that danced across the dark sky. There was music, loud and boisterous, playing below us. And cheers. So many cheers.

Like they were already celebrating what this alliance could mean.

I looked away in time to take in the towering double doors that led into the throne room. I expected to feel nervous—or that familiar sense of panic—but none of it came.

Maybe my magic knew that this was the right call.

Or maybeIdid.

The great doors opened to a small set of stairs that led down into a hall filled with demons and other creatures. Denizens from all houses filled the space, but there were other creatures within, too. Shifters, Fae, witches and mages, a few vampires. As I breathed in, I caught the scents of all creatures. My magic prickled as it recognised their presences.

The throne room was lit with torches, their flames the colour of ice. They were spaced around the room,lighting the entire room in a bright glow. Down the centre of the walkway were white petals.

I swallowed thickly, letting my eyes find the male himself.

The Elysian King.

He stood at the very end of the aisle. The throne room was so big, I couldn’t make out much of him other than his horns and power. It swept over everything, potent and strong.

The tattoo on my arm warmed comfortably, the one on my thigh moving ever so slightly. I wasn’t sure if it was to reassure me or freak me out. With Damon, I couldn’t be certain. My heartbeat skipped, but I still couldn’t bring myself to feel nervous or scared. There were plenty of reasons to be terrified of making a mistake. Because if this deal ended badly, it could mean the end of everything.

Sao stepped to the side, leaving Maeve and Hawk to finish guiding me the way. There was something symbolic in having my mates be the ones to give me away to another male, I thought. Perhaps not in a good way.

I owed them alot. And once everything was done, I would show my appreciation.

That’s a nice thought, Angel, Elias said,but keep that to yourself.

Fuck. I threw up a few bonus barriers between them and my bonds, but I kept open access to their thoughts. I was not about to risk having my connection to them compromised, even if their worries were based on experience. There were people here who could use our thoughts—our connection—against us.

As we descended into the throne room, I assessed the magic of the room for anything that felt off. That screamedwrong. Every time we’d faced one of Dante’s soldiers, there’d been a strangeness about them I’d neverbeen able to identify. Now, I knew it was him. The way he tried to alter Nyx’s magic.

Adrian and Rowan were tense sentries either side of me. I had a feeling they were seeking out the same anomalies.

But the further we walked, the less I felt. If Dante or any of his followers were here, then they were hiding themselves too well.

Damon had his hands behind his back, the robes he wore appearing more…distinguished than earlier. Like he’d changed between entering the chamber and appearing here before his people. There was a throne behind him, large and black like the rest of his palace. The stone also had veins of silver and gold within it. Like it, too, had been carved from the mountain.

Our eyes met; Damon lifted his chin, his chest heaving as he breathed in. His shoulders seemed to straighten as his eyes followed me down the rest of the aisle. Soft music played from somewhere in the room, the creatures quiet.

Maeve and Hawk stopped at the end of the walkway and split to cover either side of the aisle. I glanced at my vampire mate, who offered me a tentative smile and a single nod.

I blew out a breath as Damon reached out a hand.

“I love you,” Adrian said, gently releasing my arm. “And I trust you.”

Turning to him, I blinked rapidly. “Thank you.”

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