Page 79 of A Queen Of Broken Realms
“Rusalimum.”
“What about it?”
“Mila Karras. Ammon Hassan told us the first time that we went to his apartment that the witch Mila Karras had died in an accident in Jerusalem, do you remember? Obviously, we know it wasn’t true, since she had been working with Semyon to create hybrids when she stole Valentina’s castle and identity.”
Ashen’s brow furrows. “Okay…so what’s the connection to Rusalimum?”
“Eryx just said one of the texts he was reading stated immortals would open a channel and allow Nephilim into the Living Realm in Rusalimum.”
“The first city of Jerusalem. At Gihon Spring,” he says, the realization stretching his voice into little more than a whisper. “If they’ve found a way to keep the channel open or to reopen it once closed, that’s where it will be.”
Ashen and I smile at one another with this discovery, the first concrete lead in finding the Nephilim and shutting down the threat before it gets anymore out of hand. “Well then. I guess it’s a good thing we have our first Council meeting,” I say as I wipe down my soapy hands on a towel. “At least I’ll have something juicy to bring.”
Ashen gives a fake little cough, taking my hand with a cocky grin as he leads us toward the door as I wave goodbye to my sister and Eryx.
“You would describe yourself asjuicy?” I ask, shooting a doubtful look at Ashen as he holds the newly repaired front door open for me.
“No,” he replies, his smile a study in wickedness before he subdues it beneath a haughty mask. “I believe that is the term your colleague Anna used to describe me in the bar at the Swan.”
I hit him hard in the arm and he laughs, fuckinglaughs, that outrageous, warm, wonderful sound knitting around my heart and tugging. “You are the absolute worst.”
“And you love me,” Ashen says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and places a kiss on my scowling mouth.
“Most of the time.”
“All of the time.”
We slip into quiet conversation about the upcoming meeting as we pass a few demons on the way, and for the first time, they don’t just stiffly greet me under Ashen’s penetrating gaze. They actually say ‘hello’ or ‘good afternoon’ before acknowledging me with my title. They don’t mutter little insults or regard me through narrowed eyes filled with vicious flames. Ashen doesn’t kill or maim or even threaten anyone. Honestly, even though I do find it pretty hot when he slices someone’s limb off with a single strike of his sword, it’s kind of a nice change not to dodge a fountain of blood. On the plus side, I’ve learned in the process an important lesson about this realm, which is the merits of dark clothing. When Ashen got brains on my cream sweater, I implemented Rule Five: keep the light clothing at home. But also rule Five-And-A-Half: wear light colored underwear because the Reaper finds blood spatter on my bra super hot.
I push away thoughts of beheaded demons and bloody bras as we enter the Kur, the structure still imposing despite its growing familiarity. We’re the last to arrive in the Council Room, and everyone stands when we enter. Cole nods to Ashen with a faint smile, and my own hope and relief are a mirror of what I feel from my husband, rippling like gentle waves beneath my skin. Cole still seems a little tired, but so much better now that Naya has agreed to the terms of our offer. Though I can smell the adrenaline that enriches her scent of citrus and jasmine, she at least seems at ease next to him.
When we’re settled, we start our first meeting as the complete Council of the Shadow Realm.
We cover a few easy topics first, like updates from the Houses and feedback following the events of the Gauntlet, which everyone seems to agree was a significant success, even within House Mushussu. We talk about making room for more souls and reallocating space that had once belonged to traitors who have been permanently killed. I describe our new knowledge about the Nephilim arriving through a channel at Jerusalem. We agree to gather a contingent ofShub Lugalsoldiers and send them through our corridor there to find it and shut it down as soon as the meeting is over. When it comes to the other corridors to the Living Realm that still remain closed, everyone agrees that we need to maintain the rotation of opening select portals so we can bring Reapers home, but it does lead us into the most pressing matter and the one I’m most worried about. It’s the one I’m most afraid no one will say yes to, and sure a shit, I’m not wrong.
My proposition is quite simple. We need to go to the Realm of Light and find the key to Soulfate.
“No,” Hotaru says when I propose reaching out to the Realm of Light for permission to search for the next stone.
“Watch your mouth,” Ashen snaps.
Hotaru rolls her eyes. “No,Your Grace.” She shifts her attention from Ashen to me. “Theanunnakicannot be trusted, whether we have made alliances with individuals there or not,” she says, her gaze slicing to Cole and back again. “The stones can only be taken by immortals under specific conditions, correct?”
“Yes,” I reply with a nod. “An ancient immortal with the capability of traveling the realms without a chaperone.”
“So we can only send you, and theanunnakilikely have traitors among them just as we have had among our own kind. Whether Ember was working with the Nephilim for their true purpose of controlling the fates or whether they had successfully deceived her into starting a war among the realms to distract us all while they took what they wanted, she still was in contact with the enemy, operating from the inside. Who’s to say the Realm of Light does not suffer the same affliction of traitors in their midst? If we send you, theanunnakicould seize our Queen, and the Nephilim could take the Soulfate key before forcing you to give up Deathfate as well. They would bring war here, crushing this realm until they either found what they were looking for or until you couldn’t bear it any longer, giving them exactly what they wanted.”
“Do not let the future run too far away from you, Hotaru,” Imani says as she leans forward in her chair and laces her graceful fingers on the black marble table. “Our Queen hasn’t even set foot from the Throne Room and you have her future mapped to her downfall.”
Hotaru scowls and crosses her arms. “It’s calledrisk mitigation.”
“She has a point,” Davina interjects as her eyes fix to mine. “It’s dangerous to send you. Is there someone else we could send? Someone who also has the capability of obtaining the stone but who would be less likely to catch the attention of potential traitors?”
“That’s a good question, who else has the ability to travel the realms without someone to guide their entry?” I ask. “I always went with someone, both here and to the Realm of Light.”
“Yes, but only because you didn’t know where the passages were or how to activate them. Not necessarily because you weren’t permitted entry on your own,” Ashen replies. I look up and meet his eyes, his cognac gaze flowing over my skin, taking in my unusual glow here that I can’t see but all the demons can. “You already had access to the Realm of Light after you saved me in Sanford. You are able to travel to and from the Shadow Realm now that we’ve mated.”
“Who else has that ability?” Maru asks. “Anyone else?”
