Page 46 of Ringmaster
“Now, now, Azrael. Come on, don’t look so disappointed in me. I gave you an order and you failed to deliver. Stop messing around with that girl from the town, find your mate, and send these monsters back to hell.”
I dip my chin in understanding, too afraid to speak—afraid he’ll sense the satisfaction staining my conscience from having found my mate. He doesn’t know about Mercy yet, and I have no intention of telling him anytime soon.
“Fail me again, and I think I know exactly what I’ll take as a sacrifice. Wouldn’t that be just tragic?” he taunts.
White-hot rage simmers within me. How dare he threaten to harm Mercy? I tamp it down, unwilling to give him the reaction he craves, and instead, I smile indifferently.
“No worries, my lord. I will complete your tasks immediately. You can expect the souls delivered by the end of the day tomorrow. Is that soon enough for your liking?” I retort, glaring at him.
“It will do,” he sneers, unhappily. “I expect both the hunter and the Leyak returned to their prisons in Hell—or you leave me no choice.”
With that, he steps back into the hearth, the demon trailing behind him. Just as quickly as they appeared, they’re gone—leaving me to my solitary brooding once more.
I toss back the remaining liquid from my drink, draining the glass, then hurl it into the hearth, where it shatters—just like the calm I’ve been clinging to. I’ll find the hunter and the Leyak tonight. Make no mistake. I won’t lose Mercy now that she’s mine. Not that Lucifer could ever touch her—not while I still draw breath. But it’s the principle. He threatened what’s mine.
A ripple of fear that’s not my own floods through me. The only plausible explanation is Mercy. It crashes through every one of my nerves, unfiltered, raw, and desperate. I never realized the power of owning a soul that belongs to me. The closeness. The connection. It’s so unexpected. I never imagined it would feel like this. Fracturing. Blinding. Mercy’s fear hits me like a blade through the chest.
Why didn’t I feel it sooner? Could she have unknowingly shielded herself from me? The questions don’t matter. All that matters is Mercy, and right now, I can sense she needs me.
I reach down the bond between us, soaring toward her mentally, but before I can reach her, I slam into a wall. Thick and ancient. It drips with old magic. Oozing decay and judgment, layered in whispers not meant for mortal ears. My power recoils at itstouch, and still I press forward, clawing at the barrier like an animal desperate to break free. The Fates must be impeding our bond, stopping me from reaching her.
They’re the only creatures with magic this timeless and powerful. Mercy must be dreaming of them in her sleep. I reach again and again, until I’m exhausted. Each attempt costs more than the last. Magic drains from my bones, fury tightens in my chest. I shouldn’t care this much—but I do. I always have. Even when I pretended otherwise. Frustration coils deep within me, then snaps. Rage races down our bond and slams into the wall… except there’s no longer a wall between us.
Finally, I break through. I search—inspecting, over-analyzing—and ensuring she’s unharmed. When I’m satisfied, I pull her back into a dreamless slumber, just long enough to conjure the future I want her to see. The life I hope we’ll share. I show her our hands tangled beneath silk sheets, her laughter echoing in a place made only for us. I show her safety. Peace. Belonging. The child from her dream, cradled in gold.
The calm washes over Mercy, and I stay tethered to her, sending image after image down the bond—until I’m certain her fear has quieted. Only then do I pull away, letting her drift into rest. As much as I ache to unleash the fury coiled inside me, to become shadow and storm racing through the streets to reach her—I can’t. Not yet. Dawn hasn’t yet broken, and being caught now would be too risky. I’m too close to bringing her home with me. Too close to fulfilling my destiny.
And I will do whatever it takes.
Every rule—shattered.
Every oath—forsaken.
Every realm—burned to ash.
If that makes me a traitor, so be it.
Chapter 27
Mercy
In the garden's solitude, the world is still quietly waking up. I slipped out after Mother woke me, needing space to clear my thoughts while tending to the soil. It’s the best place to untangle this web of information and make sense out of everything that’s happened. A sigh shudders from my body. I don’t even know who he is, and I sold him my soul. My shoulders sink.What will Mother say when I tell her?Regret builds inside of me.
My deal with Azrael surfaces. Was it really a choice?I keep telling myself it was. But is there any ending where I wouldn’t do everything possible to escape—to run away with the boy I fell in love with? I sigh. The boy who stole my heart without trying, just by showing up and teaching me what stability feels like. Who nurtured my heart so one day it could love him in return. I’ve seen the way he looks at me, and now it’s obvious—those feelings were always there. He healed me enough to love, and I gave him the confidence to put me back together time and time again.
The other night Iwantedhim… even when I feared him. Even as every warning bell in my mind screamed no, my heart whispered yes. And my soul listened. The weight of that exchange presses down on me. I didn’t even ask the cost. But would the cost have changed my answer? It’s difficult to accept, but the answer is no. I need to let go of my regret in order to embrace the future. There’s no telling how much time we have left together.
A warm breeze blows through the small orchard, rustling the leaves and branches. I shiver,pretending it’s blowing away my regret—washing it from my mind. A second gust hits me. It’s going to be a windy day. My thoughts wander to the docks, imagining the choppy water along the shore beating against my legs as I wade with Miriam.I have to find a way to say goodbye to her.
Birds chirp loudly, calling to one another as they scavenge for breakfast. I leave a few overripe berries out for them to steal while I work, gathering the rest of the food from our garden. Wiping my hands on the cloth I brought with me, I gather the final basket and place it with the others I gathered this morning.
The wind blows against my back as I turn with an empty bucket for gathering peaches. It pushes me toward the orchard. I admit, the orchard is drawing me in—pulling against my will, forcing me forward. A warm tingling buzzes at my fingertips, magic awakening to answer the call. I can sense I’m no longer alone, but when I look around, the garden remains empty.
The wind picks up again, stronger this time. It whips my hair across my cheek, tangling strands in my mouth like it’s trying to silence my thoughts. Maybe it knows. Maybe the trees whispersecrets I haven’t dared speak aloud. Every leaf sounds like a warning. Every creak of the branches feels like a ticking clock.
I’m not alone. My pulse quickens, magic rising in response. I look around in every direction, but as far as I can see, there’s no one.
Silky-soft shadows embrace me in their greedy clutches, sliding over my body—wrapping around and around, as if offering reassurance as to why I’m no longer alone. They snake around my ankles, whispering promises I don’t understand. My skin prickles beneath their silk. And instead of fear, a strange calm floods me—like my soul recognizes what my mind still doubts.
