Page 31 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

"I already told you there is no way back once you arrive!" I roar, my voice like thunder that echoes through the forest. “The only place to go isgone.Blinked out of existence.Is that what you want?”

But even as I say that a memory itches at the back of my mind. I'd had a vampire not too long ago that went back. Someone came for him, and I let him go, earning a boon from the high king. My gaze hardens as I turn away from her, my thoughts racing with the possibility I may not have to kill her to get her to leave.

I may just need to call in a boon.

CHAPTER EIGHT

MORTE

The devil and I forge ahead through the twisted darkness of the underworld forest, the air saturated with the noxious aroma of death and smoldering embers. A blanket of writhing, serpentine vines drapes over the towering trees that line the path, which is made treacherous by the jagged rubble beneath our feet.

I keep a safe distance from Aggonid, still wary of his intentions as we make our way towards Sorrow's Manor. He's lost in thought, and movement in the bushes doesn't seem to bother him. Blinking red eyes appear from behind the brush, watching us, and they seem to fade into the shadows as quickly as they appear. We continue in silence, but my thoughts are still tangling in knots. Though I'm alive and whole, my fate is still unknown.

Why didn't Azazel stop by like he said he would? Did my unit ever eliminate the hydra? Was Wilder going to tell me who his anchor is before we’d been killed? Are they worried I've gone AWOL, and if so, have they figured out my connection to him?

Fear slithers into my chest at the thought. Would they hurt him to get answers? I hope not.

If I can get back to Bedlam, with my position as commander, I may still be able to get Wilder out of prison. No one has ever escaped before, though the hydra came close.

I don't notice Aggonid has stopped in his tracks, and I barrel into him, sending us sprawling to the ground in a heap of limbs.

He's pinned me beneath him, and for a moment I'm caught in his gaze—crimson eyes burning into me like liquid fire.

"Morte," he murmurs, then immediately withdraws from me, his expression a mix of confusion and anger. "Watch where you're going," he hisses.

He jumps up as though he's been burned. Flustered, I climb to my feet, keeping my eyes trained on the large, glowering gatehouse we've stopped in front of.

This must be Sorrow's Manor.

Trees loom overhead like skeletal sentinels, guarding the entrance. The manor itself is a gothic beauty—its walls a deep tourmaline, like it's been carved out of a mountain, and its windows give off a faint glow.

Aggonid hauls himself up the crumbling stone steps, every movement in silhouette against the slivered moonlight that seeps out of a single sconce on the veranda. Cobwebs and ragged shutters thicken the air like murky memories, seeming to grab at us as we approach. With a single push, the door groans open, and we enter, each step into the unknown sending a chill up my spine.

The night is as black as ink, and I stand still, holding my breath. My eyes gradually adjust to the dim light, and I take in the eerie sight before me—walls adorned with spectral images of strange creatures both familiar and foreign, illuminated portraits of fae, demons, and other unknown monsters from distant realms. Massive murals depicting scenes of great battles and overpowering triumph cascade across the arched ceiling.

Caius's larger-than-life presence looms over my shoulder. "Welcome to Sorrow's Manor," he whispers in my ear, causing goosebumps to skirt my body. His eyes trail down my naked form, eyebrow lifted as he casts Aggonid a concerned glance.

We're in a living room of sorts, with ancient furniture draped in blankets and fur. The only noise comes from a large marble fireplace in the corner, where fire crackles and pops, flickering dancing shadows across the room.

Aggonid sits just a few feet away, his hands on each arm of his chair, regal, like a king surveying his kingdom.

"Are the beds prepared?" the devil asks, his voice rippling through my core like silken bedsheets against smooth skin.

"About that." Caius steps around me and approaches his lover. "It appears I accidentally broke the spare. Pity that." He pouts with a measure of glee in his eyes as he tosses what appears to be a bed post into the overfilled hearth.

I glance down at the glide of coolness against my skin. Shadows hug my curves, wrapping around my body to hide the delicate parts. Scowling Aggonid’s way, I don’t say anything because I’d rather be clothed than not, I suppose.

Caius is a mountain of muscle, looming large and strong like a titan, while Aggonid is mean and lean like a coiled viper. But when the devil rises, the air thickens with his oppressive power and the walls bend inward, until he consumes the entire room with dread, a reminder of his lethal reputation.

Aggonid's gaze slides over to me, and a smirk curves his lips. I feel like a butterfly pinned to a board. "The floor it is, I suppose."

"You're joking." Caius laughs. "She can share with us, can't you? Or you could shorten the chain, so shehasto share." He glances at Aggonid.

He doesn't know. He thinks Aggonid chained us, but it was me. Why doesn't Aggonid want Caius to know?

The devil nods, and the atmosphere shifts, becoming heavy with the kind of heat that raises torrents of vivid memories in my mind. His attention locks with mine, a challenge in his stare.

My throat tightens and the fire behind us seems to die down, as though it, too, is waiting on bated breath.

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