Page 82 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

I meet his gaze, unwavering. "Yes."

"Very well," he sighs, making his way down the steps towards Azazel. "Rise."

Azazel pulls himself to his feet, shellshocked as he stands before us.

With practiced ease, Caius unclips the harness that stretches across Azazel's chest,and rips his shirt open, revealing the taught, tan skin beneath. He places his hands, one on either side of his shoulders, and begins mumbling words, too low for me to make out. The room becomes deathly quiet as a soft light radiates from Caius' fingertips, wrapping around Azazel in a cocoon of warmth, matching the glowing runes on his skin.

A single word appears tattooed on Az’s abdomen.

Minion.

With a gesture of one hand, Caius banishes the script in a puff of pitch-black smoke, and it disappears, only leaving his standard tattoos.

Azazel stares down at his chest, overawed by what he has been freed from. When he looks up again, his eyes rest on mine.

"Thank you," he whispers, his voice ragged with emotion.

I'm too caught up in Az's eyes to notice Caius retreat back to the throne until Aggonid speaks.

The courtiers and attendants murmur amongst themselves, still taken aback by my audacity.

A booming roar reverberates from Aggonid, startling everyone into quiet.

"Enough!" he bellows, his voice ringing out. "Morte has earned a favor by winning theForsaken Hunt. She will be granted whatever it is she wishes to ask for."

My eyebrows climb up in surprise, not expecting the devil to be so quick to disparage his courtiers for me. I won, yes, but he also hates me, so there’s that.

"Take me with you tonight when you visit with Finn."

Aggonid barks a laugh, and the rest of the room joins in, but I stand my ground.

"You said anything."

"Finn can't bring you home with him, Morte." He smirks. "Trust me, it would've been the first thing I asked for," he spits.

I shrug. "That's fine. I'd still like to go with."

"You realize the meeting isn’t taking place in Bedlam, but in Romarie?"

"Changes nothing," I reply, holding his gaze and crossing my arms.

He reclines in his throne, like a cat lounging lazily atop a hill. “You know going to Romarie is only temporary, right? Denizens of the underworld can only visit other realms briefly. The realm will reject you and send you right back where you belong if you stay too long.”

The devil stares at me for a moment, then waves his hand in exasperation when I just roll my eyes at him. "Granted. Be prepared to leave in an hour."

The courtiers whisper as I walk away, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I step out of the throne room.

I make it just outside the doors when they open again, and Azazel bursts through them.

He closes the space between us, hauling me into his arms and squeezing me to his chest. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before." Emotion clogs his voice. "Fuck, Morte." He threads a hand through my hair, crashing his lips to mine.

The sound of people filtering into the hallway interrupts our kiss, so I drag him around the corner and lean back against the wall, catching my breath.

"What can I do for you? Just name it." Azazel leans down, pressing his forehead to mine and grinning. "All the orgasms you want," he murmurs into my neck, his hands running up and down my sides. "Forever."

I shake my head, taking his face in my hands. "You don't have to do anything," I say, then hesitate once I consider his words. "Okay, maybe you can give me an orgasm again and I'll consider it a fair trade."

"Morte," Azazel breathes, still holding me close. He smiles at me, then shakes his head. "I'm not even sure I remember what it's like to not beholden to Aggonid."

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