Eternity of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 3) Read online

  Grinning, I said, “You look good.”

  She rolled her unusual eyes, a telling sign that she wasn’t just human. “You mean fat.”

  “Not a chance. Just healthy and pregnant.”

  I heard the door click shut behind me and wondered if Chase had shut it in my mate’s face or invited them in.

  Overwhelmed with joy, I placed my hand on her belly and leaned down. “Hello, little one. It’s your auntie. I’ve missed you so much.”

  A little thump knocked against my hand, and my eyes widened.

  “Did you feel that?” Angel asked, her voice still thick with emotion.

  I gaped at her belly, nodding. “She kicked me.”

  “He already has his father’s personality,” she replied.

  My gaze swung up, and I straightened. “He? You’re having a boy?”

  Angel nodded vigorously.

  “Oh my God. A boy,” I echoed. That meant I’d missed the gender reveal. Despite this being one of the happiest moments I’d felt in a while, it still hurt to have missed such an exciting milestone. Or the ones still to come. Putting on a brave face, I shoved aside all those feelings of regret and sadness. “Well, little man, you and I are going to have so much fun. I can’t wait to see you.”

  A deep voice cleared his throat, and I turned my head to see Chase leaning against the wall uncomfortably beside Ashor and two demons. It nearly made me giggle.

  The corner of my lip twitched as I eyed them. “I guess the reunion is over.”

  “I’m sorry, luv,” Ashor sent down the bond. His eyes stayed on my face, watching me intently. He could feel everything I was going through.

  I shook my head. “It’s okay,” I replied out loud.

  Chase’s gaze volleyed between Ashor and me. “No private conversations inside your heads,” he grumbled, scowling.

  I grinned. “Still can’t get shit by you, huh?”

  My cousin wasn’t amused, but he really didn’t have a reason to be. Regardless of how happy I was, my sudden appearance meant something. “What is it, Lex? What happened? Are you in trouble?” he rattled off, the muscle along his neck throbbing.

  “We all are,” I answered soberly, the smile dropping from my lips.

  “Tell me,” Chase demanded, his shoulders tightening as he braced himself for the news. I could tell from the straight line of his lips that he’d already made a few assumptions, and knowing him, they’d be right on the money. He had an instinct that rarely failed him, just one of his many irritating talents. But then again, I couldn’t count the number of times it had saved our lives.

  “We should probably call Travis and Emma,” I advised, shifting on my feet.

  Chase took one look at me. “I’ll make the call.” He dug out his phone and punched the contact for Travis. Before my brother answered, Chase said, “Lex, why don’t you take Angel into the other room to sit down?” He shot me a knowing look.

  He was afraid what we came to say might upset Angel and his baby. I knew Chase well enough to know how his protective mind works. But I also knew my best friend. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  Angel crossed her arms. “I’m not leaving, Chase,” she replied firmly.

  “Travis,” Chase huffed into the phone, eyeing his wife.

  While Chase was on the phone, Angel’s gaze turned to Ashor. She stared at my mate, her eyes bouncing from his face to his head, back and forth. “You have a crown,” she commented, her freckled nose wrinkling in confusion.

  I’d forgotten that Angel could see such things.

  “He's a prince. He always had a crown,” Chase said, shoving his phone back in his pocket, jumping right into the conversation.

  Angel chewed on her bottom lip, a hand resting on her belly. “This one is different, and besides, Lexi is still wearing his Crown of Darkness.”

  “She is?” Chase exclaimed, studying Ashor with suspicion, which wasn’t different than any other time they’d met. His distrust hadn’t changed. Those sharp silver eyes slid to me. “You have a crown on your head?” he proclaimed, staring at the top of my head.

  I nodded. “It’s Ashor’s crown.”

  “Why is it on my cousin’s head?” Chase retorted, his attention back on my mate.

  “Because she is mine,” Ashor stated simply, possessiveness clinging to the declaration.

  Chase growled, eyes flashing gold.

  The veins in Draven’s and Apollo’s necks protruded, their eyes flaring red as they stepped up to flank either side of Ashor. Tension popped into the room like little balloons—Pop. Pop. Pop—until my ears were buzzing.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her life?” my cousin snapped, not the least bit intimidated by the two demons.

  Ashor’s hand came up in the air, signaling for his companions to stay. “More than you’ll ever know,” he said low and remorsefully, the lights in the room flickering.

  Chase, loving to flex his muscles, got into Ashor’s face. “I should kick your ass.”

  A slashing smirk. “Sounds like fun,” Ashor purred, antagonizing Chase.

  If I didn’t stop this now, we’d get nowhere. “Hey, assholes,” I snapped, letting my aggravation make itself known. “Can we focus on why we’re here?”

  “If you’re wearing the prince’s crown, whose is he wearing?” Angel asked, sucking on her lower lip as her head tipped to the side.

  “There’s been a shift in upper management. I’ve been crowned king,” Ashor clarified while Apollo and Draven stood silently at his side. His eyes captured mine from across the room, and I suddenly wanted to go to him. I didn’t know why it felt as if there had been an invisible line drawn. I was standing with my family, but I didn’t want to pick sides. I wanted to support them both.

  But why did it seem like that wasn’t an option?

  “Who's king?” said a voice from the doorway that immediately made me want to roll my eyes.

  I waited for Travis to work it out without saying anything. It was my future sister-in-law whose gaze darted from the three looming demons in the entryway to me down the hall beside a grinning Angel.

  “Lexi?” Emma shrieked, bolting toward me. “You’re home,” she gushed, her warm arms enfolding me in a hug. The girl who was raised and expected to kill half-demons like me became our champion. Hints of woods and peonies clung to her long red braided hair.

  I laughed when my fingers grazed the hand-carved weapon slung over her shoulder. “You brought your bow?”

  She shrugged. “Travis said it was urgent.” Truthfully, she never went anywhere without it in hand. I was convinced she slept with it beside her in bed.

  Travis was waiting in front of me, and the two of us glanced at each other. He hadn’t changed a bit. It was cold as balls, yet he strolled around in basketball shorts and a T-shirt like it was ninety degrees outside instead of below freezing. “You came to see Chase first? I see how it is.”

  My stupid grin mirrored his. “Shut up and give me a hug before I disappear again,” I told him.

  He pulled me in for a quick hug. “Not going to happen, little sis,” he muttered.

  I bristled, an ache spreading in my chest. “I can’t stay, Travis,” I whispered, hating the despair the words caused not just me but all the people in this room.

  Travis jerked back, his aqua eyes darkening, rimming with just a fraction of gold. That look directed at humans would intimidate the shit out of them, but I wasn’t human, and this was my brother. “I’m not letting you go back there.” His expression turned grim, a firmness set at the corner of his mouth.

  I sensed a fight coming on, and it was the last thing I wanted to do with the precious time I had with them. “I know this is sudden, but we came here for a reason.”

  Chase shoved his hands into his pockets, still situated between my demon entourage and his wife. A deliberate, strategic move. He never did anything without purpose. “To tell us that your mate killed a demon royal?” My cousin’s shrewd gaze shifted to Ashor. “You won’t get congrat
ulations from me.”

  “Chase,” I groaned. I didn’t expect them to accept Ashor with open arms, but I also wished for them to get along. “Okay, I get it. You’re disappointed in me. That’s not the point.”

  Chase’s features were frozen with disdain. “Don’t ask me to play nice. Not to him. I don’t give a shit if he’s your mate or not.”

  “I’m with Chase,” Travis added as if anyone cared about his opinion.

  I jabbed my brother in the side. “No one asked you. Five minutes, Chase. Give him that,” I pleaded.

  For a moment, I actually thought Chase might kick Ashor out of the house, but then he said, “You claim we’re all in trouble. What did you mean?”

  With a slight nod of his head, Ashor gave Apollo and Draven a command, and without a word the two demons stepped outside to secure the house. Neither of them seemed happy about leaving their king inside unguarded, and I imagined the frowns would still be plastered on their faces when we left.

  “I’m here because I made a promise that no harm would come to the mortal queen.” A cool kiss breezed through our bond—Ashor’s power touching mine. “As you know, demons don’t make promises lightly, mate or not. You already know what my mother wants, and she won’t stop until she has your crown,” he directed at Angel.

  “And you plan to stop her by taking the crown instead?” Chase assumed, his voice edged with hardness and repulsion.

  The prince would do it if it proved to be the only way to stop Kali, but I had to believe there was another option. We just had to find it. Our biggest obstacle was time. With the recent changes in Hell, now would be the perfect opportunity to strike.

  Emma slipped her bow off her shoulder, leaning it against the wall. “We better sit down for this,” she suggested, her emerald gaze flicking sideways to Angel.

  Chase nodded, agreeing with the hunter.

  Lingering tension hung in the air as we moved out of the entryway into the family room. I took a seat beside Ashor. Chase wasn’t the only one who could send a message with his actions. I needed to make it clear that my support went to Ashor—that I trusted him to stop his mother, even if they didn’t.

  “War is upon us,” Ashor stated once everyone was situated. Nothing like going straight to doom and gloom.

  Chase and Angel sat side by side on the couch, Travis to Angel’s left. Emma propped her butt on the arm of the sofa beside my brother. My cousin sat forward on the cushions, his hands pressed together, elbows propped on his knees as he glared at Ashor across from him. “This isn’t the first time a kingdom from Hell has attacked.”

  We’d been under fire our entire lives. Fighting for our livelihood was no new concept. It was part of our daily routine. Ashor hadn’t been raised in the mortal lands, but that didn’t mean his life had been easier. Just the opposite.

  My mate leveled my cousin with a cool stare. “That may be, but Alastair was not my mother, and the Court of Inferno is not the Court of Darkness.”

  Chase’s jaw clenched.

  “I will do everything in my power to keep it from reaching this world, but I can’t do it on my own, and although I do have an army to command, it won’t last a night against my mother’s,” he explained, going into details about the obstacles we faced. “The Court of Darkness is merciless. My mother has spent centuries building an army of demons and creatures, many not of this world. When it is unleashed, it will bring destruction Hell has never seen.”

  Travis crossed his arms, sinking deeper into the couch. “So, what you’re basically saying is we’re screwed.”

  Ashor’s lips twitched. “Not entirely.”

  “And you're sure your mother hasn’t given up her tirade of war?” Emma inquired despite the false hope in her eyes.

  “Not likely. If anything, she is more determined than ever. I saw to that when I took the Crown of Envy from her.”

  “We don’t have an element of surprise in our favor,” Chase said quietly. “I’m not sure we ever had it. What do you plan to do about it?” His pierced brow arched.

  “That’s partly why I’m here.” Ashor’s attention shifted to my best friend.

  Angel tilted her head, and the light from the ceiling danced over her auburn hair. “Are you here for my crown?”

  Chase’s eyes flared, the muscles in his arms tightening. He was just waiting for any excuse to hit Ashor.

  “No,” Ashor replied without hesitation. “Unlike my mother, I do not covet power, and since you managed to acquire your crown from the former king, I’m assuming you know you can’t just hand it over to me.”

  A test. She had been testing him. Ashor would have to kill Angel to take the Crown of Inferno—underworld rules.

  “What I do want… is your army. An alliance between our kingdoms,” he explained.

  Confusion clouded her eyes. “I don’t hold any power or sway over them.”

  Ashor, from his reclined position on the couch, draped an arm behind me. “And I fully understand that you have no interest in demon politics. I respect that. The best way to keep you safe, and I think your mate will agree with me, is to keep you out of the war.”

  “That is the first smart thing you’ve said,” Chase grumbled, his body relaxing a tiny fraction.

  Angel nodded in a shared understanding.

  “You are important to Lexi—family,” Ashor continued. “It is impossible for me to do anything that would cause her pain, which includes hurting any of you. But I will also do anything to keep her safe. Her safety comes before mine. Before yours.”

  How could I not be touched by such a confession? My heart fluttered.

  “What can I do?” Angel asked, getting back to the point.

  Ashor’s face remained emotionless. “I just need your permission to step foot into your kingdom—an invitation. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  She rubbed her belly protectively. “Do you truly believe you can get the demons in my court to follow you?”

  His mouth a tight line, Ashor replied, “I don’t plan on giving them a choice.”

  Travis’s gaze narrowed, Emma’s hand resting on his shoulder. “Won’t it be dangerous?” my brother asked.

  The corners of my mate’s mouth twitched. “Everything in Hell is perilous. Including me.”

  I jabbed him with my elbow. “Not helping,” I growled.

  His chuckle vibrated down our bond.

  “Fine. You have my permission,” Angel agreed. “Whatever it takes to stop this war.”

  A burning sensation lit up on my upper arm, just under my armpit, like I was being scorched with a pen of flames. I lifted my arm to inspect it but found nothing. Turning my head toward Ashor, my gaze went to the spot on his arm, seeing the new demon mark, his approval to enter the Court of Inferno.

  I should have felt relieved. This was what we came for. So why didn’t I?

  “There is something else I noticed when we came through the mortal gate,” Ashor said grimly, removing his arm from behind me and leaning forward. “I can’t say for sure, but I believe the creatures within the sectors of Hell sense the impending war. They are seeking refuge.”

  My mind flipped back to the beast who had clung to me as we passed into my world. But it was more than just that. “All those bones and ash scattered just outside the portal,” I muttered to myself.

  Ashor nodded. “More will continue to escape. I’d like to station guards at the gate as well as around your homes,” he offered, knowing it would help ease my worry.

  “No,” Chase answered curtly. So predictable. “We can take care of those that make it to this side. I don’t want demons lurking around my family.”

  Travis nodded in agreement. “We can handle our own.”

  Ashor held Chase’s stare. “As you wish, but I will leave the guards on our side of the gate to minimize the numbers. I suspect as the tension between courts thickens, so will the creatures fleeing from Hell.”

  “What about the other gates?” Angel inquired, looking between Ashor and me. There wa
s more than one way in and out of the underworld.

  My mate rubbed at his jaw. “I’ll see what I can do. I can secure the Infernal entrance and mine, but the others are up to the kings. You can expect the Gate of Darkness to remain unguarded. Eventually, it will get out, and the bulk will take their chances at escaping there.”

  “I’ll spread the word around the Divisa community, let everyone know to be on their guard,” Chase said, his face a picture of steely calm.

  Emma tugged at the end of her braid. “What happens if you can’t stop your mother?”

  “There is no other option. Failure isn’t a choice.” Ashor didn’t say the statement with cockiness or arrogance. For him, there was no other way.

  Travis’s foot tapped on the floor, one of his many habits. “We need a backup plan.”

  “When have we ever had a backup plan?” Emma countered.

  My brother placed a hand on his fiancée’s knee. “Good point.”

  “I have another favor,” Ashor said, his voice softening.

  Chase met my mate’s dark eyes. “I’m not sure you’re in a position to ask for favors,” he rumbled.

  “Chase,” Angel and I groaned simultaneously. Our eyes met, and we grinned. Just like old times.

  Ashor wasn’t deterred. A tiny twinkle sparked in his eyes like a star. “On this, I think we might actually find a common ground.”

  A grunting noise came from the back of my cousin’s throat. “I’m listening.”

  “I’d like your help in convincing Lexi to stay here until I come for her,” he said without batting an eye.

  My head whipped to the side so fast that my neck cracked. “You’re not leaving me here,” I said between clenched teeth, my voice shaking. “If you do, I’ll just find my way back. I’ve done so once already. Don’t think I won’t again.”

  Chase backed me up like the good cousin he was. “As much as I agree that she should stay here, I also know that when Lexi makes up her mind about something, there is no changing it. I’d give up the notion now before you really piss her off.”