Chapter 30 Nico
NICO
Ash and Dante embraced, and Onyx’s desire to join them flared through the bond into Nico’s chest.
“Go,” Nico whispered in his ear.
Onyx shook his head. “We aren’t in the clear yet. Stay ready.”
Nico was primed for action, but they seemed past the worst. Onyx’s hope surrounding his relationship with his brother was blinding. Nico had experienced nothing like it. His demon was so vulnerable, so scared of the thing he wanted most in the world.
No matter what happened, Nico would get Onyx through this. He’d protect his heart and take care of him.
“Can we agree to part on neutral terms?” Lucifer asked Valac.
The big, white-winged demon scowled. “I’m satisfied we can’t be reimprisoned, and I’ll hold no ill will toward Onyx, Ash, and Dante, but I will never be neutral toward you.”
Luc’s face closed off. “That’s your right. Are you going to keep hunting me?”
Nico’s heart sank. Would this conflict never end? Long memory was a serious drawback to immortality.
“No, I won’t.” Valac brushed dirt from his knees. “I’d rather ignore you and forget you exist. You’re nothing now. But if I hear rumors of you scheming, I’ll be the first to oppose you and knock you right back down.”
“Fair enough.” Luc shrugged as if he hadn’t been threatened.
“Good. We’ll be going.” Valac beckoned to his supporters and turned toward the building.
“Wait!” Onyx pulled Nico forward. “While I appreciate that you finally believe we never wanted to imprison you, you still put a bounty on us.”
Valac stilled. “Are you planning to retaliate?”
Onyx glanced at the sky as if resisting an eye roll. “No, I don’t want to be enemies. How many times do I have to say it?”
“I’ll call off the bounty. Happy?”
Ash snorted.
Onyx’s frustration sparked down the bond. “Why don’t you answer a few questions, like how you found me? There aren’t many beings in the magic world who could’ve given me away.”
Valac released a heavy breath. “I told you, I got a tip. A vampire coven—Orlov—contacted me after I set the bounty, and said they were interested in ridding the city of the ruling mob, and wanted to join forces. I said I’d consider it.”
Nico’s blood boiled. Coming across as the bad guy was the downside to Rowan’s chosen image, but in this context, it was unacceptable. “Ruling mob? The Valeros protect the city from scum like the Orlovs. Their coven was destroyed because of their dealings in human trafficking.”
Valac bared his teeth in a snarl. “They didn’t tell me that. They said it was the other way around. I heard from one of them today, saying a demon had landed outside an apothecary shop, invisible, but cracked pavement betrayed their presence. I showed up to check it out.”
Nico’s neck prickled, Onyx’s fiery anger spiking between them. “Was it Emmett who contacted you? He was at my shop trying to kill me for kicking his scummy coven out of the city.”
Valac’s cheeks stained red. “He left that detail out. It seems I was misled, too eager for any allies against the Devil and his Hounds. I’d never side with vampires who abuse humans.”
“Are you forgetting that you tried to kill Nico?” Onyx snapped.
Valac did a double-take as if he hadn’t recognized Nico until now. “Why aren’t you dead?”
Onyx marched toward the hulking demon, nose in the air. “He’s my mate.”
Valac paled. “You’re bonded? I—I didn’t realize.”
“No shit. Come near him again, and all this neutrality goes out the window.”
Valac nodded, but Onyx didn’t back down, his glare chilling. Valac held up his hands, now the one wanting to de-escalate the situation. “I’m sorry. I was blinded by my need to secure freedom. As a show of good faith, I can lead you to the Orlovs and help you get rid of them.”
“That’d be a good start.” Nico pulled out his phone and hesitated, not ready to relay all this to Rowan. “The Valeros will want in on wrapping things up with the Orlovs. It might be good for you to meet them, since they’re the actual protectors of this city.”
“All right. Text me.” Valac rattled off a number—which Nico entered—before turning back to Onyx. “Will it be acceptable to come near your mate to end this vampire business?”
“That’s up to Nico. If he agrees, I’ll be watching you closely.”
“Sounds like a plan. I hope that in time, there will be no hard feelings between us. I’ll cancel the bounty and remove the spells around here so you all can leave.”
With that, Valac and his supporters disappeared into the building.
“We already destroyed the spells over the main entrance,” a woman with light gray wings and silver eyes muttered to a yellow-winged woman. “How does he think we got in?”
The second demon rolled her glowing yellow eyes.
The group seemed to relax. Only Lucifer remained tense, standing apart from everyone. Was the Devil hoping they’d forget about him? Without his horns, wings, or tail, he looked more like a human model who’d wandered into the wrong courtyard than anything sinister.
“Surprised you haven’t disappeared into thin air,” Ash sneered. Seemed Nico wasn’t the only one with eyes on the Devil.
Lucifer flicked his wrist dismissively. “I wanted to see if you still plan on imprisoning me.”
Nico’s chest tightened as Onyx’s attention returned to his brother, the bond going haywire as a storm of emotion raged within him.
Ash crossed his arms and considered Lucifer. “Maybe we should. I don’t trust you and probably never will. You can’t tell me that you planned to give our magic back when you first followed us to Shearwater Landing.”
“I didn’t,” Luc agreed, matter-of-fact. “I came to scope you out since my plan to release everyone from Hell was set and ready. I was never dragging you back down there, you know.”
Onyx made a sound of disbelief, echoed by Ash and Dante.
“Accuse me of lying if you want. I can’t stop you. All I can do is tell the truth and trust that one day, it will become clear.”
“All you can do?” Ash stomped closer. “You tried to kill Harper. And Ollie.”
“I got derailed,” Luc admitted as if attempted murder was a minor distraction. “I’m not saying I’m good. Fuck knows I’m not perfect. I wasn’t planning to give you your power back even after freeing everyone. My plans were still…calculated.”
“And now?” Onyx’s voice rang out, soft but unwavering.
Luc’s face darkened. “Now… Realizing your mates were real changed everything. What I did to Ollie changed everything.”
Regret lined his face and hollowed his words. Nico could believe his remorse was genuine, but he was a master deceiver.
Lucifer continued, “I’m not pretending I’m flawless or that I haven’t fucked up. But I want to do better. If you don’t imprison me, that’s my aim.”
Onyx, Dante, and Ash shared a look, and Onyx’s hope blinded Nico. His mate’s desire to see Luc redeemed was so fierce, it was agony, but his skepticism was almost as strong.
Onyx approached Luc like he was a wild animal. “What are you proposing, a truce?”
“Yes, and more. If anyone is willing to let me, I want to make amends.”
“No.” Dante shook his head, and Ash clapped him on the back in support. “A truce is all we’ll consider. We aren’t letting you back into our lives. I will never forgive you for what you did to Ollie.”
Luc’s red eyes dimmed. “Again, that’s fair. I won’t push it.”
The Devil was the picture of conciliatory. It was hard to imagine this was the same being who’d done so much harm.
That, Nico supposed, was the danger.
“But we’re agreeing to a truce?” Onyx turned to Ash and Dante, lines straining around his eyes as they shone with hope.
The other two remained guarded. Ash stroked his chin. “We can manage a truce. Lucifer is no longer more powerful than any of us individually. He’ll never get his paws on our magic again, and I suppose giving our power back is a fair trade for sparing him from indefinite solitary confinement.”
Dante rumbled in agreement. “Everyone hates him. He isn’t a threat when he has no one to use.”
Everyone but Nico seemed to miss Lucifer’s pained wince. Did he really care that everyone hated him? What did he expect?
“I’m not holding my breath to see if you do better.” Ash curled his lip at the Devil. “Leave us and our mates alone, and there won’t be any problems.”
“Fine. I’ll take my leave.” Luc bowed like someone out of another era, a shaking hand clenched at his side. He faced Onyx. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, brother. I owe you for not allowing me to leave you behind.”
“Luc.” Onyx sounded strangled.
“I’ll be here if you want me. I’ll respect everyone’s wishes for space, but I’m not leaving. You’re not alone.” Then, Luc disappeared.
Onyx blinked and wiped his eyes. Ash and Dante’s gaze pinged back and forth between him and the place Luc had been.
“Fuck, this is better than TV,” the demon with the gray wings said without a shred of shame.
One of the other women elbowed her, hissing, “Ren.”
“What? Seeing that was almost worth a thousand years in Hell. Bet he’s off to lick his wounds. Didn’t even need his tail out to see it was between his legs.”
The other demons gaped at her.
Onyx laughed, all sadness gone as if it had never been. “You and I need to spend more time together.”
Ren grinned evilly.
Nico looped an arm around Onyx and pulled him against his chest. “It’s time to go home, mate.”
Onyx melted against him. “Best idea I’ve heard all night.”