Chapter 18
One perk of not having a soul was that Hendrik was one of the only creatures in all the realms that could survive a succubus’s feed and live to talk about it.
He was damn smug about that fact, too.
He grinned at me from across the table and I felt like he was undressing me with his eyes.
Averting my gaze, I ignored the stupid blush that ran up my chest and flamed hot on my face. I never used to blush, but with each Virtue that I added to my mate-circle, I was slowly blossoming to life. It was as if I’d been nothing but an empty shell and now I was learning how to breathe again.
Dante set a steaming mug of tea in front of me, awkwardly clearing his throat before he took the farthest seat and tucked his arm into his coat, the motion seeming to becoming a habit. It bothered me that he hid his amputation like that.
I picked up the mug and blew on the edge. “Aren’t you having one?” I asked.
“Only have two mugs,” he admitted. “One for morning and one for evening.” He glanced at Hendrik and his expression was a mixture of raw hatred and respect. “I don’t often have guests.”
Well, yeah, living in a secret underground tunnel system on an off-limits side of campus would do that.
“You’re lucky I was here checking up on you,” Hendrik chided Dante, taking a sip of his tea and never leaving my gaze. “You could have told me that you found my pet.”
“She found me,” Dante answered with an emotionless tone to his voice, reminding me of a predator about to strike.
“And I didn’t expect her to disable the protective wards I had in place.
” He glanced at the wall where the weapons overlooked the room.
I finally noticed each one had a fine crack down the center of their blades.
He’d had his weapons spelled to protect this room, but whatever power boost I’d gotten from Heaven was enough to break it.
What else was I capable of?
“Why don’t we all just lay the facts out there,” I said, pushing my mug aside before Dante went ape-shit on Hendrik’s ass.
“You’re my Virtues. I am drawn to both of you, but when I gave in…
I almost killed Dante.” I paused and swallowed the lump in my throat as I matched both their gazes.
“Hendrik interrupted and I bonded with him instead.”
There, factual, to the point, nobody can get upset…
Dante’s orange eyes narrowed a fraction.
I wondered if he felt robbed or cheated that I’d bonded with yet another Virtue before him. I mean, I could have bonded with him… but my succubus side was on overdrive right now. It likely would have killed him.
His blunt stare said he was willing to test out his strength against the fatal feed.
Cocky asshole.
“I wish you would have told me who you were, and especially that I was one of your Virtues,” Hendrik said, his black eyes glimmering with excitement.
He thoroughly enjoyed the enhanced connection between us like it was a new toy to play with.
His cool touch crested through our bond, reminding me that he was always going to be with me now.
It both thrilled and terrified me that the powerful Dark Mage would always know where I was.
“Why should I tell you anything?” I asked, crossing my legs to try and stem the throb of need that was coming back to life. “So you could have something else to try and control me with?”
His grin widened, showing teeth. “Because now you really are my pet. We could have bypassed all the foreplay.”
“You mean you’re mine,” I shot back. “You’re my Virtue. And you and I have different definitions of foreplay.”
He raised a brow and then whispered a spell. Nothing happened at first, and I was about to call him stupid, or something equally mature, when soft, licking sensations ran up my thigh, going straight for…
“Hendrik!”
He burst out laughing while Dante glowered at the both of us.
“Why don’t you tell us why you’re really here?” Dante growled, his irritation palpable. “I don’t buy it that you were just checking in on me when Lily was…” He cleared his throat. “When Lily decided to return to the Academy.”
Hendrik set his tea down and leaned back in his chair. “You really should have asked how I got that footage on Kaito.” He tilted his head. “For a Hunter, you’re not very bright.”
Dante cursed. “You bugged my place?”
The Dark Mage smiled. “You said it, not me.”
I needed to get between these two before they mauled each other. “What do you want, Hendrik? I came here to talk to Dante and I still intend to do that.” There were so many questions that needed answers and Hendrik was only sidetracking me.
He chuckled. “Are you sure you should be left alone with the Hunter? Unless your goal is to kill him, I should stay put.”
Glowering, I repeated myself. “What do you want, Hendrik?”
He broke our intense gaze to glance down at the Blood Stone dangling around my neck.
It glowed with a healthy supply of warmth, seemingly satisfied with the addition of a new Virtue to my mate-circle.
“I knew you were valuable. I just had no idea how valuable until now.” His dark gaze met mine, all mirth leaving him in an instant.
“I gave you that stone to fuel the power I need to stop Calamity. I want to avoid my vision from coming to fruition, and I’m not going to rely on a Champion to do it.
Especially not if that champion is you.”
“What vision?” I asked, going with my “when in doubt, play dumb” tactic.
He got up from his chair and circled me, wrapping his hands around my shoulders and squeezing.
I didn’t like him standing over me, showing his dominance, but I permitted his touch.
I knew now why I had picked him as a Virtue.
As the leader of the Dark Mage clan, he was more than powerful enough to indulge the demands of my feed anytime I wanted.
Even now, when his fingers grazed the exposed skin at my neck, I drew in his warmth, my mouth parting with the sweetness of magic and life-force that trickled into my body.
Hendrik flinched when he felt the bite of the feed, but he continued to work my tense muscles in a blatant display of confidence. He wanted me to know that he permitted this, that he would provide me what I needed.
But there would be a price to pay.
There always was when it came to Hendrik.
“I’m sure Dante told you of my vision,” the Dark Mage continued.
The Hunter shook his head, his loose warrior’s tail leaving strands to brush against his face. “Didn’t see the use of that. The future has already changed, so your vision is pointless.”
“Has the future really changed?” Hendrik snapped, his tone taking on a tinge of panic that surprised me.
His fingers dug into my shoulders and I bit down on a whimper.
“She’s the girl from my vision. I saw her reject her Virtues and destroy all the realms in the process.
” He pushed away from me with a curse, sending me ramming into the table with a grunt.
“Does she seem to be getting along with her Virtues? I can feel who they are, and none of them seem to be getting along very well. Even you; she would have killed you today had I not intervened, and then my vision still would have come true. Damn it!” He flicked his wrist, sending a wave of magic to crack a line down the wall that sent half of Dante’s weapons clattering to the floor.
“I need to accelerate my plan. My Mages aren’t going to get caught up in this Calamity bullshit. ”
Dante shot to his feet with his hand on the hilt of his weapon, but I waved him down. I would deal with Hendrik.
Nursing my stomach, I staggered to my feet and marched over to the Dark Mage, transforming my hand into my trusty “Claw” as I spun him around.
I latched onto his throat, pinning him with the sharp points that grazed against the vein throbbing in his neck.
“If you’re so worried, why don’t you tell me what your vision showed you? What are you so afraid of?”
He glanced down at me with an irritated expression.
“I’ve seen what happens, little pet. The universe made a mistake.
It can’t see left from right anymore and couldn’t pick a proper Champion out of a heroes lineup.
You’re like me, pet. You’re dark. Having the patience and sacrifice necessary to fully bond with your Virtues is an impossible task.
You picked a Dark Mage as one of your Virtues, for fuck’s sake.
An emotionless Hunter. A hormonal wolf. A two-faced mentor and a Demigod that will fuck anything that moves.
Don’t you see the irony?” He leaned in, heedless of the blood running down his neck as my demonspawn nails pierced his skin.
“If you fail, you die. I die. Everyone in the path of Calamity dies.”
My skin crawled with the absolute certainty in his voice and hurt plucked at my two-thirds dark heart.
I had been running from my duty as a Champion and the reality of my heritage.
I did not like being confronted with it.
“I don’t care what you think you saw,” I snarled as I pulled away.
“Some stupid vision isn’t going to dictate my life, Calamity or not. ”
“Said like a true demonspawn,” he said with a low hiss to his voice.
“Enough,” Dante snapped, pulling me away from the Dark Mage.
“Visions are always pointless to discuss. I work based off of fact and necessity. Right now, Lily is out of control when it comes to her dark powers. So she needs to get to Kaito to reestablish the binds that keep her in control. If she hurts anyone and the Dean finds out what she is—”
“No,” I said with finality. There was no way I was going to let Kaito anywhere near me. He was my first Virtue connection and the first to betray me. He’d pay for taking advantage of me like that.
Confusion flickered across Dante’s gaze before he schooled himself into a Hunter’s still stance. “What do you mean no?”
“I’m not going to deny what I am, Dante. I’m not going to be used for someone else’s agenda. If Kaito wants to be my Virtue, he’s going to have to learn how to accept all of what I am.” I transformed my fingers back to human and poked him in the chest. “As will you.”
His body reacted to my touch, subconsciously leaning towards me as the draw of the Virtue connection made me wet my lips.
He cleared his throat before putting space between us.
“There is still the matter of your control, and of the Dean. If you’re discovered…
You don’t know what she’s like. Kaito and I have been protecting you from her. ”
“Where does she think I’ve been these past few weeks?” I’m sure the Demis would have been thrilled to report my absence.
“She has no idea you were gone. Kaito has been reporting that you and your roommate were ill from black magic backlash and locked up in your room.”
I gave Hendrik a raised brow. “And you supported this?” The Dean definitely would have confirmed that with him.
He shrugged. “I didn’t want the Dean to know I lost you, so yeah.”
I sighed. “Well, there’s nothing to worry about, anyway.
I have my demonspawn side well under control, in spite of what you think.
” As long as I didn’t inadvertently summon any more demons, but he didn’t need to know that little detail.
“As for my succubus side, I can feed on Hendrik and keep it in check.”
The Dark Mage chuckled “Are you sure you’re not still hungry? I’m happy to help, pet.”
“Enough out of you,” I said, unamused.
He grinned.
Dante rubbed his temple. He wasn’t the only one getting a headache.
“If you’re not going to talk to Kaito, then I need to.
” His jaw worked as his calm facade slipped.
“There’s a reason we didn’t tell you that Hendrik was one of your Virtues.
We never expected you to be stupid enough to bond with him. ”
“Excuse me?” I snapped, but then Hendrik came up from behind me and pressed his nose into my neck.
“And yet she did. You saw it for yourself.” He drew in a long inhale. “You saw how she liked it.”
Dante stiffened. “You’re not good for her, Dark Mage.”
Hendrik flashed a dangerous gaze up at the Hunter. “And you are?”
Man, I could cut the tension in this place with a knife.
Or the Claw.
“Can both of you just put your penises away for two seconds?”
Dante’s jaw worked so hard I wondered if he was going to pop an eye out.
“I’m serious, Lily. This isn’t how it was supposed to go down.
” He bit off a curse. “Kaito should have waited to bond with you. You aren’t ready for any of us.
This will only accelerate Calamity’s Echo and draw destruction to you that you’re not prepared for. ”
“What if she doesn’t need to bond with her Virtues to save us from Calamity?
” Hendrik put in. “I’ve been working with the Mages on repositioning realms. We’ve been operating under Merlin’s direction, but that explains why it’s been all wrong.
I’ve been trying to get us away from other realms, but he’s been lying to us.
” He spun me around, letting me step away from him as his dark eyes gleamed, reflecting the red aura of the Blood Stone on my chest. “Once I know why he’s been tampering with our work to get us closer to the Hell realms, I can undo it and get us out of harm’s way.
It won’t matter what Calamity does, if we’re not here when it all goes to shit, we’ll survive. ”
Dante huffed. “Typical Dark Mage. Just interested in saving your own ass. What about Earth, Heaven, Hell, and all the other realms impacted by Calamity?”
“Wait. I think Hendrik is onto something,” I said, tapping my lip. “What if the Echo of Calamity is actually drawn to me? If I am far enough away from the other realms, won’t everyone be safe?”
“Huh,” Hendrik said, “I didn’t think of that.” He snapped his fingers. “Guess I’ll be tossing you into the nearest black hole.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Not what I meant, asshole. What if instead of hiding from Calamity, we trap it in one of the realms?”
“Which realm do you propose?” Dante asked, clearly intrigued.
I grinned. “I have an idea, but I’m going to need Jess to pull this off.”
If any of the realms could handle a bit of chaos, it would be Hell.