Chapter 2
Olivia squealed and jumped on me, wrapping her arms around my neck as she cried for joy.
“They’re awake, Lily! They’re awake!” she cried.
I sat there, stunned, unable to even flare my wings to keep Olivia from touching the sensitive arches. Her arms brushed the downy plumes of my angel wing on my right, and the leathery skin of the demon’s wing on my left.
Alive.
Awake.
Reaching out to them again through my bonds, I tried to communicate with my mates.
Orion?
Nothing.
Hendrik? Dante?
Not even a whisper of a response.
… Logan?
My wolf remained silent like the rest of them.
I didn’t reach out to Kaito, Azra, Sam, or Cole. I didn’t want them to know what was going on until I was able to confirm the truth of it. I didn’t want to lift Kaito’s spirits in case this was a false hope.
As for Azra and Sam, they had their own matters to focus on and I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about the rest of my mates rejoining the Academy.
And then there was Cole. Whatever demons he was facing right now, both literal and metaphorical, I knew he needed to maintain his full focus.
I almost didn’t want to believe it myself if only to protect my heart from breaking all over again.
But Raze had undeniable proof that the unicorns had made progress. Kaito’s theories often proved true, so if Kaito had suggested extracting Calamity through a crystal, then I wasn’t surprised it had worked.
“What is the crystal made of?” I asked, still not sure if I believed it.
Raze placed the crystal on the table so I could look at it.
“It’s Angelstone, or at least it was before Calamity’s power corrupted it.
Apparently Kaito managed to procure some with the help of the twins.
” He rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure what gave him such a peculiar idea.
I’ve never seen Angelstone used this way. ”
Extraction was a supernatural trait that Kaito had been helping me play with recently.
Being part-succubus, the idea wasn’t too outlandish.
Still, I wasn’t sure where he’d gotten the idea either, but it had worked for me.
When I’d needed stability with my evil in order to prepare for a trip to Hell’s Heart, he’d allowed me to extract his darkness.
After bonding Azrael and offsetting my light, it had been necessary.
And it had worked.
Perhaps that had been Kaito’s experiment in order to offer Raze a prize like Angelstone. It couldn’t have been easy to come by. The last time we’d procured one it had been from my mother, the Queen of Hell. I wasn’t sure where Kaito or the twins would have found another.
Azra and Sam hadn’t mentioned anything about Angelstone, the heavenly object that had a variety of uses. Knowing Kaito, he’d sworn them to secrecy.
Taking the crystal, I turned it, my skin immediately registering cool power it held within. The air trembled around my body. My wings flickered as a weight settled onto my brow.
I didn’t raise my hand to my hairline to confirm what I already knew. My Hell Crown had been summoned, something that protected me from Calamity’s controlling influence.
My Virtues didn’t have anything to protect them from Calamity, except my influence, and that hadn’t been enough.
“How much were you able to take out?” I asked. Concern crept into my voice because I now understood what had happened.
The unicorns had extracted enough of Calamity from my mates to wake them up.
But they hadn’t gotten everything, or else I would have been able to reach them through my bonds.
Something was still wrong with them.
Raze shrugged. “We don’t have any sort of measuring unit for this kind of power, Lily. But if one crystal woke them up, then maybe another will remove Calamity from them entirely.”
“How can you tell there’s any left?” Olivia asked, her eyes wide.
I already knew there was Calamity left within them because of my bonds, but the fact that Raze knew had my feathers flaring.
He grimaced. “You’ll see when you come with me.” He stood, then offered his hand. “I assume you’d like to go immediately?”
I bit my lip.
Kaito would be expecting me for our trip to Hell’s Heart.
If it’s a quick trip… he will be none the wiser.
I had to evaluate my mates before I brought Kaito in on this, so I nodded.
“Yes, but I can’t stay long.”
“Or Hell will freeze over,” he surmised with a wink. “I know. I’ll be sure to return you promptly.”
Olivia clung to my arm and Yuri vigorously brushed her teeth from the doorway.
“Do you want me to come too?” Olivia asked.
I did, but she had a life here and I didn’t want to keep interrupting it.
“Of course I’d love for you to come, Oli, but I’m fine, really.” I placed my hand over hers. “I think this is something I have to do myself.”
Yuri stuck out her toothbrush. “Yeah, plus she has better things to do. Like a certain Demigod.” She gave Olivia a wink.
“Yuri!” Olivia cried, but I laughed because it was true.
“Go spend time with your boyfriend,” I said as I kissed her cheek. “I’ll give you an update when I’m back.”
“You better!” she said, her dark eyes holding a familiar light to them.
She was happy, which was all that mattered to me.
Following Raze out of the room, I hoped that I’d find my happiness, too.