Chapter 3
Kaito had made me promise to rest, not to stay in my room.
I found it far more restful to try and find answers instead of sitting around and waiting for Balthazar to come through on his side of the deal.
Or worse, find out what Balthazar intended to make me give up for a Death Lotus.
Even though it took the better part of the day for me to learn how to walk again.
This might take a while.
Once I mastered putting one foot in front of the other, I managed a walk around the “allowed” perimeter. I didn’t bother changing out of my silky pajamas, mainly because they were sinfully comfortable.
Also because Olivia assured me we weren’t going anywhere. She said that there was the occasional guard or escort, usually one of Derek’s sons, but he was giving us some space right now.
So if I was a prisoner, I might as well rock some silky PJs.
Olivia had insisted that she go with me. Still, the second I asked her about Trevor, she admitted he had voluntarily become a prisoner too, just to be close to her.
I couldn’t begrudge her time with a demigod who loved her like that and immediately demanded that she go spend time with him.
So she’d slipped through his door with a shy smile, making me promise that I would stay out of trouble.
While I promised, I had my fingers crossed behind my back as I did so.
Call me childish, but there was no way I was going to be staying out of trouble.
While my father, Derek, hadn’t made an appearance yet, Olivia gave me the lowdown of what was allowed, what was expected, and most importantly, what happened if any of my father’s rules were broken.
Logan wasn’t bedridden because of the fight that had knocked me out.
He was recovering from his latest rebellion against the Incubus King.
A rebellion demanding that I be returned to Fortune Academy and being told no. So he let the Incubus King know how he felt about that, and damned be the consequences.
Somehow, hearing that brought a small smile to my face. It meant that Logan was still in there, somewhere.
I didn’t visit him yet, though.
Instead, I wandered through the allowed areas of the west wing. The irony wasn’t lost on me that my father had placed us in the west wing of his mansion. A lifetime ago, I had been forbidden to go to the west wing of Fortune Academy’s campus.
That’s where I’d met Cole and had faced the Conduit of Calamity for the first time. That’s where I’d faced my fears.
That’s where I had died.
And still, I had found my way back. Maybe it was my father’s way of reminding me that even if the worst happens, I’m the kind of supernatural who can overcome the most dire circumstances.
When I ran my fingers over a dusty mantle in an unused drawing room, I made a face.
Or maybe he just hasn’t used the west wing in a while.
When I turned to the exit, I spotted a shadow of a tall man who’d been watching me. I blinked a few times, then the shadow was gone.
When I stepped out into the hall, I drew in a deep breath. Hints of whisky and leather were the only evidence that someone had been here.
Perhaps one of Derek’s sons that Olivia had warned me about, I thought.
Ignoring the possibility that I was being followed, I took my time exploring a decent-sized kitchen, indoor garden, a handful of unused bedrooms, and a massive indoor gym and sparring mats that I imagined Logan might appreciate, as would I if I had been in the right frame of mind.
I was in a reading mood, not a workout one.
Plus, I’d done my share of workouts at the Awakening Arena. A cold shiver ran up my spine remembering those days.
That lingering presence disappeared after a while when I reached a door cracked open to a room I had yet to explore.
I peeked in to find Kaito absorbed in his work, giving me a chance to survey the room. It was a huge office with walls stacked with bookshelves and an out of place collection of art supplies.
A large map sprawled onto the floor with detailed sketches and splotches of paint. Even at a quick glance, I recognized the map of Hell’s Heart, but it had grown, and I wasn’t sure what the splotches were for.
Kaito didn’t seem to notice me watching, which made concern flicker in my chest. I couldn’t feel our mate-bond because of my weakened state. Did that go both ways?
Did my mates think I was gone?
I had promised I’d never let them feel my loss again. But if they didn’t know what had happened to me and couldn’t feel me, wouldn’t they assume the worst?
Wouldn’t they think I’d abandoned them when I promised I’d never do that again?
Closing the door both on the room and that question, I moved on in search of my distraction. Kaito would only remind me of my duty right now, and that wasn’t what I needed.
After further investigation, I finally found a room with books that didn’t have one of my mates in it.
It didn’t qualify as a library, even though two of the walls were completely lined with shelves full to the brim.
I was sure my father had one of those, too, but maybe the west wing hadn’t been worthy enough for a true library.
As I surveyed the side walls filled with books, I quickly changed my mind.
Ancient texts and rare collections had a prized place here.
One book in particular called out to me. I found a rolling ladder and climbed to the top and plucked it out.
The binding didn’t have any text on it. So I scurried down the ladder, careful not to fall or let my useless wings snag on anything, and made my way to a chair in front of a cold fireplace that definitely hadn’t been used in a long time.
Opening the book, I found a language I hadn’t encountered before. But, since I was part angel, languages were something of a strength of mine.
It took some concentration, but the general meaning of the text came through the longer I stared at it.
When I realized what I had found, I grinned.
It was the story of my mother, Sonya.
Seven Sins.
She’d told me that a scribe had penned her story, as well as Evelyn’s, and was likely off in some pocket realm carving mine away as well.
A light knock at the door drew my attention to none other than the Incubus King himself.
I frowned. “How long have you been standing there?”
He grinned, showing off handsome features that I imagined most females flipped for.
A chiseled jaw.
Bright, stunning blue eyes.
Full midnight hair that fell into his face.
And a liquid sex voice that made me feel very awkward, given he was my dad.
He chuckled as he joined me near the lifeless fireplace, taking the opposite sofa chair.
“I’ve been standing there long enough to see you found my favorite book,” he said, nodding to the massive tome in my hands.
“I can’t track down the witch who wrote it.
Whatever realm she lives in seems untouched by Calamity, but I sensed plenty of chaos when I had my Blood Witches spell a copy of that for me.
It’s probably for the best, given that it’s one realm that hasn’t merged with ours.
” He chuckled again. “From what I gather, that realm is a true shit show that puts ours to shame, and it doesn’t even have supernaturals in it.
A mortal goldmine, if you will. And without supernaturals to keep things together…
let’s just say it’s not going very well. ”
I’d had my share of chaotic realms and we had enough to deal with in this one.
I was more interested in what he’d said about his favorite book. I closed the thick cover and rested its heavy weight on my knees. “A copy?” I ventured, genuinely curious. The Incubus King seemed to be the type who would want the original.
He steepled his fingers. “Hmm, yes. Unfortunately the original doesn’t seem to have a physical copy to steal, so I had to settle for this.”
That likely meant it was digital, if the ‘chaos realm’ he spoke of was similar enough to ours. I ran my fingers over the cover as I pondered my next question. “You said your Blood Witches conjured it for you. Do you mean Olivia’s coven?”
I knew that Olivia had once been a Blood Witch before she’d become a Dark Mage.
That was her dirty secret that had been hard for her to handle.
Like most supernaturals, she’d lost her memories and didn’t learn about her past until recently.
That past included being allies with Freya, the Blood Witch who had tried to kill me.
Not just an ally. Her sister in magic.
Freya, who was now dead, wasn’t a threat to us anymore. Sam had been the one to kill her. For that, I was silently grateful I hadn’t been the one to take the life of someone Olivia had once cared about, even if she wasn’t the same person anymore.
He glanced at the empty fireplace. “Olivia’s Coven? I suppose, a long time ago.” He flicked his fingers and made the fireplace light up in flames. “But she’s part of the trio that sided with Sonya back in the day. Now I have my own witches that work for me.”
I flinched.
He glanced at me, wearing a smug smirk that I wanted to wipe off his face.
An Incubus wasn’t supposed to be able to conjure fire.
“Being an unresolved sin of your mother’s did come with some perks, you know.
” He resettled into his seat and sighed.
“So, anyway. I figure you might as well know that I’m working with Lucifer for now. ”
I stiffened, but waited for him to continue.
Because he’d said for now.
As if this was a temporary thing.