Lore #2
Though you couldn’t deny, it was real. It was there. The other stuff was gone (even the art, which I could not turn my mind to those priceless works being lost in some magical ether, or I’d lose it).
As of now, however, we’d had the storm (or, another one), and we were in a calm.
And as for me, I was learning to get all I could out of these calm times, because we still had no real clue what was going on.
Except all evidence suggested it was way bigger than we expected.
And a whole hells of a lot scarier.
Thus, I knew there were more storms on the horizon.
So I was going to suck as much out of the calm times as I could.
“That didn’t give us a lot of info,” Tanyn complained toward the screen.
“Were you expecting a lot of info?” I asked.
He turned his head toward me. “No. Which is why we’ve got a meeting with an expert from SinBaal University tomorrow. Aleksei is holoing in.”
“Can I be in on that?”
“Of course.”
Right.
So there was that.
Time to hold on to the calm.
“Do you think we can fit in a quickie before the others get here?”
His eyes hooded but his lips said, “First, we’ve had a busy day. We haven’t been able to get into it, so we have to talk about whether you’re upset with me or not.”
What was he talking about?
“Why would I be upset?”
“I knew you were my fated mate.”
Okay.
Old, un-sexed-up, not-having-a-fated-mate-of-my-own, not-knowing-my-very-existence-lifted-a-curse Catla might give him some lip about this.
New, I-was-getting-it-good-and-regular, I-had-a-fated-mate-and-he-was-amazing, I-brought-down-a-curse Catla was cool with it.
Of course, he told me that he’d noticed the snowpack was receding since the time I first entered the castle, and that might have been fun to know.
But, I mean, you tell your mate you love them, say those words for the first time, receive the best kiss in history (said me) and a whole new castle emerges, stone, floors, roof, and furnishings because a curse was lifted…how could I complain about that?
That was fairytale stuff right there.
“I should probably bust your chops,” I remarked. “But kicking demon ass with one of my besties who happens to be a Daughter of the Gods took it all out of me.”
His frown was severe.
He was not a big fan of me reminding him Monique and I had to go it alone.
We were cuddled with Hurley snoozing between us, but I cuddled even closer (and Hurley kept snoozing).
“She was amazing, baby,” I said quietly. “For serious real. And I held my own.”
“They sent you over the edge,” he replied.
Yes.
I’d shared that.
I probably shouldn’t have, because after I did, for a second there, I thought Tanyn—my collected Tanyn—was going to tear the room apart.
But when I shared what the flames had done, he settled down and told me he commanded them (more awesome) and clearly, they served me too (way more awesome).
“What is that place anyway?” I asked belatedly (remember, I’d been dealing with a supremely frustrated, angry fated mate). “I thought it was the stairway to the hells, but even if it’s way down there, the hells didn’t seem very big.”
Tanyn—my collected Tanyn—suddenly appeared uncomfortable.
“What?” I asked.
“Catla…” he let that trail and said no more.
Not a good sign.
I pushed up to a hand and looked down at him (and at this, Hurley stopped dozing and lifted his head).
“What?” I demanded.
Tanyn pushed up to his hand too, took in a deep breath and shared, “It seems a lot of lore is true. That plateau is the gate to the hells.”
I blinked.
“At my command, it will descend,” he finished.
“I’m sorry?” I couldn’t wrap my head around this. “Are you saying you’ve been to the hells?”
“I haven’t had a reason to. Yet. Though, after Arnaud and Tatra are tried, they’ll be going there, and I’ll deliver them directly.”
“You can reach the hells.” My voice was flat with shock on this statement.
“Yes.”
“You have direct access to the hells.” Yes. More flat in my tone.
“Yes. Me, and only me. Though, now I have my suspicions you can too.”
“Oh my gods,” I breathed.
“Baby.”
“That’s crazy!” I exclaimed.
“Where do you think the demons came from?” he asked, watching me closely.
“I know where the…” Oh shit. “…lore says we come from.”
Again with the lore not being lore but being real.
This needed to be considered.
Just not right then.
“I’m a direct descendent of the first demon the gods set on the earth,” he told me. “Only one of my blood can truly wear the crown. And I’m sensing only my fated mate can access the blaze of hellfire.”
This was a lot to digest.
Too much.
It took a really long time even to begin digesting it.
Questions surfaced through this haze. “Arnaud tried to get in.”
“He did.”
“Does that mean he’s not of your father’s blood?” I asked. “Because obviously, with all the scorch marks where the arch was, he tried.”
“Sadly, he is my half-brother. What he’s not is the rightful king.”
Well, that was true.
“Do demons have fated mates?” I asked.
“No. But the demon king or queen does.”
Oh no.
No.
My words were careful when I said, “Your mother was your father’s fated mate.”
Melancholy stole through his bright blue gaze. “I didn’t know it before. But I did know it when I became king. The first thing I did was go to the gateway as Mom told me to do. When I got to The Pit, the fires of hell confirmed what I was feeling when I met you. That my fated mate was you.”
“And this was why I was drawn to you,” I mumbled as it all became clear.
He slid my hair off my neck and curled his fingers warm around the skin there. “It’s also one of the reasons I didn’t tell you about us. I wanted you to—”
“Fall in love with you for only you,” I finished for him.
He nodded. “So, knowing all of that, are you angry?”
I rested my hand on the base of his throat. “Honey, I fell in love with you for”—I pressed in at his throat—“you. So no. I’m not angry even a little bit.”
His eyes darkened, his face warmed and his mouth said, “I think we have time for a quickie.”
I smiled.
My fated mate kissed me.
Hurley vamoosed.
We christened the deep burgundy velvet of the new comfy couch in the lounge, finishing in just enough time to clean up, pull our clothes back on and head down to the landing bay to greet our friends.
And thus begin to batten down to face whatever came next.