Chapter 34
NICK
The tight leather hugs Rhi’s ass in a way that should be fucking illegal.
My stare lingers on her form until she disappears under the arched entryway.
A stable boy approaches, fingers shaking as I hand him the reins.
As much as I want to tell him to relax, I have a facade to maintain that my alter ego executed supremely.
Raphael—I—was never unnecessarily cruel, but I was never outwardly cordial either.
Belial and the rest of the party joins me, dismounting their horses and being perfect gentleman Demons, escorting the girls from the saddles.
I suppress a grin at the way Astrid appears ready to rip off my uncle’s head, her eyes narrowing at where his hands grip Scar’s waist. Little does she know, my uncle has set his sights far from my sister, on a certain pale-haired Demoness.
Two more stable boys scurry over, leading the horses to the stables. Everyone else mills about, seemingly awaiting orders.
“Baal,” I call to my second. “Send word to the other ladies’ maids to have four rooms prepared. They can then be escorted—”
“Actually, we’d like a room together,” Astrid says, clasping Scar’s hand.
“Us too,” B chimes in, moving closer to Zo but keeping her hands by her sides. My eyes narrow at the pair. That’s an interesting development, considering my belief up to this point was that Zo was only interested in the opposite sex.
However, I can’t help but feel a spark of joy for Bianca, who I know can come off just as abrasive as Astrid.
“You will address him as Your Majesty, and you do not make requests—”
I cut off Argo’s beratement. “It seems you do not value your tongue, Argos. Who told you to speak on my behalf?”
Baal coughs to cover up a laugh. My uncle, however, watches the exchange with interest.
“Sorry. Your Majesty.” Scar’s voice pulls my attention, and gods, do I want to comfort her. Her normally pale skin is splotched and red, an indication I know means she’s fighting the urge to cry. Sure enough, her hazel eyes are glassy, tears threatening to emerge any minute.
I have to tell her.
Though it nearly kills me, I ignore my sister.
“Take them inside,” I direct Baal. “Escort them to whatever rooms they wish. See that they are bathed, fed, and…” I curl my lips, feigning displeasure, “dressed in proper attire suitable for the presence of a King. The rest of you can return to whatever you were doing prior.”
Astrid looks ready to claw my eyes out. Zo’s own mouth curls up in disgust. Bianca shoots daggers at me, and Scar is just about ready to break. Argos and his little band of merry lemmings bow before they file inside the palace.
Baal nods and gestures for the girls to follow as he leads them to cross the bridge. Belial joins them. With their backs to me, I call out, “Wait.”
They all turn, Belial with a brow raised. “You,” I point to Scar, “tiny one. Stay.”
The girls exchange protective looks. Astrid wriggles her fingers in her gloves.
“I will not harm her. You have my word.”
“And what is the word of the Devil worth?”
Touché. I grin. “I have a deep affection for my mistress and understand all of you mean a lot to her. If nothing else, trust I would never want to see her upset.”
I had to physically keep myself from wincing as I called Rhi my ‘mistress’, but the girls and Astrid seem to slightly relax. Still, she fixes me with a fiery glare.
“I will go inside, but if she returns harmed in any way, I will gladly show your Court what my hands can do.”
With that, she turns on her heel, and the girls follow, leaving Baal and Belial to stare at me in bewilderment.
Truthfully, I should, at the very least, scold her for her blatant disrespect, but I’m bone-weary at this point, and I just want to finally speak with my sister.
I shoot them a pointed look, and they head inside without question, leaving me alone with Scar.
“Is there something you need from me, Your Majesty?”
Though Scar was always tiny, barely reaching five feet in height, her broken voice makes her sound even smaller. She won’t meet my eyes. Now that Rhi is back, alive and safe, I thought my heart was done breaking. It appears I am, once again, horribly wrong.
“How’s Mom?”
Scar’s head jerks up, eyes blinking rapidly, tears falling from them each time. Her mouth parts, and her tongue presses against the roof of her mouth, hesitant to voice my name.
“It’s ok,” I tell her. “You can say it. Quietly,” I add.
“Nick?” Her voice cracks.
I smile, tears welling in my own eyes. “Hey, Scar.”
Her knees bounce, ready to embrace me. My own arms itch to hold her, but I subtly raise my palm. “Not yet. I want to hug you, but I can only do so away from prying eyes.”
Scar nods. “How? Rhi told us you lost your memories. She even said we had to address you as Raphael.”
“I told Rhi to lie. I had to pretend I didn’t know you or the girls.
There are a few trusted members of my Court who know my memories have returned.
Everyone else still assumes I am Raphael.
They cannot know what you mean to me, Scar.
It’s bad enough they know I am besotted with Rhi, but they think she is merely my mistress, nothing but a whore.
” I finally wince. “If they knew who she really was,” I continue, “who you really are, both of you—all of you—would be used against me. It will put you in danger, and I won’t allow that to happen. ”
Scar swallows, her throat quivering. “Gods, Nick. I’ve missed you. So much. Mom is absolutely destroyed. She knows you’re alive, but the thought of never seeing you again…” She trails off, shaking her head, more tears spilling down her face. “She’ll be so happy when we come home.”
My answering smile is strained as I contemplate telling her the bad news.
I will do whatever it takes to make sure my sister and the girls leave this place, but if I can’t find a way to escape before time runs out, I can’t go with them.
Rhi has made it abundantly clear that while she wishes to return, she won’t leave me, and I can’t bring myself to tell my sister two people she loves may never leave.
“Let’s get you inside,” I tell her. “I’ll bring you to your room, and we can tell Astrid everything.”
Scar nods, and I lead her across the bridge and through the arched entry way. Curious stares follow us as we wind our way through the limestone corridors. Like Rhi, she pauses in front of the arched windows overlooking the ocean, sighing contentedly.
“It really is beautiful here,” she says. “Nothing like I imagined.”
“Most things here aren’t.”
“Why is everyone staring at us?” We continue walking down the hall, taking a left at the tunnel of stairs.
“You want the truth?” Scar and I slowly climb the twisting steps, and she side eyes me.
“When haven’t I?”
I blow out a breath. “My father, Lucifer, had many mistresses. Our mother was his favorite, obviously.” I gesture to myself.
Scar snorts. “And as I said, while everyone is aware of my affection for Rhi, I’m sure they speculate you are another mistress.
Soon, they probably will believe all the girls are. ”
Scar lolls out her tongue in pure disgust as we continue to climb. “Ugh! Gross. Just—” She shivers. “No.”
I chuckle. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
We arrive on the third floor, where Rhi resides. Her room is farthest down the hall, and I have to force my footsteps to stop about five doors away to lead Scar into her room rather than going directly to hers.
I knock before entering, pushing the handle once I hear a voice that isn’t Astrid’s say, “Come in.”
It sounds like Rhi’s.
I open the door to find all the girls, Rhi included, huddled together on the large, four-poster bed. All the guest rooms in the palace are similar in layout and design, except where Rhi’s room has an ocean view, this does not.
Rhi catches my eye, pressing her lips together against a smirk.
“That’s twice, now, that you’ve disobeyed me,” I tell her, relishing the way the apples of her cheeks pink.
She tilts her head, staring up at me beneath long lashes. “When have I ever listened to you?”
Fucking brat. I can’t wait to bend her over my throne later.
Astrid, Zo, and Bianca exchange confused looks before Zo says, “OK, what the fuck is going on?”
“The five of you are going to be such a fucking headache, aren’t you?” I say with a grin, watching as the girls’ expressions morph from confusion to realization.
“Oh my fucking gods!” Zo screams.
“You’re back,” Astrid says, much more calmly and with a soft smile.
“He’s back,” Scar says softly by my side. “Nick is back.”
Zo is the first to wrap me in a hug. Astrid follows, though tentatively, yet wraps her arms around me, nonetheless. Bianca rises but doesn’t offer a hug; she just smiles and says, “Glad to have you back, Nick.”
I offer my own smile then glance at Rhi over the heads of the four girls. Tears roll down her face despite the exuberant smile gracing her mouth.
“OK,” Zo steps back to give me space, and the three others follow. “Tell us everything.”
Rhi and I take turns giving the rundown of our time in Hell. No one says a word. During the course of our recount, their expressions shift from perturbed, to mildly horrified, to baffled, to relieved.
“If anyone was going to get into Hell and bring our boy back, it’s Rhi,” Zo comments with a shit-eating grin.
“How did you get here?” Rhi asks, her eyes drifting closed by the minute. She needs rest, and not just because of The Harrowing.
Because tonight, I’m going to punish her.
“Same way you did,” Astrid answers, picking up a strawberry from the table next to the bed. Food had been delivered to the room on my orders. “We convinced Hades to send us.”
My eyes narrow. “You mean you annoyed him into sending you.”
“Tomayto, tomahto.” Zo waves her hand. “We’re here, aren’t we?”
A loud yawn tumbles from Rhi’s mouth. “I’m sorry. I am so tired.”
“We can continue tomorrow,” I tell the girls. “You will be left alone this evening, I’ll make sure of it. Your ladies’ maids will bring you anything you ask, but be vigilant. Rhi is Liv to you, and I am “Your Majesty.”
The four girls nod in unison, and I give Scar another quick hug. “I’ll send for everyone in the morning. Do not leave these rooms until then. Understood?”
A chorus of agreement erupts, and I walk to the side of the bed, where Rhi has started to doze off.
I slip my arms under her back and cradle her against my chest. Her arms come around my neck, and she rests her cheek against my chest. I sweep from the room, carrying Rhi in my arms, her soft breathing a soothing balm to the anxiety of the past twenty-four hours.
Somehow, she still smells faintly of jasmine, and I press my nose to the top of her head and inhale.
“Are you smelling me?” Her voice is heavy with exhaustion, but a hint of humor peeks out.
“Yes,” I say, because why deny it? “Twenty-four hours without you was driving me mad. Hell, twenty-four seconds without you is enough to push me over the edge.”
“Hmmm,” she mumbles sleepily, her grip around my neck loosening as she drifts off to sleep.
I open her door, unsurprised to find Aurelia and Mira inside her room. Mira appears from the bathing chamber, having just drawn Rhi a bath, and Aurelia is in the process of turning down the bed.
I press a finger to my lips to keep them from waking her as I slide Rhi from my arms and into the bed.
She is still clothed in her fighting leathers, and I sit on the edge of the mattress to start unlacing her boots.
Placing them gently on the floor, I undo the ties of the belt holding the sheaths of her sword and dagger before removing it entirely.
Rhi softly stirs before rolling to her side, her breathing gentle and even.
“Let her sleep,” I tell the maids. “When she awakes, make sure she eats and bathes. I will send for her this evening.”
Both women nod, and while Mira turns to place the covers over Rhi, Aurelia boldly stares at me with a soft, curious expression.
“What is it?” I ask.
She darts her gaze to Rhi then back to me, seemingly hesitant to reply.
“I’m waiting,” I say impatiently.
“She’s not just your mistress, is she?”
That’s the second time someone has asked a question of that nature. Lying would be the pragmatic option, as more people knowing exactly who Rhi is puts her and our plans to leave in danger. But lying about what she means to me feels like tarnishing my own soul.
After all, half of it belongs to her.
I decide to keep my answer simple but threatening. “No. And it is for that reason both of you will be discreet and protect her as though she were your own sister. I am having far too good of a time removing the tongues and spines of those who cross me. Is that understood?”
Aurelia pales and wordlessly nods. Mira, who I caught hovering in the threshold of the bathing chamber, mumbles out a shaky “of course, Your Majesty.” She will not meet my eyes.
Satisfied I got my point across, I leave Rhi sleeping, hoping she awakes rejuvenated and ready.
Because tonight, I am going to punish her.