Chapter 9 Discord
DISCORD
I kept my eyes closed as Cinder climbed into the bed with me. I was unready to face her expression of disdain, which she surely felt toward me after my display of weakness. She would never look at me the same again.
My body had healed with my slumber, but no remedy could mend my wounded pride.
I lay still and listened to the subtle shifts in the house—the pipes groaning, the hush of magic woven thick through the walls.
My pulse thudded in my ears, each beat of my heart a metronome for regret.
I had failed her, yet again, my body betraying me, rendering me incapable of carrying her through another nightmare.
Behind my eyelids, shadows flickered: memories of chaos, of blood and trembling hands, of magic denied. I hadn’t asked for redemption, but there it was, in the gentle way she’d set my clothes out, in the hope that trembled faintly beneath her exhaustion.
I could sense her, close now, her breath measured, her presence both a balm and a blade.
The silence between us was heavy, punctured only by her soft snores and the distant thrum of the world outside.
The temptation to reach for her, to seek solace in her embrace, warred against my shame, and I let the battle rage in the darkness of my mind.
She deserved so much more than I could provide her.
Without my powers intact, I was as useless as an imp.
Newfound anger ignited in my chest, and I focused on the burn.
Cinder was meant to be my soulbride. Of that I had no doubt, but the events that had led us to this union filled me with rage.
Lucifer had no right to strip my powers, and Isabel…
Once Cinder was safe at home, I would find the insolent witch’s soul and torture her for eternity.
Another pang of regret expanded in my chest. Safe at home was where Cinder belonged. Her home. Not mine, for Hell was no place for the living. Ensuring her safe return had become my only priority, yet I longed to keep her here, by my side.
She snorted on a quick intake of breath, her hand absently swatting at her nose. I lifted the sheet, pulling it higher on her shoulder, and she stirred. Her lids fluttered, and I stilled my breathing as she snuggled into me, wrapping her arm around me and burying her face in my chest.
Her skin was warm and soft, a comfort that set my nerves on edge—a reminder that, while all was not yet lost, prevailing meant losing her, and that I would never survive.
A tremor passed through me, and I let my fingers edge closer to her shoulder.
I stopped, just shy of contact, afraid the smallest touch would shatter the fragile calm we’d constructed.
Afraid she would feel pity for me, disdain, or worse…
nothing at all. The nightmare we were enduring tethered us, stitching our fates with threads of blood and longing, and I wondered now if she dreamed of escape.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, muffled by layers of stone and enchantment. The sound tugged at some primal part of me, a warning or perhaps an invitation. I forced myself to breathe, to anchor in the present, to resist the urge to flee back into sleep’s oblivion.
Cinder tightened her embrace, and I rested my hand atop her shoulder as she whispered my name—not with accusation or pity, but with quiet certainty. The syllables curled in the air between us, tentative, raw, making the core of my being ache with need.
But bitterness simmered just beneath my skin.
I would not forget what was taken from me.
And as Cinder’s eyes fluttered open, soft and luminous in the dim light, I made a silent vow: the reckoning would come.
For now, though, I clung to the smallest mercy—a moment of peace in the bed we shared, deep in the heart of Hell.
A soft smile played on her features as she pulled her head back, her gaze flowing from my eyes to my mouth. She moistened her lips, the quick dart of pink slipping between them making blood rush to my groin.
She blinked, sucking in a quick breath as she awakened fully. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She started to pull away, but I tugged her closer.
“Don’t apologize.” I slid my hand to her face, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “It’s an honor that you still take comfort in my embrace.”
“An honor, huh?” She laughed. “You’re a strong, sexy demon, who just saved my life. Why wouldn’t I?”
I frowned. “Because of the multiple times you have had to save mine.”
Her brow furrowed as if my words confused her. “We’re a team. Of course, we look out for each other.”
“I am not accustomed to showing weakness.” I rolled to my back and dragged my hands down my face, humiliation returning in full force. “You should not have to save my life.”
She propped her head on her hand, her expression bewildered. “Why? Because I’m a woman?”
“Because I am…I was…a Prince of Hell, my power unmatched by all except Lucifer himself.” I pushed to sitting and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my back facing her.
“We must continue our quest.” I reached for the clothing on the bedside table. “Tell me what you saw in your vision at the temple.”
“Hold on.” Cinder rose to her knees and slid her arms around my chest, pressing her front to my back. Warmth radiated through the thin fabric of her shirt, and I froze, my body unwilling to end the close contact.
“I have debts to collect.” My voice sounded gruff, even to me. “Lucifer and his lot will pay for what they’ve done to you.”
“What did I tell you about acting like I’m a damsel in distress?”
I laughed dryly. “This time, it was I who needed saving.”
“And next time, it’ll probably be me, so let’s take a moment and enjoy the peace in this invisible house. It could be our last chance to breathe.” She released me, moving to my side and sitting cross-legged next to me.
A soft smile tugged at the edge of her lips, a stark contrast to the gravity of our situation.
I exhaled, tension easing from my shoulders. “I promise to see you home safely, but…”
“I know.” Her gaze lingered on me, sharp and steady as always, daring me to look away.
Silence stretched between us, words unspoken saying everything we needed to say.
She felt our bond as I did…worried about the inevitable.
Even if we made it out of Hell alive, neither of us would survive our parting.
“What did you see at the temple?” I asked again, quieter this time.
Cinder’s eyes darkened, the memory of her vision flickering in their depths. “Hecate in chains. I couldn’t tell if they were real or metaphorical, but she’s in pain.”
A chill bristled along my spine, hope and dread mingling inside me. “Do you know where to find her?”
“I ran out of time. I’ll try scrying again in a bit, but…” She shook her head.
“But…?” I angled toward her, and her gaze bounced from my exposed manhood to my face and back again. “My nakedness still bothers you?”
Her lips parted, but she missed a beat before she replied. “No. I’ve seen plenty of dicks in my life. Yours is nothing special.”
It twitched, and her cheeks flushed. Nothing special, indeed.
I suppressed a smile and pulled the sheet into my lap. “You said you could scry, but…?”
She blinked twice, the tension in her posture easing. “You’re not the only one whose powers are out of whack.”
My jaw tightened, a sense of unease settling in my chest. “Elaborate, please.”
“My persuasion magic didn’t work when I went shopping, and I had to fight a centaur to get out of the store. My fire isn’t working right either.” She lifted a hand and dropped it into her lap, the gesture defeated.
Anger simmered in my gut. Toying with my magic was insult enough, but Lucifer had no clue the wrath he would face for harming my witch. My soulbride.
“I will ensure Lucifer’s demise is slow and relentless for what he’s taken from you.” I shot to my feet, fisting my hands as I paced the length of the bed. “How dare he strip your powers? His head will be the one on a stake.”
“I’m not sure he’s the one who did it,” she said.
I continued my rant. “He thrives on toying with others’ lives. Everything is game to him, but this time, he’s gone too far. This time, I will make him pay. I will raze the entire Underworld in your name.”
“Hey.” She clasped my hand, lacing her fingers through mine. “As hot as it is that you want to burn the world for me, I have another theory. Sit down.”
She tugged me to the mattress, and I obeyed her command despite the inferno raging inside me.
“Lucifer isn’t responsible for my misfiring magic,” she said. “You are.”
I snapped my head toward her, my eyes narrowed. “I would never harm you.”
“Maybe not on purpose.” She sandwiched my hand between both of hers.
“Explain,” I demanded, though my voice came out softer than I expected. Her grip was warm, grounding me, pulling me back from the brink of wrath.
She searched my eyes, inhaling deeply before speaking. “Our bond is doing it. My soul, my magic is tied to yours, like yours is to mine.”
I stared down at our joined hands, the pulse of energy beneath her skin subtle but undeniable. “Fate willed the bond we share. It would not cause you harm.”
“Again, not on purpose. But think about it. When Seraphine hit me with a poison arrow, you felt the effects too. Not because you were hit, but because our souls are bound.”
“You’re saying the stripping of my powers is inadvertently affecting yours?”
She nodded. “At the temple, you tore through Lucifer’s magic and called on your demon, but it wiped you out. You were sound asleep, still recovering, when I tried to call on my persuasion and fire. I couldn’t access my magic because my soul is part of yours now.”
A heavy silence settled over us, realization hanging in the air. Her strength waned when mine did. I tried to steady my breath, but guilt gnawed at the edges of my resolve.
“So every time I falter, you suffer,” I whispered, shame flooding my voice.
“It works both ways.” She squeezed my hand. “That’s the price of a soul bond, isn’t it? We can’t live without each other.”
My chest tightened. “I would never wish this on you.”
She smiled sadly. “Neither would I, but here we are. I didn’t mean to connect us like this. If anyone is to blame, it’s me.”
“I’ll find a way to break the bond,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “We’ll find a way together.”
“There’s a problem with that.” She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to mine and sliding a hand behind my neck. “I’m starting to like it…to like you…and I’m not sure I want it broken.”