Chapter 5
Clutching Uni to my chest, I stared at the slowly fading glow hovering over the Enchanted Forest that grew behind a gathering of students.
My little bunny-unicorn baby shuddered, almost like he was in shock and I stroked him, but I had no idea what to do, or even say what might make him feel better.
I needed somebody stroking me at the moment to make me feel better, but I didn’t see that happening.
“We need to go,” Dante said, his voice quiet but vibrating with intensity. “Every second not spent taking action is a second Lucifer will use to strike.”
Lifting Uni up so he could see my eyes, I said, “It’s going to be dangerous, Uni. You should stay here.”
To my shock, the Uni-Hare dropped his head stubbornly and eyed me with bright, angry eyes.
“I think that means no, Lily.” Logan came through the streets to stand next to me, reaching up to scratch Uni’s ears.
The uni-hare lowered his head and rubbed his face against Logan’s hand, an odd sigh of pleasure escaping him before he gave me another look of bunny-ish ire.
I sighed. Since when did my Uni-Hare love all my mates?
“He’s like us. He goes where you go,” Logan informed me.
I couldn’t decide if I was pleased about the idea or not. Uni was so small and cute. But he wasn’t helpless or without his own sort of magic that made him different.
His beady little eyes said that he was coming with me whether I liked it or not.
“Alright, guys,” I said, turning to face my Virtues. “Where do we start?”
I half-expected arguments from at least a couple on that, but one by one, they all looked at Logan.
His eyes glowed for a fraction of a second, the intensity of the wolf of him lurking just under the surface.
He pushed a hand through hair that had grown longer and shaggier.
“We need to get to the tunnels and right now, the quickest, and probably safest way is through there.”
He nodded toward the barrier.
But then I realized it wasn’t the barrier he’d indicated. It was the Enchanted Forest.
“Oh.” Warily, I looked from him to Uni, then Uni to the Forest. Guess now wasn’t the time to consider whether I was more of an indoor or outdoor kind of girl, huh?
“Let’s get ready to go, then.” Orion had joined us, standing on Logan’s other side and I realized that, somehow, over the past year, my mates had all forged bonds among themselves.
It hadn’t just been Hendrik and Dante, but the others, too, Logan, Kaito, and Orion.
They relied on each other more than they realized.
Just as they’d looked to Logan moments ago, they all focused on Orion now and I understood why without even considering it.
He was a demigod who had spent much of his life focused on sex and pleasure, yes, but none of the Demis were single-faceted.
He’d been born a natural leader—a warrior.
All of my men were warriors, but some were solitary, a predator in nature, like Logan or a blade forged like Dante.
Orion had been trained to lead others into battle.
And this was no different.
It was a sobering realization and I went silent, stroking Uni’s back as one by one, everybody either voiced their plans or offered insight.
Orion didn’t contradict any of them, and twice, he looked to Logan who gave his own opinion, but in the end, it was Orion and Logan taking the lead in this instance.
Once it was just Logan, Orion and me, I gave them a small smile and shook my head. “I almost don’t believe what I just saw,” I said. Pride and love ached inside of me.
Logan blushed and looked away, his pragmatic nature not comfortable with the teasing…
or the emotion he felt from the bonds. He was an Alpha wolf in so many ways and had his own share of arrogance, but this, he simply did what was needed to be done and didn’t think beyond that.
Which was another reason for the sweet ache that I held for him inside my heart.
Plan made, we moved through the crowd, but I realized we wouldn’t be able to sneak away to go save the world.
Not without saying goodbye, first.
When I caught sight of my mother waiting for me, I hesitated, self-consciously looking down at the leathers she’d gifted me before meeting her gaze.
A soft smile curved her lips and she inclined her head.
Her mates, Nate and Luke, stood with her and both grinned at the sight of me, the grimness of their features briefly eased.
Hendrik decided that was a good moment to conjure my crown, right there in front of the entire Academy.
A hush swept over the crowd and my mother grinned, clearly pleased.
“It suits you,” Nate said.
I met his eyes, still uncertain about how I felt about my mother’s mate who also happened to be my half-brother. “Uh, thank you.”
Luke brushed his hand down my arm, the crackle of his power snapping against my own. “You can do this, you know.”
I couldn’t respond so I just nodded before looking at Sonya.
She stroked my cheek. “Absolutely beautiful,” she agreed. She pinched my chin. “That crown is an heirloom, daughter. I haven’t been Hell’s ruler for long, but it’s power goes back to the dawn of time.”
Luke hummed in agreement. “To the creation of Calamity. It might be of assistance when you face it.”
While I wasn’t intending to face Calamity, I would probably have to go through Lucifer to get to my lost Virtues—and right now that meant dealing with what power of Calamity he had at his fingertips.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, grazing my fingers over the warm metal at my brow. “Thank you.”
A familiar face in the crowd made my eyes widen.
“Jess.” I started toward her only to pause when I saw another familiar face. The last time I’d seen her, she hadn’t looked quite so much like a Demonspawn. “Cindy?”
The female I’d known as a human before Dante had swept me away to the Academy months ago, looked remarkably different. Not just because the horns were new. The last time we’d seen each other, Cindy had lobbed fire at me in an effort to kill me and I’d been terrified.
Jess cut in front of me and hugged me. “I was so happy to hear you were, well, not dead dead.”
A weak laugh escaped me and I hugged her back. “Have you been here this whole time?”
“Eh.” Jess gave a noncommittal shrug and looked around, her gaze lingering on others I realized were also Demonspawn, their silver horns glowing.
Some, I knew. Others, I didn’t. “We’ve been keeping our heads down, training.
The Queen has been sheltering us in her territory.
It’s been nice to get out and make a real difference. ”
Cindy shifted and I couldn’t avoid looking at her anymore unless I wanted to look either small, or scared—neither sat well with me.
Her horns curved, almost elegantly, from her hairline and when she lifted a hand in a nervous wave, I saw her Demonspawn claws—but they weren’t out, not the way mine emerged when my Demonspawn nature surged to the forefront.
It was like the Demonspawn and human aspects of her form were altering.
Jess noticed my attention and waved her hand, showing the more refined version that had taken place of her claws as well.
“What is this?” I asked.
“We’re not sure,” Jess said, grinning. She darted a look toward my mother and gave her a reverent nod before shifting her gaze back to me.
“It’s weird. Every one of us loyal to Sonya is undergoing some strange change though.
It’s exciting and crazy—I mean, I feel things.
” She placed a hand to her heart and smiled at me.
“I think I’m… happy? Like, how exciting and crazy is this? ”
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.” Cindy inched closer and Jess rested a supportive hand on her shoulder. “Emotions,” the Mother of Monsters confirmed. “Feelings. Happiness.” Her smile fell. “Other things, too. Fear. Guilt.”
Her eyes slid away then and I felt a pang in my chest. She’d tried to hurt me. And she felt remorse for it.
“Hey, that movie, what was it again?” Jess asked. “…about the big-ass boat…?”
Realizing Jess was trying to help ease Cindy’s obvious discomfort, I nodded and met my friend’s gaze. “The Titanic, and it really did exist.”
“I know. But, I never cared. I’ve seen so many movies.
Some of them? Like a million times, but I’ve never seen them, you know?
That one? It gutted me. He gives up this floating debris to his mate—and they both could have fit!
But he died and I had all this water leaking from my eyes!
I thought I was melting. But nope.” Jess threw up her hands. “I was crying. I’m a crying demon.”
“What does all this mean?” I asked, baffled. Instinctively, I looked at my mother.
Sonya gave an enigmatic smile. “You’re having an interesting affect on Calamity, my dear.
And that’s affecting how Calamity impacts Hell.
Cindy and Jess are two of my most loyal followers and I’m pleased to see the changes within their ranks.
” Her bat-like wings fluttered behind her.
“I view it as a reward for helping the Champion of Calamity during these difficult times.”
Both Demonspawn all but glowed under Sonya’s praise, which might have explained Cindy’s strange new attitude toward me.
Maybe. But then she met my eyes. “Jess told me what you’ve done for us, for all the supernatural creatures, and for the families locked up in Fortune Academy and when she’d been trapped there, too.
You helped when you had no reason to. I’m grateful. ”
The simpleness of her words hit me hard and I could only nod.
“There were mortal families there, too,” I said, thinking of all the people caged, trapped, alone.
“We stormed the Arena shortly after you were, um, gone.” Cindy’s mouth tightened and she cleared her throat before continuing, “We’ve all made sure they’re cared for but some aren’t quite… mortal, anymore.”
Confused, I looked at my mother, then Jess before asking, “What do you mean?”