Hellbent & Heartless (Fated Demon Mates #2)

Chapter 1

ISOLDE

The Abyss was well-known among demons, but tonight was my first time seeing the luxury hotel that catered to our kind.

I preferred to keep to myself, but my father had insisted that I accompany him to the Festival of Midnight.

Since this was a celebration that only happened once in a century, he didn’t let me put him off by saying I’d just go next time.

Now I was stuck mingling with hundreds of demons on the night when the veil between realms was at its thinnest.

“Smile, Isolde,” my father muttered, his hold on my arm tightening. “You are unknown to most of the demons in attendance, and you only get one chance to make a first impression.”

I forced my lips to curve upward, wishing he was more concerned with my feelings than the opinion of others. But my father was always looking to make another alliance, ever the politician who’d grown the House of Virelyn into the powerhouse we were today.

“I’ll try to do my best, Father.”

“Don’t just try,” he hissed. “Show them all that you’re worthy of the Virelyn name.”

Straightening my back, I lifted my chin and swept my gaze across the ballroom. Whoever was responsible for decorations tonight outdid themselves.

The grand hall of The Abyss looked like someone had taken midnight itself and poured it into crystal and shadow.

Deep purple lilies spilled from tall vases along every column, and shimmering threads of magic draped the high ceiling like strings of starlight.

Black-stemmed vines crawled up columns and across the ceiling, with tiny white flowers that only opened at midnight.

And living shadow tapestries hung from half a dozen spots off the ceiling—huge panels that shifted and reformed into scenes from demonic history.

They showed fleeting silhouettes of mated pairs, gates opening, and storms raging before smoothing back into deep purple.

My father had hosted plenty of balls in our home, and I’d been unable to get out of attending them once I turned eighteen. I’d been forced to suffer through a dozen events in the past four years, but they all paled in comparison to what Adan Deville and his mate had pulled off tonight.

They were hosting beings from across the supernatural spectrum, all gathering to honor the convergence. Power hummed beneath every word and glance.

My father was in his element, but I hated every second. Too many eyes followed me, curious demons who had never seen Thalvor Virelyn’s daughter before. Their attention made my aura prickle dangerously under my skin. One slip and they would all smell the fear rolling off me.

Seemingly unaware of my inner turmoil, he steered me through the crowd with practiced ease, nodding to acquaintances and murmuring introductions. “Kaelith, may I present my daughter, Isolde.”

The demon inclined his head, his eyes gleaming with calculation. “A pleasure to meet you, Isolde. Your father speaks highly of your potential.”

I dipped a shallow curtsy, murmuring the expected pleasantries while my aura prickled under my skin like static before a storm.

We moved on for more of the same. Vague compliments about a power I wished I didn’t have and veiled questions about my attendance at future events.

Pausing in front of a striking couple, my father greeted, “Adan, thank you for hosting us tonight.”

“Thalvor, good to see you made the journey.” Adan tugged the visibly pregnant woman closer to his side.

“Wouldn’t miss it, Deville.” My father inclined his head respectfully—which was rare for him—then gestured to me. “This is my daughter, Isolde.”

Adan’s gaze flicked to me. “Welcome to The Abyss, Isolde. This is my fated mate, Calliope.”

“It’s lovely to have you here.” Calliope’s smile widened. “If you need anything, just ask.”

She seemed more genuine than anyone else I’d met this evening. For the first time, the warmth in my voice wasn’t forced. “Thank you. The hall is breathtaking. You’ve outdone yourselves.”

Calliope laughed softly. “Most of the credit goes to The Abyss itself and the staff. I basically just said what I wanted, and they made it happen.”

My gaze swept over the ballroom in a new light, finally understanding why the space was so impressive. The Abyss had magic of its own.

They exchanged a few more words with my father before a cluster of guests pulled them away. He turned to me with a satisfied nod. “See? That wasn’t so difficult. Stay visible but don’t hover. I’ll find you later.”

He melted back into the crowd, leaving me alone for the first time all evening.

I exhaled slowly and drifted toward the shadowed edges of the ballroom, seeking a moment to breathe.

The vines crawling up the nearest column released an almost inaudible chime as I passed, something only enchanted night-blooming star jasmine could do.

My aura sparked in response, a tiny arc that luckily fizzled out before anyone noticed.

As the evening wore on, the energy in the room shifted. The realms were drawing close, the divide between them wearing thin. The air grew charged with anticipation, and I worried about its impact on my powers as the clock high above began its slow chime toward midnight.

A hush fell over the crowd. Guests lifted glasses, savoring the raw pulse of magic as the veil thinned to gossamer.

I drifted farther away from the throng of supernatural beings. That was when I saw him.

He stood at the edge of the gathering, on the other side of the ballroom from me.

Even though he was halfway between two columns, too far away for either to cast that much darkness over him, his tall body was half in shadow.

But they didn’t completely hide how broad his shoulders were.

And when he turned his head to scan the room, I caught a glimpse of dark hair cropped short, a strong jaw shadowed with stubble and bisected by a thin white scar that ran from his ear to his chin, and piercing eyes that were nearly black.

He studied the room, every movement controlled until our eyes met across the crowded hall. Then he took several steps forward before regaining his restraint when he reached the edge of the gathering. It was the only outward sign that he felt the tether that snapped into place between us.

My self-discipline wasn’t nearly as strong as his.

My aura detonated outward in a corona of white-blue sparks that raced along my arms before I could choke it back.

The air around me popped like dry kindling catching.

It was a lucky thing that I’d moved just far enough away from everyone that nobody was close enough to notice.

He continued to hold my gaze, and there was no surprise in his dark eyes. Just the same bone-deep certainty that I was feeling.

We were fated to be together. Mates.

I’d spent years denying my succubus nature, refusing to feed. Worried that I would exert undue influence, I never let anyone close enough for my aura to even brush them. Meeting my mate before I gained control over my sensual powers was a cruel twist of fate.

But there was no denying who the powerful demon was to me. No matter how much I wished otherwise since the timing was awful.

As though sensing my thoughts, he started to move forward again.

Panic clawed up my throat. If he got close enough to touch me, my aura might lash out and sink hooks into him without any regard for his free will. The last thing I wanted was for my allure to twist whatever he felt into something false. The thought made bile burn in the back of my throat.

I turned and bolted, darting toward the nearest shadowed corridor.

My aura kept sparking, so I didn’t stop until I reached a narrow hallway lined with unlit sconces.

I pressed my back to the cold wall, my chest heaving as my palms flattened against the stone.

But instead of helping to ground the storm inside me, my powers searched for the nearest outlet.

The lights burned bright as footsteps echoed down the corridor. There was nowhere to run or hide. Not that I thought it would even help when our connection was so strong that I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

He stopped a few feet away, just close enough for me to feel the weight of his presence pressing against my skin.

“Running won’t change what just happened.”

I kept my eyes on the floor. “I know.”

Our connection grew stronger in the silence that stretched between us.

“Your name?” he finally asked.

My answer was the barest whisper of sound. “Isolde Virelyn.”

“Kastiel Skaithe.”

I risked a glance up at his reply, recognizing his name.

He was the head of security for The Abyss, powerful enough that my father had instructed me to find him if I ran into trouble during the celebration.

Flames swirled in his dark eyes, a sign his demon was close to the surface.

Which only made my succubus half push for control again, sending another surge of power from my palms into the wall.

“Why did you run if you know who I am to you?”

My laugh held no humor. I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet those unreadable eyes. “Fate did you no favors by tying you to a succubus who can’t control what she is. You don’t want this tether, Kastiel Skaithe. Trust me.”

“We’ll see about that,” he murmured.

Before I could argue, a sharp crack split the air behind me. Whirling around, I gawked as a rift no bigger than my hand tore open in the wall. Black smoke curled out. Something small and vicious skittered through, with red eyes and needle teeth.

Kastiel moved faster than I could track. Shadows lashed from his hands, wrapping the creature in black coils. It shrieked once before he crushed it to ash with a flex of his fist.

Then the rift snapped shut, and he turned toward me again. “Your aura did that.”

He said it more as a statement of fact than a question, or even an accusation. But I still felt exposed in a way that left me vulnerable.

I wrapped my arms around myself. “I told you. I’m broken.”

His gaze swept over me, flames swirling in his eyes again. “Not broken. Just caged too long.”

Maybe. But if I ever let my succubus side out near him, I was terrified I’d destroy the one person fate had chosen for me.