Chapter 14
KASTIEL
When I woke, Isolde lay curled against my chest, her breathing slow and even, one leg draped over mine.
Her aura brushed against me in smooth waves as she slept, with no sign of the erratic crackling.
We hadn’t branded each other yet, but the bond between us felt like a living current that made every inch of my skin aware of her.
I could feel her contentment and the quiet strength she was only beginning to trust.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, my arm tightening around her waist. Last night had changed everything. She finally let herself feed, and in doing so, she had healed something inside both of us. My demon purred at the memory, possessive and deeply satisfied.
She stirred, her emerald eyes blinking open to meet mine. A shy, pleased smile curved her lips.
“Morning,” she whispered, her voice still husky from sleep and everything we’d done.
“Morning, little spark.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek. “How do you feel?”
“Better than I expected,” she admitted, nestling closer. “My aura feels like it finally knows where it belongs.”
Before I could gloat, a sharp pulse of magic rippled through the room—Adan’s personal summons, urgent and impossible to ignore.
Isolde tensed. “What is that?”
“Let me check with Adan.”
What’s happening?
His reply filled me with anger.
The Council representative is back.
I sat up and pulled her with me, explaining the situation. Her face paled, but she reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly. “They’re going to demand you send me away again, aren’t they?”
“Probably.” I stood, my demon already rising close to the surface.
Shadows coiled at my feet, restless and hungry.
The thought of anyone trying to take her from me sent a surge of possessive fury through my veins, but I kept my tone calm for her sake.
“They can demand whatever they want. We face them together. You’re my fated mate, and you’re not going anywhere. ”
Isolde searched my face for a moment, then her aura flared with quiet determination. The velvety lightning that now lived in her power brushed against me like a promise.
“Together,” she echoed.
I dressed quickly, then helped her into a simple but elegant black dress The Abyss had provided. She looked every inch the powerful demon she was becoming.
When we stepped into the hallway, I kept her hand firmly in mine, my shadows curling protectively around us both.
The Abyss made its position clear the moment we stepped into the conference room.
Comfortable, high-backed chairs of dark leather waited for Adan, Calliope, Isolde, and me.
They were positioned together on one side of the long table like a united front.
The single chair left for the Council representative had transformed into something medieval and cruel—with iron spikes along the back and cold manacles dangling from the arms. It radiated with a threat that wasn’t subtle.
The same demon who had delivered the earlier ultimatum stiffened visibly when he saw it. His lips thinned, but he perched on the edge of the chair anyway, refusing to show weakness.
Adan and Calliope were already present, their expressions calm but unyielding. Her hand rested protectively over the swell of her belly, while his gaze held quiet steel.
I guided Isolde to the open chair at Adan’s left, keeping her hand firmly in mine as we sat. My shadows curled around the base of her seat like a living shield. The representative’s eyes narrowed when he felt her aura mingle with it, clearly unsettled by how stable she had become.
He wasted no time. “The Council has been more than patient. The unstable succubus continues to pose a threat to the gate. Remove her from The Abyss immediately, or we will strip Kastiel Skaithe of his position as head of security and appoint someone who understands that duty must come before personal indulgence.”
Possessive fury ignited in my chest like hellfire. My demon roared, shadows flaring darkly around my shoulders before I forced them back under control. The casual demand to send my mate away made my every instinct scream to wrap Isolde in darkness and tear the representative apart where he sat.
“No, she stays. Isolde Virelyn is my fated mate. Her aura is no longer unstable. Feel it for yourself. The volatility is gone. She has stabilized, and she has already proven she can help protect the gate rather than threaten it.”
The representative’s gaze flicked to Isolde, and a flicker of unease crossed his face before he masked it with disdain. “Stabilized or not, the risk remains unacceptable. Protocol is clear. Remove her, or lose everything you have built here.”
I leaned forward slightly so he couldn’t mistake how deadly serious I was. “If necessary, I will walk away from my post. From my loyalty to Adan. From The Abyss itself. But I will never abandon my fated mate.”
The representative’s eyes widened, then narrowed in fury.
“You would throw away centuries of service for one unstable succubus? This is not how things are done. The safety of the gate supersedes personal bonds. You are the head of security. Your duty is to The Abyss and the realms it protects, not to—”
Adan’s voice cut through the growing tirade like a blade. “Enough.”
The single word carried the full weight of his authority. The representative faltered, his mouth snapping shut.
Adan stood, his presence filling the room without effort. Calliope remained seated beside him, her expression serene but unyielding.
“The Abyss is my domain. The Council has no say here. My word is law, and I stand with my head of security and his fated mate,” Adan declared.
“Isolde has proven herself to me, and that’s all that matters.
She has already helped contain a major rift and, in the process, healed Kastiel.
I do not discard valuable allies because a few councilors feel threatened by change.
Kastiel remains head of security. Isolde stays here, as she should, since she’s his fated mate. ”
The representative’s face tightened, but before he could retort, the door to the chamber opened. Lirael stepped inside, and Thalvor Virelyn was behind her.
Isolde’s father.
A heavy silence fell over the room as Thalvor’s eyes swept the table, lingering first on his daughter, then on me, and finally on the Council representative. His displeasure was obvious, but I wasn’t sure whose side he was on yet.
Lirael spoke first. “I have been training Isolde since yesterday. Her progress is faster than anyone could have expected. In my expert opinion, she is no risk to the gate. Quite the opposite—her hybrid gift, once properly fed and accepted, will only strengthen The Abyss’s defenses.”
Thalvor’s gaze remained fixed on Isolde for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he turned back to the Council representative, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of Virelyn authority.
“My daughter’s power is not a liability.
It is a rare gift of sea-storm blood from my line mixed with her mother’s succubus heritage.
I will not stand by while the Council threatens the Virelyn name or my daughter’s happiness.
If you force this issue, you will find the House of Virelyn aligned against you. ”
The representative’s jaw clenched, his eyes darting between Adan, Thalvor, Lirael, and me. He was outnumbered, outranked, and facing the combined weight of The Abyss’s owner, its head of security, a powerful succubus trainer, and one of the most influential demon houses.
He leaned back in the spiked torture chair, clearly uncomfortable, and finally spoke through gritted teeth.
“Very well. We concede, for now. Isolde Virelyn may remain. But we will be watching closely. Any sign of instability or any new rift traced to her aura, and this decision will be revisited. Harshly.”
“You can revisit it as often as you like, but the Council’s authority only extends into The Abyss when I allow it.” Adan inclined his head, a dangerous smile touching his lips. “Now leave.”
The representative stood stiffly, the iron chair scraping loudly as The Abyss returned it to a normal seat the moment he rose. He swept from the room without another word, the door sealing behind him with a decisive click.
The tension in the chamber eased, but not completely.
I pulled Isolde closer, my arm wrapping around her waist as my shadows curled protectively around us both. Quiet triumph settled in my chest, mixed with lingering wariness. The Council had backed down, but they would not forget this. Not even with Adan’s threat.
They would be watching, waiting for any excuse to strike again.
And if push came to shove, I couldn’t be sure whether Isolde’s father would still have her back. As far as I was concerned, he was a wild card I couldn’t depend on until he proved himself. Repeatedly.
But that was a concern for another day.
I pressed a kiss to Isolde’s temple, breathing her in. She was safe now, and I vowed that nobody would ever separate us.