Page 11 of Demon's Beauty

My brave, reckless sister, who left the coven the day she turned eighteen.

My gifted, powerful sister, who decided she’d rather use her magick for herself and forge her own path than follow anyone else’s.

My passionate, temperamental sister, who probably still hates me at least a little because I stayed, and even more because I’m planning on Ascending to priestesshood.

“Sure,” Vayla says, and nods toward one of the side corridors branching off the atrium. “I’ll take you. I’m sure Her Majesty is needed in the great hall with King Eren.”

Allie laughs and shakes her head. “You’re not wrong. He’s probably already sent guards out looking for me.”

Before she goes, she takes my hand and squeezes it gently. Our eyes meet, and the depth of sympathy and understanding I find there tightens my throat.

It’s not the reassurance I would have ever expected from a Crescent witch.

Not that Allie’s a Crescent witch anymore, not really, but the moment of support is more than I’ve gotten in years from any of my sister witches.

“I’ll stop by the workshop later,” she says, “and see how work on the grimoire is going.”

I’ll stop by and make sure you haven’t fallen entirely to piecesis the unspoken bit of her parting words, and with a brief goodbye to Vayla, she heads toward a pair of towering, carved wooden doors that lead into the great hall.

“Come on.” Vayla is already moving, not one to waste time or mince words. “It’s not far.”

Not farseems to be a very demon measure of distance, because by the time we’ve made our way through an endless maze of corridors—all of which seem to lead uphill in some direction or another—I’m winded and ready to find somewhere to sit down.

“This is their room,” Vayla says, stopping in front of a door. “I’ll leave you to it. Either Seren or Callum should be able to bring you down to the workshop when you’re done. It’s a bit of a hike to get there.”

Oh, perfect.

Ifnot farfelt like we walked for miles, I shudder to think whata bit of a hikewill be.

But that’s a problem for future Soleil.

Right at the moment, I’m more worried about catching my breath and doing what little I can to make myself presentable. If I know my sister, she’ll be able to spot what a mess I am inside and out as soon as she lays eyes on me, and I’d rather not alarm her too much.

When I’m about as put together as I can possibly be in this moment, I raise my hand and knock.

It takes a few seconds, but eventually a familiar voice calls out from inside.

“Come in!”

The scene I walk into is so cozy that I immediately feel bad for intruding.

Seren and Callum are sitting on a balcony that looks out over the side of the mountain. She’s in his lap, cuddled up close, though she sits bolt upright in her seat when she sees who’s come to barge in on her morning.

Seren lifts herself off Callum’s lap and turns to me with wide eyes. “Soleil? What are you doing here?”

4

Finn

My heartburn has gotten worse and worse on my walk back to the Nighfall suite of rooms.

Goddess, I must be getting old or something.

I make a mental note to visit the healer later this morning if it hasn’t gone away, and to drink more… water? Is that what I’m supposed to do to be a responsible adult who takes a care for my health?

Sounds right, but I can’t be sure. The healer will likely know.

Hopefully, she’ll also have something to make this damned ache go away.