Page 9 of Demon's Beauty

Slightly less stomach-turning than traveling through the Veil, but not by much.

“So,” I say, noting the distinct lack of any demons around to open a portal. “Are we hiking back to court?”

Ugh, I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less.

I’m more of an indoor girl on my best days, and on days when I’m running on barely any sleep, with nerves frayed within an inch of snapping and a stomach that still won’t settle down?

Count me out of any outdoor activities.

Allie, however, offers an immediate solution.

“I can portal us.”

“You can?”

Shit, that sounded rude.

Especially given what I know about her background and her history, immediately questioning her magickal capability is probably the worst thing I could have done.

But she just grins. “Yeah, I can. It’s freaking wild, but after Eren and I sealed our bond, I started developing some of his powers. I’ve gotten pretty good at portals over the last few months.”

A portal only sounds marginally, infinitesimally better than hiking, but I brace myself, nod, and Allie gives me another sympathetic smile.

“It’s not that far, so it shouldn’t be too bad.”

“Well,” I say, grasping the hand she extends. “If it means I don’t have to walk…”

I should have just walked.

Between one heartbeat and the next, she’s opened a portal and stepped us through. We’re spat back out on the other side after a rush of wind that feels like stepping into a jet engine andthe awful, stomach-rolling sensation of having the world fall out from beneath my feet.

I barely manage not to dry heave as we land.

“Are you alright?” Allie asks.

“Never better,” I rasp, making myself get it together.

“Sorry,” she says, nodding toward the mountainside in front of us. “But at least it’s not much further.”

Just like the last time I was here, the view takes my breath away. It’s nearly enough to make me forget how damned sick I feel as my eyes trace the line of gray stone up and up and up to where it pierces a bank of low-hanging clouds. The sheer size of it is almost unfathomable, and gives me a strange, world-tilting feeling as we get closer.

Even more unfathomable is the way the court’s main doors appear from nowhere in the mountainside.

One moment, we’re walking toward a sheer rock face, and the next one of the guards standing watch at the entrance lays her hand on the stone and it transforms.

A gate materializes in front of us, allowing us to walk right into the heart of the mountain. Both guards offer greetings and bows of respect to their queen as we pass.

Inside, the way ahead is lit by burning sconces set into the stone walls of the corridor. There are more demons here, hurrying from one place to another, obviously starting what must be a very busy day in the seat of this realm’s power.

Still, none of them are too busy to recognize Allie as we pass, with more greetings and more bows.

Allie, for her part, is transformed.

From the witch I used to know back in our younger days, to Queen Allison Ashblood. Her whole bearing and attitude change. Kind and responsive to the respect she receives, but also regal, poised, downright… queenly.

The change is so drastic I have to blink a couple of times.

It also makes me painfully aware of how I look next to her.