Page 59 of Demon Touched

Yes, I am insane. Being without you makes me lose my mind.

That might be coming on a little strong. Maybe:

No, I’m not insane. This plan is totally logical and not at all dangerous and we’ll have all your problems fixed in no time.

She wouldn’t believe that in a million years. No matter how much we might wish otherwise, the truth is always more complicated:

I’m here to save you, like I’ll keep on doing every day you’ll let me. And by the way, it took all my self-control not to take you in my arms the moment I laid eyes on you and the fact I didn’t is, I think, proof of my good intentions. Because I’m genuinely not here for that—to get you to remember all the ways we were so good together—but maybe it won’t hurt if I manage to remind you a little in the meantime.

In the end, I settle for “When I not only learned that you are facing death via oracle in the third trial, but also witnessed your attempted murder, I decided that perhaps you’d been left to your own devices in Aradis quite long enough.”

Of course, she finds something aggravating in that, and I even enjoy the prickle of displeasure that dances across her mind.

“I’m surprised you managed to make it this far while keeping your head connected to your shoulders,” she says. “How did you get the other lords to agree to this? I’m assuming you didn’t mention me when you suggested you visit Aradis.”

Ah, yes. About that.

“The other lords didn’t agree to it,” I say. “They don’t know I’m here.”

“What?!” She makes an audible noise in the back of her throat, and Viz raises his eyebrows.

“I take it you got to the bit about this trip being less official than advertised?” he says quietly, and I nod.

“You mean all that stuff about Infernum agreeing to scale back the war and you being an envoy is a lie?” she asks.

“Well, I had to find some way of reaching you without, as you say, getting my head separated from my body.”

She makes a strangled noise in her mind. “Ancestors, that’s so fucking reckless, Syrus. And dragging Viz and Aster into it too?”

I shift uncomfortably, and not just because she’s started using pale-blood oaths.

“I don’t love putting my friends at risk, but I gave them a chance to say no. They wanted to come, when they knew it meant keeping you safe.”

A flicker of emotion moves through her mind at that, and I sigh, annoyed that I can’t even turn my head to look at her properly. I had to be careful not to stare when she first arrived at the Seraph Seat. I doubt I’d have managed it if not for Aster, who had murmured to me that I was in danger of giving the whole game away, just by looking at her with big, besotted eyes. While I maintain that I’ve never looked besotted in my life, I reined it in.

It was difficult not to keep glancing her way, though. It’s not like I get much chance to see how she looks when I’m in her head, bar her passing the occasional reflective surface. And I certainly hadn’t gotten a chance to see her wings yet. She looks otherworldly with her red hair and black feathers—not quite demon, not quite ephilium. Something else entirely.

“Of course they didn’t say no,” Leah says. “Nobody says no to you.”

“You did,” I point out.

“Yes, well maybe if more people had done the same over the years, you’d understand why that was.”

I frown, unsure what she means, but now’s not the time to dwell on it.

“Anyway, we need Viz here. He’s the one who managed to organize our rift,” Syrus says. “Not an easy job, given how unmanageable the aether is when it comes to bridging our two realms. He and Aster will act as my go-betweens with the lords, though they’ll probably travel to Infernum via Strata because of how much work an Infernum-Aradis rift has been.”

The pale-bloods have been very accommodating, really. They agreed to allow Viz and Aster to come and go, as long as they’re searched upon leaving and entering Aradis. What’s a little security check between sworn enemies?

“So who’s running Malice while you’re here on your fake peace mission?” she asks.

Interesting question. She abandoned my domain so easily, but her reaction suggests that maybe she still cares for Malice. She certainly became quite invested in it during her stay, committing to helping me fix the Morphos with a passion I hadn’t expected. It was one of the first things that made me think she might be happy in Infernum long term. Of course, that was my mistake.

“Quill is keeping an eye on things,” I explain, ignoring the painful turn of my thoughts.

“And making sure no one asks too many questions about where their lord has gone?” she asks.

“Yes, although that’s the easy part. It’s not as if I’m the most sociable person.”