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“We are spirit fucking already.” I reach out and caress my fingers along her cheek, tracing her jaw and down her neck until I reach her shoulder. Pushing her hair to her back, I get a better view of her body in the spirit world. Being with her awakens a part of me that I keep caged and dormant when I’m not around her. But right now, I open myself up to her as much as she is open to me.
“I don’t see the point in this, Andre. I know you’re trying to help, but I’m okay. We can wake up and get to the good stuff. I know you want to satiate your hunger,” Raven says, covering my hand with hers as she guides me lower, silently asking me to explore her body even though neither of us is corporeal.
I sigh and keep my gaze locked on hers, trying to see to her soul. A new darkness clings to her, shadowing the brilliant light that I’ve grown used to. It’s as if her very being protects her. No, not her being. The babies she carries. It’s strange to think about it, knowing that Raven now will bear life unlike anything the universe has ever seen. I’m excited and worried. What if it was a part of me that I gave to her. What if that part of me ends up being her destruction? I couldn’t deal with that.
“Just give me a couple of minutes longer, little hellion. I need to ensure that Lucian’s souls didn’t harm you more than they already have.” I lean in and close the distance to her face, filling up her vision with just me.
Raven shifts closer until she sits between my legs with her thighs squeezing my sides. She hangs her arms over my shoulders, and she brushes her mouth to mine, trying to get me to wake her up to return to my kingdom. But I’m not ready yet. Even if she was okay, I need this time with her more than I realized. It’s been what feels like forever since I’ve had the opportunity to visit her dreams. This is the one place that is mine and hers alone. At least, unless I let Elias in. Because he shares Raven’s soul. I would consider it if I could trust him right now. Unfortunately, he’s not himself on many levels.
I ease away from her, darting my gaze to her lips as she pouts. She leans in again, trying to capture my mouth. It takes everything in me to resist her and lean back out of reach.
“Please, little hellion. Just open up for thirty seconds. That’s all it will take for me to infuse you with my power and to scare away any lingering residue that doesn’t belong to you for the babies. If you don’t let me, you might experience bouts of fear or nightmares or some other bullshit that you shouldn’t have to deal with. Let me take care of that beautiful soul.” I narrow my eyes on hers, silently threatening her to comply before I have to demand her to let me do what’s best. That’s not me. I don’t like trying to control her, but I know that the other devils depend on me. I need to prove to them that I can handle Raven even when she puts up a fight and resists.
She groans and scrubs the heels of her hands into her eyes. “Fucking fuck. Fine. I know that if I continue resisting, you might bring in another devil for help. I don’t want them to question you.”
It’s as if she can read my mind. Her comment brings a smile to my face, and I can’t help showing her what she does to me in this moment.
“You love this way too much,” she adds, trying to tighten her mouth to stop herself from smiling back at me.
“Only a little. It’s nice that I don’t have to demand things from you like the others do sometimes. I knew you’d see reason,” I say, summoning a bit of hellfire and putting space between us. It warms my hands and jumps from me to Raven, startling her but not scaring her.
She finally gives in to her desire to smile and beams her happiness as she gathers the power, letting it crawl up her arms until it reaches her heart, tethering her to me. Her mouth falls agape, and her eyes widen at the sensation of our beings merging together. I reach out and plant my palm above the growing circle over her heart, taking a minute to touch her soul completely.
A cloud of darkness bursts free, and I growl at the intruding soul, trying to hide within the darkness surrounding her. Raven screeches in surprise and clutches her chest, jerking away from me. She lands on her back and arches, and I watch in fury as another soul pours out of her and disappears.
Shit. I can’t believe that those bastards manage to bind to her, probably siphoning her light. It’s no wonder the chains seemed darker, and she wasn’t smiling as usual or feeling content as she usually does when I visit her dreams.
Rushing forward, I crawl to her and hover over her, watching tears leak from her eyes in glittering trails. Raven heaves a couple of deep breaths and snatches my hand, tightening her fingers around me. I scoop her up and bury my face into her throat, inhaling the scent of her body. Raven releases a small whimper, sounding so fucking fragile that all I want to do is fill her with my strength. I want her to know that she is not weak. She is the strongest soul I know. She is the strongest being in the entire universe. Stronger than even the devils.
“I’m so sorry, little hellion. They are gone now. That was all that was left.” I kiss her clavicle and work my way up to her throat. “I can wake you up now.”
“No, wait.” Raven squeezes me tighter until I can only feel her soul and nothing more around us. Being so close to her makes it feel as if I’ve disconnected from Hell even though I know I haven’t. But my attention is no longer split. It’s just me and her in the sanctuary she’s invited me in to.
“We can stay as long as you want. I know what you experienced was awful.” I comb my fingers through her hair, working my way down to stroke her spine. “But we will ensure that never happens again. I swear to you.”
“Thank fucking Hell. I don’t know why it keeps happening. It’s like I’m a magnet or something. It’s not that they are trying to hurt me, but they share with me all of the horrors that they have done in their lives.” Raven shivers as if she really lives through being in the middle of Lucian’s souls again.
“They sense that you are different. I don’t know if it’s because they know you will one day rule Purgatory or if it’s because you carry a spawn of light and another of dark in the most perfect balance between Heaven and Hell, or what. But I know it’s something to do with that. I just wish we could’ve known and prepared you better. We only wanted you safe.” I recount the plan that I helped Lucian create, wishing that we had decided against giving her a ring with a tether to Hell. But on the other hand, it saved her. I just hate that we have to pick our battles and deal with whatever consequences that come up from our decisions.
Raven doesn’t respond to me, falling silent with my words. I wish I could hear her thoughts to know what is going on through her mind. I want to say something, but I don’t know what to say. Micah is better at that kind of thing. All I can do is just be here.
“Andre, can I ask you something? I need you to be honest with me.” Raven shifts and eases back, meeting my gaze. “Are you afraid?”
“Afraid? I’m not sure I understand where you’re going with this.” I say, pursing my lips together in thought.
She laughs with her nerves and motions toward her abdomen. “You know, the angelic and devilish twins.”
I don’t respond to her immediately. I haven’t had much time to process the knowledge—none of us have, really—and I’m not sure what to say. She stares at the side of my face anxiously, and I drag my attention away from her stomach and back to her eyes.
“I am nervous, but not about you bearing children.” I cringe at the way that comes out. “I’m concerned about what it will do to you...I mean, because of the miraculous gift given to you by...” I let my voice trail off. I don’t have faith in this being the Higher Power’s doing. Maybe fate? I wish I could articulate how I feel to Raven without it sounding like me rambling on.
She smirks and pats my cheek. “I can’t explain it either,” she says, resting her forehead to mine. “Thanks for being honest. It makes me feel better. I know Kase and Dante are weirdly excited. Elias is...lost in his light, and Micah has his hands full. Lucian isn’t exactly a coddler. I don’t even know what’s going on with Zade. Is he—”
I chuckle and cut her off with a kiss, trying to slow down her whirling mind. “Take a breath and relax. I can feel your soul getting worked up, little hellion. Why don’t I wake you up and you can see everyone for yourself? We’re all here.”
She licks her lips, bobbing her head. “Okay, yeah. I think I’m ready...but if you start an orgy between us—”
Tipping my head back, I howl a laugh. “No promises.”
