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Including bribing Ariel with a twenty-five-thousand dollar electric oven-slash-proofer combo for the bakery when she arrived at Cinder’s room.
Ariel’s pretty brown eyes lit up at Micah’s insistent offer. “I would’ve come up to take a peek at the third angel prince’s soulmate for a brand new set of oil paints, but if you’re willing to get me a Doyon, I’m not gonna complain.”
That’s right. In her free time, the demoness loved to paint.
“As many paints as you want,” he added. “I’ll get you those, too. Just… please. Can you tell us about the kind of curse Cinder is under?”
Squinting, Ariel ran her gaze over Cinder. His soulmate had nearly a head on the demoness, petite as she was, and Ariel had to back up to get the witch into focus.
When she was done, she grinned. “I can do you one better. I can remove it.”
“You can?”
Ariel nodded at Cinder. “Hilda explained on the phone that the only source of magic coming off of you is your own. I’m not a witch. I’m a demon. I can recognize the damage the Pit can do a mile away. Lucifer builds protections into all of his contracts, and this one was helping you forget your fated tie to Micah here. You’re clinging to it because it’s easier, but if you want, I can fix it. You’ll remember, though I can’t promise you’ll be happy to.”
“I’ll remember who I was before?”
“You should, yes.”
Cinder nibbled her bottom lip. For the first time since he met her again, she looked nervous. “And the fire magic Lucifer gave me? Will it disappear?”
Aunt Bertha cut in with a decisive, “No. A witch’s powers are her own. Once you accepted them, they were yours for good. You might’ve signed a contract when you were even more of a witchling than you are now, but they’re yours forever. Just because he brought you back doesn’t change the fact that he collected your soul in the first place.” She turned to Ariel. “That right?”
Ariel nodded again. “It is. Doesn’t mean Lucifer won’t come after it, but at least you’ll be more prepared if he does.”
“He won’t,” announced Micah. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“In that case… okay.” Cinder gestured for Crow to move. Her familiar immediately flew off, perching on the back of the nearest overstuffed armchair. “Then let’s do it.”
Micah would never understand exactly what it was that Ariel did. One moment, she was the petite demoness with her rich brown hair pulled back in a delicate french braid. The next? A pair of ghostly horns arced over her head, her skin turning from pale to a deep red. Her eyes were brown, then orange, then brown again.
She clapped her hands.
Cinder collapsed.
Micah started toward her.
“I wouldn’t—”
Ignoring Aunt Bertha’s quick warning, Micah swooped his mate up just in time for her entire body to burst into flame.
His reaction was instinctive: he closed his wings around her, keeping her contained as she burned.
On the plus side, she still had her fire magic. On the negative? She was burning.
He only had a split second of terrifying fear that his nightmares were coming true, that she was burning to her death again, when the flames winked out as quickly as they appeared.
Slowly, he opened his wings again, setting Cinder back on her heels.
She immediately reached up toward him.
“Micah,” she gasped, running her trembling hands over his cheeks. “I… I remember.”
Despite the lingering stink of sulfur and smoke surrounding him, his heart leapt. “Do you remember me?”
Cinder shivered and pressed her face to his chest. “I remember everything.”
* * *
