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“Erin, we swear our allegiance to the office, but you have yet to prove yourself worthy of our loyalty,” Maria said coldly, struggling to her feet. Despite her recent defeat, she maintained a regal air, her gaze steady and unwavering. “Remember that your duty is to the people, not just to your own carnal desires.”
Tom and Daniel, though battered and bruised, echoed Maria’s sentiments. They extended their hands toward Erin in a show of forced respect, the tension between them palpable. Erin reached out, grasping each of their hands firmly, their icy expressions reminding her of the uphill battle she faced in winning their trust.
Together, the five of them stood in the center of the council chamber, a symbol of a new beginning for their city. Shifting back into the form of a snake, Enigma wound its way up her leg and back around her shoulders.
The chairman, having overseen the entire ordeal, offered his firm handshake. “Congratulations,” said the chairman, his voice echoing off the walls. “You have started a new chapter for this city. Let’s hope it is prosperous, yes?” He smiled and turned to leave, leaving behind a stillness that was almost sacred.
The other council members shook her hand one by one, offering negligible congratulations while casting wary gazes at Enigma, and then left, one by one. With the others gone, Erin and Blaine stood alone in the council chamber, their eyes meeting in a mixture of sadness and understanding. Only when they had all left did Enigma let out one last hiss before effortlessly sinking back into her skin, leaving a scaly tattoo etched along Erin’s skin.
“I never wanted it to be like this,” Erin whispered, her voice heavy with regret. Blaine reached out, his fingers gently brushing against her cheek, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down her spine.
“Neither did I,” he replied softly. “But maybe this is for the best. Our city needs change, and you have the strength to make it happen. I’ll help you, Erin. I’ll train you to become the mayor this city needs.”
Erin’s eyes filled with gratitude, and she nodded. “Thank you, Blaine. I’ll need all the help I can get.”
Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the electricity between them exploded again. The dizzying pull compelled her to take a step forward toward him. She was so close she could smell his skin, like sunshine and balsam on a fall day. Drawing in his scent, her heart raced as he reached out to touch her face with his hand.
As if on cue, their lips met in a passionate embrace, the kiss long and lingering. The fight between them was forgotten in that moment, replaced by the reassuring certainty that no matter what happened, they’d be there for each other. When finally the kiss ended, Blaine pulled Erin into his arms and held her tight, their bodies pressed together as if nothing else mattered in the world.
And it didn’t. As long as they had each other’s support, nothing else mattered.
“Didn’t you say we could learn more about the fae in the city archives?” Erin asked.
“Ready to get to work already?” Blaine looked at her with respect and then nodded in agreement. “It’s not far. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER55
NADIR
Nadir plummeted into the dark chasm, her heart pounding in her chest. Fear gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand. With a burst of adrenaline, she extended her limbs, her daemon-enhanced agility transforming her fall into a calculated series of parkour-like leaps off the jagged chasm walls. Each bounce sent a jolt of pain through her body, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on, the thought of Azimuth somewhere below driving her forward.
“Like a demented pinball,” she muttered to herself, the corners of her mouth twitching with a hint of dark humor despite the dire situation.
The smell of sulfur and damp earth filled her nostrils, but underneath that, she caught a familiar scent. Azimuth. His unique blend of vanilla and sandalwood, a combination that she had grown to associate with safety, was faint but unmistakable. She angled herself toward it, determination replacing fear.
She found him on a ledge jutting out from the chasm wall, his body crumpled and unmoving. Her heart clenched at the sight, but she forced herself to remain calm. She landed beside him with a grace that belied the urgency coursing through her veins.
“Azimuth,” she said, her voice wavering as she touched his face. His skin was cold, much colder than it should have been. “You shouldn’t have jumped in to save me.”
But he didn’t stir.
The smell of iron and something else—something bitter—assaulted her nose, and Nadir willed her trembling hands to stop. She braced herself against the dim light as she gingerly ran her fingers over his body, searching for any evidence of injury. Gashes ran down his leg and back, a pool of blood already spreading underneath him. Saliva flooded her mouth at the coppery scent, her blasphemous hunger reflex uncaring that the subject was her lover. Nadir had promised herself she’d reserve this gift for emergencies, and this was as dire as it got. She grimaced as she lowered her lips to Azimuth’s back, the taste of her own saliva bitter on her tongue, but she knew its healing properties were potent.
Gently, she pressed her saliva-coated lips to his wounds; the sensation making her shudder. His flesh sizzled slightly at the contact, the wounds beginning to knit together under her touch. It was slow going, and for a moment, she feared it wouldn’t work.
And then, finally, Azimuth groaned, his eyelashes fluttering. His ice-blue eyes, dull and clouded with pain, met hers.
“Nadir?” His voice was a raspy whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. “You jumped?”
“Of course, I jumped,” she replied, her relief manifesting as a sassy retort. “What did you think I was going to do? Leave you to become the chasm’s new decor?”
As relief washed over her, she took a moment to take in their surroundings. The dark expanse of the chasm stretched out around them, their ledge a tiny island in an ocean of shadow. They were far from safe.
But for now, Azimuth was alive. And as long as he was, she would fight tooth and nail to get them out of this hellhole.
Suddenly, Azimuth’s hand closed over hers, a weak but reassuring squeeze. “We’re in this together, Nadir,” he murmured, his gaze intense.
Nadir glanced at the looming tunnel entrance in the chasm wall nearby, her heart pounding with a mix of trepidation and determination. But before she could reply, a low growl echoed from within the tunnels, sending a shiver of dread down her spine.
