DIMITRI'S POVNeal gave me "the look," pure, undiluted terror."Is that some kind of joke?" He chuckled."Do I look like I am joking, Neal?" I retorted, my voice unwavering.Neal's eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an escape from the harsh reality I had just laid before him. "You can't be serious. Visiting Abigail is suicidal. What can you really do? At least Camille stands a chance to actually do something if the situation calls for it.""I've already made up my mind," I said, turning towards the door. But Neal stepped in front of me, blocking my path."What is this really about, Dimitri?" he demanded, his voice laced with frustration and concern.I took a deep breath, the weight of my words pressing down on my chest. "I'm tired, Neal. I'm tired of seeing Camille go on and on battling her own family. I just want her to forget and fucking live for once."Neal's eyes softened, but his stance remained firm. "And do you think she'll be able to forget and live if you die? B
CAMILLE'S POV I woke with a start, my neck throbbing with a dull, familiar ache. The memories flooded back in a rush: Dimitri's hand snapping my neck, the darkness that followed. My accelerated healing must have brought me back, but the pain lingered as a reminder of his desperate act. As I pushed myself to my feet, the scene before me made my heart clench. Dimitri and Neal were locked in a brutal struggle, both going for each other's throats and battered. Neal’s eyes flicked to me for a brief moment before he raised his hands, a gesture of peace. "Enough. White flag. White flag." Dimitri stood there, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched, eyes wild with lingering rage. The air between them was thick with tension, each man barely holding himself back. Slowly, I stepped forward, hoping my presence would diffuse the situation, but Neal’s eyes met mine again, a silent signal for me to pause. Understanding his unspoken message, I moved closer to Dimitri. His body was tens
CAMILLE'S POV The witch bowed and retreated, closing the door behind her leaving Abigail and me alone in the room. The tension was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved conflicts. "Why are you here, Camille?" Abigail asked, her voice sharp and inquisitive. "Curious about what I said, or did my gift leave a bad taste in your mouth?" "I—" I tried to say, only for her to cut me off mid-speech. "Forgive me if it is the latter. I tend to go overboard sometimes." "I’m here to end this," I repeated, my voice unwavering. "The curse on Dimitri, the twisted legacy you’ve left. It all ends now." Abigail’s smile faded, replaced by a look of curiosity. "I truly do not understand what you see in the Galdina boy." "Apart from him being my mate or the father of my children?" I retorted. I wasn't expecting a response from her, so I just continued. "He happens to be kind. He sees me as an actual human being. Something I am starting to believe you do not understand." Abigail
CAMILLE'S POVAt the mention of Bo, Abigail's composure shattered. Her face contorted with rage, and with a flick of her wrist, a surge of dark energy lashed out, striking me with the force of a hurricane. I was thrown backward, my body colliding with the wall, and a searing pain exploded in my head. Blood gushed from my nose, warm and sticky, dripping down my face and onto the floor.Abigail advanced toward me, her eyes blazing with fury. The air crackled with her power, a suffocating, oppressive weight that pressed down on me. "Why is it so hard for my women to see reason?" she hissed, her voice cold and venomous. "If being your villain is what it has come to, then so be it. We both have forever to forgive one another."I struggled to my feet, holding my bloody nose, my vision swimming. Each breath was a battle, each step a Herculean effort. But her words only steeled my resolve. "I don't intend to live forever, Abigail," I spat through gritted teeth. "Not if it means ending up hear
CAMILLE'S POVHearing her sound so callous of people's lives reminded me of someone. It reminded me of Eva. In fact, they were more alike than I would love to admit. Vindictive. Myopic and downright cruel.I forced myself to stand. It was hard, but I could manage. My body had started to heal itself. "The Galdinas suffered for a sin they had no idea of. They had no idea what they did to deserve such a fate, but they still suffered because you were spiteful of your father? Do you know what that did to me and my son?" I demanded, my voice rising with every word. "Do you know what that did to my mate?"It was clear that Abigail didn't give two shits about my pain. As long as the Galdinas were involved, she seemed perfectly capable of blocking out her empathy if any still even remained. But seeing no remorse on Abigail's face set my blood on fire. I charged at her and swung with all my might, knowing damn well this was a fight I couldn't win but not caring regardless. She easily dodged
CAMILLE'S POVI tried to keep my eyes open, but I was unable to, and my whole world turned dark.When I blinked my eyes open, I found myself in a blank white space. I turned around, seeing no exit and no door. I looked down at my body and noticed it phasing in and out, looking whole one second and translucent the other second. I whispered, "Where am I?"A voice whispered from behind me, "You've lasted longer than I expected."I turned to face the voice and saw a handsome, pale-skinned man, shirtless, with what looked like liquid darkness covering his body from his hips downward. He had horns that curled back from his forehead.I recognized him from the memory of Abigail. He was the demon Abigail mentioned was her mate. "Asmodeus," I whispered."In the flesh," he retorted.I took a step back, uncomfortable and unsure of what this meant. Was I in hell? What had I done to deserve hell?"Why am I here? Why are you here?"Asmodeus replied, "You are here because you are tethering between l
DIMITRI'S POVI awoke with a start, finding myself on the cold, hard floor. The chill sent shivers through my body. Blinking rapidly, I struggled to shake off the haze of unconsciousness. As my vision cleared, I noticed intricate rune drawings on the floor beside me, softly glowing in the dim light. My heart sank as I recognized the teleportation sigil. Beside it lay Neal, motionless, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.That could only mean one thing. Camille had knocked him out cold, too, and gone to Abigail alone.An admission that heavy made my skin crawl.“No, no, no,” I muttered, my body starting to tremble. “Camille, what have you done?” I approached the rune, my steps heavy and reluctant, each one echoing my growing dread.Without wasting time, I turned and opened the door, my mind racing. I needed help, and I needed it fast. I hurried down the hallway, my thoughts a chaotic swirl of worry and rage. I was angry at Neal, and more importantly, I was angry at myself.
CAMILLE'S POV The space around me seemed to thrum with the weight of Asmodeus's words. "The rune is known as the Sigil of Perdition," he said, his voice low and measured. "It is an ancient power, capable of manipulating the fabric of reality in ways that no ordinary spell can." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I emboldened myself to ask the question that mattered the most. "But, will it work?" Asmodeus's gaze met mine. It looked like he was almost disappointed that I would ask. "Well, I hope so," he replied. "What I am gambling on is your raw strength, Camille. You are much stronger than Abigail. I felt it when you awakened. The demon blood that runs through your veins is not recessive like it was with Bo." I frowned, not fully understanding. "What do you mean by that?" Before he could answer, a bright light assaulted my eyes, turning my vision completely white. Panic tugged through me as I tried to blink away the blinding light. My senses felt dulled, as if I were suspen