Emilian couldn’t seem to get enough of dancing with me, and I wasn’t going to take that away from him. We needed the Five Lords busy while Avril and Heron were out interviewing Arrah. I also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to ask him more about the prison, Kifo’s Correction Officers, and the daemons. Our younglings had gathered a healthy amount of useful information from the city’s library, but Emilian was the best to help us make sense of much of it.

His hand rested on my hip as I allowed him to lead me across the dancefloor, swaying to a tender waltz. I’d learned a few basic dance steps at the weddings that had followed our war against Azazel. I’d attended eight in the span of three months, including those of Serena and Draven, Vita and Bijarki, Field and Aida, and Anjani and Jovi, and I’d had plenty of opportunities to practice. Not that I was crazy about the dancing part—I just hated standing on the sidelines while everyone else had fun swaying to music.

Emilian was a handsome Mara, despite his almost ten thousand years of life, and he didn’t hide his enjoyment of being in my presence. From what we’d learned so far, Emilian’s wife, Evelyn Obara, had passed away a century earlier, and he’d yet to remarry. They’d left Calliope together, and she’d been a staunch supporter of reforming the Exiled Maras. They’d even erected a statue of her in one of the squares.

“I must say, Hansa,” Emilian said, “you are truly a vision in that color.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling my skin light up with a genuine blush. I knew my assets, but I’d lived for so long in war mode that it was sometimes nice to be reminded that I was designed to seduce and impress. “You’re looking quite dapper yourself.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a succubus—you must forgive me if I stare. I’ve forgotten how beautiful you creatures are.” He sighed, a hint of sadness settling in his eyes. “Long ago, I used to look at your kind with awe and wariness…”

“Why wariness?”

“Because I had my heart set on a succubus once, and I would’ve wanted more than a Pyrope with her. It was the most intimate contact I could have with a soulmate outside my species. Not that my kind fell for non-Maras often.”

“Pyrope… That’s the blood oath, isn’t it?” I asked, remembering how Eritopian Maras got their non-animal fix once in a while. The most recent example I could think of was the Pyrope that Jax had going with Zeriel, King of the Tritones. He’d saved Zeriel’s life, and, in return, the Tritone had agreed to give Jax a few ounces of blood, once a month.

“Yes, Pyrope has always been a… flexible method that our people employed after we were first threatened with war.” Emilian nodded. “Back when I was still bloodthirsty and foolish. Some of us fell in love with creatures outside our species, and, in some instances, the craving for their blood came naturally. Pyrope was a fair method of tasting them, without hurting them. And, like I said, it was a most intimate gesture, like drinking the very essence of your loved one. I was head over heels with a succubus back then, before I met Evelyn. And I was quite sad because I couldn’t do Pyrope with her, thanks to her toxic blood…”

“Do you still practice Pyrope here, today?” I asked.

“Between you and me, I don’t know of anyone, personally, who does it.” He winked. “But I wouldn’t be surprised. It was deemed illegal once we established the rule of law in Azure Heights. We didn’t want any of us to be tempted, in any way. Once you’re cut off and reduced to animal blood, there’s a withdrawal period. It’s like an addiction, I suppose, so we didn’t want to enable relapses, which is why we forbade Pyrope. But unless those engaging in it come forward or they are caught in the act, we cannot press any charges.”

“That’s interesting,” I murmured, then gasped and laughed as he spun me around a couple of times, then pulled me closer and went on leading me to the rhythm of the music.

“How is life on Calliope, these days?” he asked, his gaze settled on my face.

Where could I start, when so much had happened? I glanced around while my mind tried to summarize the past ten thousand years, and saw Jax glaring my way as he walked onto the dancefloor with Farrah, wrapping one arm around her. They started dancing.

My stomach churned and my heart thudded, watching him move so smoothly. He shifted his focus to Farrah, and a charming smile bloomed on his face. He’d never looked at me that way. I huffed, then smirked at Emilian.

“Let’s just say a lot has happened since you left,” I finally replied. “We had a Druid go dark and haywire, wreaking havoc and trying to take over the galaxy… It was messy and bloody. Millions died. But we had some unexpected help from outsiders, and we were able to vanquish him. Then we established GASP in Eritopia, and things are finally falling back into place…”

“You mean to say you had another Asherak situation?” Emilian raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“Worse, actually.” I sighed. “Azazel was his name, and he used Asherak’s soul to gain power. Got his filthy hands on a Daughter of Eritopia, forced her to hatch prematurely, and drew energy from her. He even sourced power from the Dearghs’ volcanoes. He was nearly unstoppable at one point, and brought down all the Druids. Well, except for a handful… It’s a long story, Emilian… One I don’t wish to retell just yet. It still hurts.”

I tried to ignore the dull pain in my chest, remembering the day I’d found my whole tribe slaughtered by an alliance of Sluaghs and Destroyers of Azazel. All the blood, the charred remains of my sisters, my daughters, the black smoke billowing from still-burning tents… The smell of death. It was all still too fresh in my soul.

Emilian noticed my underlying grief and frowned gently. “I am sorry for your loss, Hansa.” His voice dropped. “War is never easy, nor free of pain. I take it you lost some loved ones?”

I nodded my response, fighting back tears. He tightened his grip on me, and lowered his head enough for his forehead to touch mine.

“I apologize,” he muttered. “I see the subject is still sensitive.”

“It’s fine.” I gave him a weak smile, then changed the subject, as my eyes were getting too wet for my liking. “Tell me about your lives here! How did you end up building this stunning city?”

I caught another glimpse of Jax dancing with Farrah. She had her back to us, while Jax wore a concerned look on his face, his eyes finding mine. I focused on Emilian with a broad smile, hoping it would be enough to show Jax that I was having a good time, and that I was doing a fine job of charming the Lord of House Obara.

“Oh, it wasn’t easy.” Emilian laughed lightly. “We toiled for months to carve every level. Years to build our homes here. But we all pitched in. There wasn’t a single first-generation Exiled Mara who sat back and let others work for them. It was a group effort.”

“What about the rule of law?” I asked. “How did your legal system come to life? How does your enforcement work?”

“We looked at what we already had on Calliope,” he replied, a shadow passing over his face, “and restricted it further. We knew that if we wanted peace, we had to work hard against our own instincts to make it happen. It was difficult in the beginning, especially with the Imen already living here. I’ll admit, even I fed on them a couple of times during our first weeks on Neraka. I’ve spent my whole life paying their people back for my lapse in judgment. We needed firm laws and even firmer punishments, so House Kifo came forward with their Correction Officers. The first couple hundred years were tough, but we all got in line. It worked. There’s been minimal use of the prison since. But, to this day, we do not forget, and we do not forgive those who break the law. We’ve achieved a precious balance here, and we won’t let anyone destroy it. Not even one of our own.”

I nodded slowly. We continued dancing, and I scanned the dancefloor again. Jax was still with Farrah, and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy his company.

Guess he’s doing his part, too…

“The Valley of Screams,” I said, drifting to another burning subject on my list. “It was always like this, you said…”

“Sort of, yes.” Emilian’s brow furrowed. “Since before the gorges emerged, we could hear the occasional screams. There were many Imen tribes on the other side, and we always figured they were getting killed by wild animals in there. But they weren’t as frequent as they are today. When we started hunting in there, we found some large predators… Giant felines and wolves, mostly. We figured they were the ones making some poor lost soul scream once in a while. We tried to focus our hunts on those beasts, hoping we’d act as some sort of deterrent and maybe spare some Imen lives in the future. But it’s gotten worse over the last couple of years, as we’ve previously explained. It’s gotten to the point where we’re afraid of going in there to hunt, and we’ve stuck to our locally sourced blood. The herds have been enough.”

“So the Exiled Maras are forbidden to go into the gorges now?”

“No… not by any law. We strongly advise against it; we issue warnings on a weekly basis, but if some of our people are stubborn, we can’t force them. But they go in at their own risk. More often than not, their names are added to the list of abductees. They go in as hunters, and they become the hunted.”

“But people have started disappearing from the city, as well,” I said. “Do you plan to do anything about that?”

“Well, we have you here, don’t we?” Emilian wore a confident smile. “If GASP cannot get to the bottom of this and stop these abductions, we will have no choice but to look for another home. We’ll build ships and move farther down the coastline, as far away from these gorges as possible. It just wasn’t, and still isn’t, our first choice. We’ve spent millennia building a new world here, and we don’t wish to flee because of an unseen enemy… Not yet, at least.”

“I understand,” I replied, processing the information. “You know, we managed to speak to the injured Iman girl for a minute or so, before she passed out again.”

“Oh! What did she say?” His eyes lit up.

“Not much. She’s not the first in her family to go missing. Her father was abducted, too. Thing is, she referred to those invisible creatures as ‘daemons’.” I then paused for a second, carefully analyzing the subtle changes in Emilian’s expression. “Have you heard that name before?”

He let out a deep sigh, then nodded. “I have, yes… It’s an old name, the stuff of legends and local Iman folklore, though. We’ve never seen one. In fact, your team was the first to get a glimpse of these creatures. We don’t know what they are, what they look like, or where they come from. Up until last night, we weren’t sure of much, in general. All we knew was that people were going missing and those who went searching for them in the Valley of Screams vanished as well.”

“Are there any depictions, anywhere?” I asked. “My team couldn’t find any references in your library.”

“Our library doesn’t store any Iman-related materials,” Emilian replied. “I think it’s best to ask the Iman elders. There are a few families down on the fourth level. Long lines of Imen that settled here with us in the early days. Generations upon generations that have served this city well. Some of their children service our Houses today. If you’d like, I’ll have one of my assistants deliver a list of names first thing in the morning.”

“That would be grand, thank you very much, Emilian.” I smiled, allowing him to push me back into a dip. We both laughed as my gaze found the painted ceiling above, but I stilled with my head back when Jax popped into my field of vision.

Emilian pulled me back. Jax bowed curtly, his expression firm and unreadable.

“Mind if I take Hansa away from you for a song or two?” Jax’s voice was low, and I could feel the tension beneath it. He wasn’t in a good mood.

“Of course, but I hope she will be so kind as to allow me to dance with her again tonight.” Emilian nodded, then gave me a warm, downright affectionate smile, which I graciously returned. He truly was, despite the mystery still surrounding him, my favorite of the Five Lords.

“Absolutely,” I replied.

Jax moved in front of me as Emilian stepped away. I opened my mouth to say something, but Jax pulled me close so fast, it knocked the air out of my lungs, my chest pressed against his. I felt him hard and unyielding, his right arm snaking around my waist and bringing me even closer, while his left hand took mine, his fingers gripping firmly as he led me to the middle of the dancefloor.

His jade eyes were dark and fixed on mine, his soft lips pressed into a thin line, and a muscle was twitching in his jaw.

“Everything okay?” I managed. “Is Farrah enjoying herself tonight?”

“I couldn’t care less.” His reply came fast. “I left her with another Mara to keep her entertained.”

“Good. As long as we all fit in and make a good impression, we’ll be fine. We need these people on our side,” I said, unable to break from his stirring gaze.

“Avril and Heron are back, I just overheard them across the dancefloor,” he said. “They’ve gathered some intel that puts both the daemons and the Five Houses at the middle of these abductions. They’ll fill you in later, but I thought you should know before you get too close to Emilian.”

I noticed the slightly accusatory tone in his voice. I didn’t like it, and I didn’t quite understand its aim, either.

“Do you mean you think I’m getting too close to Emilian?” I frowned.

“It doesn’t matter.” He didn’t wish to pursue it, but it was enough to stretch my nerves.

I looked around and noticed Avril, Heron, and Caia sitting at a table not far from where we were. They were bent forward, their faces close to one another as they talked and occasionally glanced across the ballroom. I dug my fingers into Jax’s shoulder, enough for him to follow my gaze and see them. As if having read my mind, he led our dance closer to their table. I kicked Heron’s ankle and broke him from their secretive-looking powwow.

“Get off your asses and start dancing and blending in,” I hissed at all three, prompting them to widen their eyes like children caught in the middle of mischief. “You all look like you’re talking about and suspecting everybody of something. It’s awkward, and it’s not helping us! Blend in—look friendly and peaceful if you want these people to relax and be more forthcoming.”

Heron nodded, then sprang to his feet and pulled Avril onto the dancefloor, while Caia stood, gave me a brief smile, then headed toward the bar for a refill. There were several handsome Maras there, waiting to be served, who lit up like the sun once they saw Caia heading their way.

Jax then guided me back to the middle of the dancing crowd. He was a good leader, I realized, as I followed his movements effortlessly. I was even enjoying myself, maybe a little too much.

His body was so close to mine, his musky fragrance invading my senses and his jade eyes peeking into my very soul… It all felt too good to be true. His grip was firm on my lower back, and the touch of his skin sent electric currents through my left arm, heating me up from the core.

“You should relax now,” he said quietly. “Enjoy the rest of this evening. We have a full day and night ahead of us tomorrow.”

“What makes you think I’m not relaxed?” I murmured.

“I can hear your heartbeat.”

My breath hitched. His face was close, too close for my sanity.

“I’m fine,” I whispered. “We’re fine…”

His gaze dropped, settling on my lips for a second finding my eyes again. My heart rumbled and my stomach tightened, and I knew he could sense it all, but I couldn’t control myself. He had this effect on me, and I loved and hated it at the same time. It was exhilarating and empowering like crazy, but it also made me feel vulnerable, bare, and defenseless in front of him. And with how unpredictable he’d been about us over the past three months, I feared emotional pain. I’d had enough of that already. I was still mourning the hundreds of sisters I’d lost in the war.

“You are fine,” he muttered. “Yellow brings out your eyes.”

I blinked several times, not sure I’d heard him right. But I had. He’d just complimented me.

That’s a first…

“Thank you,” I managed. “You’re not so bad looking either.”

“Am I to your liking?” The corner of his mouth turned upward, but the rest of his face stayed firm, as if carved out of marble. The blood rushed to my head, and I could no longer control my succubus nature. I’d spent years perfecting my technique of reigning it all in, but Jax made me want to just let go and see what happened.

His gaze darkened, and he took a deep breath, his chest swelling and pushing against mine, but his hold on me didn’t loosen one bit. Another millimeter and our bodies would have fused, clothes and all.

“Do you really want me to answer that question?” I replied, my voice barely audible.

His lips were dangerously close, his burning jade eyes searing into my being.

“Is this what you feel like? When you let your succubus nature loose?”

I nodded, unable to say anything else.

“You’ve never let it out before. Not with me, anyway,” he murmured.

The world around us disappeared, the music slipping away somewhere into the background. My hand rested on his shoulder, and I instinctively moved it upward, until my fingers sprawled on the back of his neck, his short hair brushing against my skin.

Jax held his breath for a good minute. Neither of us spoke. I waited, quietly swaying to the rhythm of the music, a rhythm he led with his body. I waited for him to come forward. I needed him to take the first step. The magnetism between us was undeniable. There was something deep and intense burning inside us both, and it pulled us closer with each day, no matter how hard we tried to resist it.

Who was I fooling? I needed him to kiss me. I needed to know that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. I couldn’t open myself up without that assurance.

But then Jax looked away, and with that movement, the moment was shattered. The music grew louder. I could hear laughter and glasses clinking. And I could feel his hold on me loosen.

The song had ended, and he took a step back.

My blood sizzled.

You don’t start a fire like this and then just walk away.

“I’m not done with you,” I growled, and pulled him back.

The move clearly surprised him—his forehead smoothed, and his jade eyes went wide. I kept my hand firmly on the back of his neck but tucked my succubus nature away. He didn’t seem sure of how to react, but I wasn’t going to let him slip away and leave me yearning for more without at least telling me why he was being so… difficult.

“What’s going on, Jax?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t take me for a fool,” I replied, my voice raw. “You can feel it… This… Between us. I know you can.”

“I do,” he said, staring at my lips again.

“So why are you constantly pushing me away? What did I ever do to you? Why… Why aren’t we… Why aren’t we doing something about this, if we both feel it?”

“We’ve talked about this before, Hansa.” His eyes found mine, and I could see a flicker of pain in them, one I’d never seen before.

“No, not really.” I shook my head. “I tried to talk about it, but you were evasive, and, on several occasions, even mind-bent me into not talking about it anymore. Don’t think I didn’t catch on. I’m not stupid!”

“Hansa… please.” He sighed. “I’m… It’s not you—it’s me. You don’t want this, believe me.”

“I don’t get it. You say no, but everything else about you says yes. Why are you so bent on driving a wedge between us, when it all points to… to this, whatever this is?”

He confused the hell out of me, over and over, and I never learned my lesson. I always tried to dig deeper instead of simply walking away. But I couldn’t just move on from Jax.

You don’t move on from Jaxxon Dorchadas. You burn, you disintegrate, you abandon yourself in his arms, but you don’t walk away from him. He’s the flame, and you’re the moth.

“Hansa, I’m no good for you. If we take this any further, if I let you entertain this, I’ll end up hurting you, and you will never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself, either. Yes, I can feel it. There’s chemistry between us, and it’s messing with my head, but… I can’t. We can’t.”

He seemed earnest, but without a reason, a real reason behind his withdrawal, I just couldn’t let him push me away like this.

“Jax, it’s not enough for you to tell me it’s you, not me,” I replied, my pulse racing. “I deserve a little more than what you usually tell some needy lady friend, and you know it. I—”

“That’s enough, Hansa,” Jax shot back through gritted teeth. “Back off. I’ve been more than clear!”

He didn’t wait for a reply. He just walked away, leaving me in the middle of the dancefloor, surrounded by pairs of Exiled Maras who hadn’t paid attention to our squabble, who were too busy laughing and following the melodious notes of the strings-and-key music echoing through the ballroom.

My heart twisted itself into knots, and my eyes felt hot, my vision blurring as tears formed. I couldn’t stop them from rolling down my burning cheeks.

I was angry and hurt, and I wanted to punish him for what I’d been reduced to. I moved in the opposite direction, looking for the nearest bar. I needed a drink.

I didn’t deserve this, but I couldn’t hold myself back, either.

Wow, you really are the moth…