"Nyx."

Her closed eyes squeezed tighter as the steps across her floors echoed louder. Closer still. She dropped her head, letting her wavy, copper strands cover her face.

Nyx. The whisper of her name in her head sent jolts down her spine. She shook her head, burying her hands in her duvet and squeezing.

"Open your eyes, Nyx."

The voice made her tremble.

"No," she whispered.

Heat brushed between her knees as a limb spread them apart, and a tight grip circled her nape, fingers curling in her wild locks. Pressure beneath her chin lifted her gaze, and she turned her head in childish defiance. She was a full-grown woman, afraid of suspected chastising.

"Open. Your. Eyes," he said.

With a shuddering breath, she listened, letting her steel eyes lock with his black ones. The stern furrow along his brow and ticking jaw sent ice through her chest. His looming height engulfed her vision until all she could see was him. Him. 

You.

"Me," he breathed. He knelt before her, his face lined up with hers, eyes searching her face. She waited for the penny to drop as their breaths synchronised, each taking turns breathing the other in.

Her mouth dried up, and she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

His gaze shot to her mouth, and his jaw clenched harder, the grinding of his teeth audible to her.

"I'm sorry-"

"What were you thinking?" he growled, interrupting her breathless apology. What she was apologising for, she didn't know. For scaring him, perhaps. She saw beyond his fury was his fear.

"Speak your mind, Nyx. Do not disappear within your thoughts," he hissed, inches from her face. Lips close enough to steal a kiss from.

"Neo, I-"

He groaned and buried his free hand in her hair, cradling her head before pulling her mouth forward to meet his. Their kiss held a soft longing and desperate need—a fear of loss and relief of reclamation.

"I'm okay," she whispered between kisses. "I'm back."

"I should never have let you go," he grumbled, pulling back to see her face.

"You had no choice, Neo. Besides, I should be asking what you were thinking. Facing Micah on your own. You could've died!" She furrowed her brow at his and claimed her forearms with her hands, turning and placing a feathery kiss against the bare skin of his wrist. Then the other.

"I would die a thousand times if it meant you could be free of him."

Her breath hitched as she met his hard stare.

"You shouldn't look at me that way," he said softly, a slight edge to his voice.

"Why?"

"Because we aren't alone in the house," he replied. A smirk tugged at his lip before he pulled away, rising to his feet. "This is your place?"

Nyx stood, smoothing her clothes and lightly tugging on her collar. The temperature of the room had risen a few degrees. She hummed an affirmation and clasped her hands as the King of hell walked around her bedroom.

"Care to tell me how you ended up here?"

She nodded and cleared her throat. "I came through the purgatory light portal thing."

Neo spun to face her with a frown. "From the beginning, Nyx."

She sighed. "Well, when I arrived, Tunrida was waiting, and she told me her plans. They weren't far from what we expected, except she had a sword that could take my power and use it if I refused to turn your legion. And she said the chain reaction would make many angels fall, destroying the balance."

Neo nodded as he picked up a small ring from her drawers and examined it.

"Then she threw me in a pit, but Emry freed me, and this massive snow cat took me to the purgatory portal thing. Then she had to go back for him because he got captured- which reminds me, we need to go free him somehow. Also, she said something about him being the prince. Do you know anything about that?"

Nyx swallowed against her dry mouth once she finished her barrage of information, and Neo still didn't face her. Then, finally, his head shook slightly, and she nodded, biting her lip again.

"After that, I jumped into the portal to purgatory, found my birth mother, who was kind of a letdown actually, and she sent me back through the light."

She cleared her throat and sat back down, rubbing her hands across her face tiredly. I need a nap.

Neo paused his apparent scrutiny of her room and turned his head, deep in thought. Nyx admired his profile as he swallowed and clenched his jaw.

"How did you see your mother in purgatory?"

Nyc could see dozens of questions flitting behind Neo's eyes, and she answered carefully. "She said she was the person who welcomed new souls, I think."

A small humph escaped his nose. "Cyren is your mother." Nyx nodded, and he raised his brows.

"Interesting."

"Yep."

The silence stretched again, and Nyx lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. A warmth brushed her thigh as the mattress dipped under Neo's weight, and she leaned into him, eyelids drooping.

"You are still not safe here. If Tunrida finds you again, you won't get away so easily," Neo murmured, trailing his fingers along her side.

She shuddered under his touch. "I know that; I only got free because of Emry. We need to help him."

Neo grumbled under his breath, and his tracing fingers retreated. "It's too dangerous. If Tunrida has made him her enemy, we would need an army to free him."

"Then get one."

Nyx suppressed the smile threatening to take over her facial muscles as she realised who she was talking to. But, instead of rising to her bait, he hummed.

"Come back with me then."

Her eyes popped open, and she stared at the Demon king's passive face.

"Will you ask your demons for help? "

"They're demons, not soldiers. I can summon them all, but I cannot force their allegiance. Without them all, we would fail. Besides, they won't come to the aid of another hells prince."

"Then I'll ask them."

"Nyx," he warned.

"What? He helped me. It's the least I could do."

A light rapping at the door drew the pair's attention, and Selene peeked her head in, swallowing when she saw Neo's hard stare.

"Sorry, it's just me," she said in a shaky voice. "What's happening? Do I need to cover for you?"

"Uh," Nyx sat up until she was up against her Demon King, her arms and legs tingling where they contacted his. "Yeah, I guess I'll take the week. I definitely won't need that long in Hell time, but just in case."

Selene nodded and licked her lips. "Okay. Just be careful. Also, should I put an ad out for a new roomie? Maezie told me what happened to Medea." She pulled a face and touched her throat absent-mindedly.

Neo smirked. "Maezie?"

Selene flushed red but held her ground. "So? Nyx?" She looked pointedly away from Neo's form, waiting for an answer, but Neo interrupted again.

"What are your landlord's bank details?"

Nyx and Selene blinked. "Huh?"

"Why?"

He cleared his throat and directed his gaze behind Selene, where Maeze materialised suddenly. "Handle it," he said.

Maeze rolled her eyes but walked away.

"What was that?" Nyx asked, nudging him lightly with her shoulder.

"A gift for returning with me. I know it's not easy, but it will be over soon."

She nodded before looking back at Selene, unsure what he had just organised. "I love you, Se. And I'll see you soon, okay? Take care of yourself and Maeze, I guess. Be careful."

Selene nodded back earnestly and wrung her hands. "I love you too. See you soon." She pulled the door shut as a tear slipped down her cheek and plopped on the floor. Nyx stared at it in silence before lifting her gaze to Neo again.

"Let's go."