Another week was nothing. After everything I’d just seen, and here I was, moping because he wasn’t in Dis when I felt like he should be.
It was pathetic.
Still, acknowledging that I was being pathetic didn’t ease the sting entirely. I’d been practically counting down the minutes to seeing him again.
“Did he leave any hint at all?” I asked, hoping against hope that I didn’t seem desperate.
Vyra shook her head and my shoulders slumped.
“I’m being desperate and pathetic,” I muttered, and she wrapped her arm around my shoulders.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been waiting for literally weeks now for you two to make up, and of course when you’re finally ready, he’s not here.” She felt my hair, and an expression of abject horror crossed her face. “I know I sent some conditioner with you.”
“There weren’t many places to take a shower,” I said, feeling gloomier by the minute. She examined my hands next, including the broken nails still crusted with blood, and shuddered.
Vyra called in the shades and they practically threw me in the shower. I spent the next two hours under their hands, which should’ve given me time to come to terms with Belial’s absence, but instead, I experienced the opposite. I was more determined than ever to find him and make my thoughts clear. I’d kept them bottled up for long enough. I had my own cruel barbs to apologize for.
I was going to go to his arena and see if there was any sign at all of where he’d gone.
As soon as Vyra had put the final coat of lacquer on my newly-shortened nails, I got to my feet. I felt like a whole new angel after all the scrubbing and polishing, and for once my hair didn’t feel gritty from blowing sand and wind.
“I’m going to go find him.”
Vyra frowned at me and clasped a silver chain around my neck. “He’s not there, Melisande.”
“I know, but I need to see for myself and be absolutely sure. If he is there, maybe he wouldn’t turn me away.”
She smiled, but there was no conviction in it. “Well, let me know if he is.”
I swept from the room and almost ran right into Lucifer. His hair was still damp from his own shower, curling around his shoulders. He grabbed my arms, stopping me in my tracks, asking, “Where are you running to in such a hurry?”
At any other time, I would’ve been perfectly happy to enjoy the luxury of being home with him and a proper bed. He pushed me back against my door, already leaning down to kiss me, and my arms snaked around his neck of their own accord.
“Before you try to seduce me, I’m going to find Belial. He’s gone.”
Lucifer stopped only inches from my mouth, a frown creasing his brow. “Mmm. Explains why the city feels a little off-balance.”
I kissed him hard and pulled him inside my room. “Come with me. Let’s find him.”
Vyra waved as we strode to the windows. “I’ll let them know where you’ve gone.”
Lucifer and I jumped through the open windows, spreading our wings and taking flight before we hit the ground. We pushed into the air above the arena, and I glimpsed several more Overseers patrolling the arena battlements.
“Belial left a lot of Overseers here,” I said, worry pinching my stomach.
Lucifer looked down and banked over the wide shelf of the Seventh Circle. I followed, wanting to avoid being in the direct line of sight of the abyss.
My sensation of being completely gut-punched increased as we crossed into the Brightside and I dropped to the street in front of Belial’s arena.
The doors were closed and locked, with broad chains spanning the frame. All of the banners were rolled up. There wasn’t a single imp climbing on the walls.
“He’s not here, Melisande.” Lucifer looked up at the empty battlements and dark lanterns.
I approached the door and pushed anyway. It didn’t give, but I hadn’t expected it to. I just wanted to be absolutely sure.
With a huff, I took to the sky and flew over the arena, finding the roof empty, and landed in Arcturus’s volcanic pasture.
The wind kicked up a veil of grit, but there was no smug, flaming horse prancing around.
Even the stables were locked up tight.
Irritation was slowly overtaking the worry. He couldn’t have even left a note?
I found my way to the back door and hammered on it, then paused and pressed my ear to the door.
It was faint, but I heard the faint scuff of footsteps.
I renewed my pounding, my shoulder aching from how hard I banged on the door, but whoever was making the footsteps didn’t open it.
Belial’s arena was locked down tight.
I drew my foot back in a moment of rage and gave it a final kick that shook it in its frame, with the tiniest shred of hope that Belial would pop out from wherever he was hiding and ask me why the fuck I was mauling his doors.
Nothing.
I released an irritated breath and turned to find Lucifer watching me, his bulky arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah. He’s not here.”
“Wherever he is, I’m sure he has a good reason for it.” Lucifer thought on what he’d just said and made a face. “Well, maybe. I don’t think Belial always takes reason into account when he does things.”
“Let’s go home,” I grumbled. “Maybe it’ll click with me later.”
Lucifer kissed my forehead before we took flight. I rose high above Dis, leaving the towers behind and glaring out at the horizon of the wastelands. Tall storm clouds rose in the distance, flashing with purple-hued lightning, and there was a brief flash of yellow light.
Lucifer hovered next to me, following my line of sight and frowning. “Come on. I don’t want you outside if it comes this way.”
I squinted at the storm, looking for another flash of that yellow light, but none came.
It was just a storm. I was looking for answers where there were none.
Feeling oddly
