---

---

---

---

The atmosphere shifted when Nero proclaimed they had needed Caden. Cassi felt they were no longer needed for this half of the conversation. She tilted her head back and kissed Nic’s jaw before tugging him away from the front door. She didn’t want to barge in the middle of something intimate, but she was also too tired to get back into the SUV. She could only imagine how tired Nic was. It probably wasn’t smart to let him drive.

Cassiopeia pulled Nic through the yard where they snuck around to the back door. Avery, it seemed, had the same idea. He was already at the back with the door unlocked and opened when Cass got there with Nic.

”You two look like you’ve been awake all night. What happened?”

Cassi sighed, rubbing her hand over her tired face. ”Caden broke into my shop and ruined half my inventory while summoning a demon. He was trying to get answers on Mundus. Trying to summon him. Caden ended up killing the demon before getting arrested. They stuck him in the basement.”

---

---

---

---

Avery started to feel the same way Cassi did, so when he saw her making an escape with Nic, Avery tucked Kimiko away and did the same. He felt secure in thinking that Nero wouldn’t kill Caden. Not yet, anyway.

He walked to the back door and opened it just before Nic and Cassi arrived. Cassiopeia revealed the details of what had happened, and his eyes widened in shock.

”Putain de merde,” Avery cursed and ran a hand over his chin. He glanced at Kimiko before looking at Cass. He knew how important that shop was to her.

”Is there anything we can do about your shop?”

Cassi smiled tiredly and patted Avery’s chest. ”Not right now. Right now, I just want to sleep. It’s been a long night.”

Avery nodded quickly and gestured to the guest side of Caden and Nero’s home. ”Everything is made up and clean as always. I’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed, but I’ll have the staff make a late lunch.”

---

---

---

---

Caden remained bowed while Nero spoke, letting their disappointed words wash over him. Nero was right, of course. Caden had acted rashly; he knew that now, but it hadn’t mattered initially. He felt the tonal shift in Nero’s voice as well as the space around him. He waited until he heard the others leave before he lifted his head to look at Nero.

”I should have stayed. I made it about me when it’s not. I should have stayed so we could figure it out together.” Caden bowed his head again, closing his eyes to block out one of his senses. ”Ich habe durch die Beschwörung des Dämons nichts gelernt,” he whispered.

---

---

---

---

Nic was all-too-happy to let Cassi lead them away. As much as Caden deserved whatever admonishment the little demon was giving him, he really didn’t want to be witness to it. Besides, he was exhausted. When they reached the back door, Nic gave a tired smile to Avery before snorting at his comment. The truth was, they had been up all night. Fighting a yawn, he waved at Avery. “Thank you.” He told the man before letting Cassi lead the way.

---

---

---

---

Fighting off her own yawn, Kiki wrapped both arms around Avery’s torso and rested her head on his chest as she closed her eyes. “We should follow their example…” She mumbled into his shirt.

---

---

---

---

“Damn right you should have.” Nero said with a huff and looked away from Caden. It wasn’t easy staying mad at someone literally bowing and kneeling at their feet, but they were determined to stand their ground. At his whisper, however, Nero look at him with a scoff. “Of course you didn’t. Crowley and I are the only demons to really entertain outside of our species. You wouldn’t have gotten anything but little shits.”

They crossed their arms over their chest, eyes narrowed at Caden as they tried to decide what to do with him. The imp chose to just scoff again, loudly this time. “You look ridiculous, get up already. What’s done is done and you have all eternity to make it up to me now.”

---

---

---

---

Cassiopeia thanked Avery before another yawn over took her. She led Nic through the house to one of the bedrooms on the main floor. She could have taken Nic to the master suite, knowing Caden's staff was meticulous with their cleaning, but she always hated that room. Instead, Cassi took him to one of the smaller rooms that was next to her greenhouse. She held Nic's hand until she walked inside.

The bedroom was white like all the others but accented with yellows and greens. Yawning once more, Cassi walked over to the windows and drew the curtains to keep the sunlight out while they slept.

”I haven't been up all night for quite some time,” she confessed, yawning midway through her sentence.

Cassi pulled off her shoes one by one, her focus entirely on the bed. She stripped off her sweater and necklace before collapsing onto the bed. She wrapped her arms around a pillow and wiggled around until she was more settled. However, something was missing. She popped her eyes open and stared at Nic, silently waiting for him.

---

---

---

---

Avery watched the couple wander off, Nic being towed along by Cassi. Avery chuckled to himself before Kimiko stole his attention back. He grinned at her before brushing his nose against hers and shut his eyes.

”Do you think?” Without further prompt, Avery leaned to the side and scooped Kimiko into his arms. He held her bridal style with one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.

”Did you not get much sleep either?” Avery had dozed in and out, preoccupied with making sure Nero was okay and waiting for Caden to come back. Avery didn't think the man was going to be jailed all night, but with what Cassiopeia had revealed, he understood why she left him there overnight.

Avery walked down the hall to Kimiko's room and carried her effortlessly. He shut the door behind him before dumping her into her bed. He grinned once more.

---

---

---

---

Caden finally stood after receiving permission from Nero a second time. He elevated his eyes slightly to stare at Nero's slippered feet. He clenched his jaw to keep from smiling at the strangeness of their imp and their words. Caden would happily spend all of eternity making this moment up to Nero as that would mean they were together.

”They did give me something, but it is a task I cannot complete.” Caden finally looked at Nero. Despite the silliness of his mate's outfit, all Caden saw was Nero's eyes and the emotions swirling there. ”I sought answers on how to bring Mundus to me. The demon stated I would have to complete seven tasks in the form of the deadly sins. One of them would require losing two people I care for. I killed the creature before they revealed any more to me,” Caden confessed. The blood on Caden's hands—now dried—started to itch, but he refrained from scratching off the evidence.

After Caden's confession that righteous punishment had been dolled out, his facial expression became distraught.

”I don't know what to do…” Short of marching into Hell himself, Caden was lost in how he was to save his mate.

After discovering the oldest sword Caden held in his collection belonged to Nero, he was convinced Nero was always intended to be his. That they were meant to meet and bring chaos to the world around them, but then he learned Mundus had laid claim to Nero. Caden didn't even stop to think. All he had seen was red, death a whispered promise in his mind.

Caden's eyes shifted to the green-blue glimmer of his dragon as they both agreed to make good on their promise.