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not be endangered, not if Magoth is granted access via you. Aisling has a copy of a book that sets down the rules of Abaddon.”
    â€œThe Doctrine of Unending Conscious, yes,” I said, nodding. “I’m familiar with it. You’re talking about the part that says if I agree to become Magoth’s consort, he will have access to my world of origin, but I say again: that’s not a good idea.”
    â€œYou are not as familiar with it as you might be,” he said, his hands warm on my waist as he gently pulled me up against his chest, his breath brushing my face. “The book also says that when a demon lord accesses the world in such a manner, it is in a diminished capacity.”
    â€œDiminished?” I bit my lip and thought about that for a moment. It made sense—a demon lord’s abilities came from the dark power that had its source in Abaddon, which was why so few of them ever established a presence in the mortal world. Only the very strongest of all the demon lords, the head prince of Abaddon himself, was known to possess enough power to walk among mortals and immortals alike. The others had appeared briefly now and again, but only Bael could maintain a presence here.
    â€œAisling and her mentor, Nora, researched the matter most thoroughly, I can assure you, and they both agree that Magoth would enter the mortal world with little power, nothing that can’t be controlled by keeping him under surveillance. And I have arranged to do just that.”
    â€œBut what if that’s wrong? What if he comes through with more power than anyone expects?”
    â€œHow could he do so?” Gabriel asked.
    I wrapped my arms around him and leaned against him, my mind working over what he asked. “I don’t know. I guess he couldn’t. I don’t have any power he can share—his origins are dark, so he can’t go into the shadow world like we can. I guess I just hate to give him what he wants.”
    â€œI understand, little bird, and I wish the situation was different. But I cannot think of another way to free you from his control other than to give him something he wants more than you.”
    What he said made sense—it made absolute sense—but still, it irked me.
    â€œAll right, then,” I said with dull acceptance. “Since it doesn’t bother you to have your mate made the consort of a demon lord, I’ll give Magoth what he wants.”
    Gabriel moved faster than I could see. He spun me around so that I was pressed up against the window, the glass icy cold against my back as he burned my front with eyes that spat silver fire. “Do not ever say that it doesn’t bother me, May. You are mine, my mate, the only woman who will ever be such, and I do not share what is mine. But just as you sacrificed yourself at the time for the better good, so I will ignore the pain that is caused by knowing my mate is technically the consort of a demon lord.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said softly, unable to keep from stroking the hard line of his jaw.
    He continued to pin me back with a heated look that left me in no confusion about his emotions, then turned his head slightly and kissed my palm, tracing out on it a smaller symbol of a hand bearing a crescent moon. It was the symbol of the silver dragons and was identical to the small brand I wore on my upper back. “We have been too long apart. It is not your fault that you have not yet accepted that you are everything to me.”
    â€œOh, gods, how I missed you,” I said, kissing him with all the passion I had.
    â€œThere is nothing—”
    The world spun drunkenly, yanking me from Gabriel’s arms before he could finish his sentence, sending me plummeting with a gut-wrenching feeling into an abyss of darkness.

Chapter Three
    â€œ T his is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me! Will I be asked to speak, do you think? You know, something like toasting the