Chapter 566 – Mutually Profitable
Eros looked up from a low table, clearly mid ritual preparation.
His expression soured the second he saw who Lux brought.
"Seriously?" Eros ran a hand through his tousled hair, chest bare, sweating. And Lux caught a new vial in the coffin. "You brought a whole fucking entourage?"
Lux didn’t flinch. "They’re here for support. And intel."
Sira smirked, stepping forward like she owned the place. "You should be happy I ca at all."
Eros exhaled sharply through his nose. "Happy is not the word I’d use."
Ely spoke up from beside Lux. "I promised myself I’d stay with Lux today. I’m not leaving."
That actually made Eros pause. He tilted his head toward her and sniffed.
"You’ve been—" His nose wrinkled. "Touched by him."
Ely flushed imdiately. "That’s none of your business!"
Lux just sighed. "Focus."
Lullaby, who had been yawning against Lux’s shoulder like a sleepy kitten, suddenly stretched her arms above her head. Her sweater slipped, showing a hint of lace beneath before she landed gracefully on the floor.
"Mmm... okay..." She rubbed her eyes. "Lux told you want to wake her up, right? Let check her."
Eros gave a nod, stepping aside.
"Be careful," he muttered. "I tried calling her soul back, but didn’t return."
Lullaby tilted her head. "That ans she doesn’t feel safe yet. Or she’s trapped between two realities."
She floated gently over to the coffin, her feet barely touching the ground. Her sleepy aura dimd slightly as her fingertips glowed soft violet. Sloth magic. Gentle. Inviting.
Lux watched carefully. He knew Lullaby’s dreamcraft wasn’t just about sleep. It was about navigating liminal space, the edge of the soul.
Sira wandered closer to a table and poked at a floating glass of wine. "Still sweet," she said. "Sa vintage?"
"Limited edition," Eros muttered. "Costs more than your sense of humility."
Sira snorted. "You wish."
anwhile, Ely stuck close to Lux. She kept glancing between Azithra and Lullaby, clearly confused. "She’s not waking up?"
"Not yet," Lux said softly.
"She’s trapped," Lullaby murmured, her voice hazy and deep like fog rolling in. "Halfway between mory and dream. There’s soone who doesn’t want her to co back. Or maybe... she doesn’t want to co back yet."
Lux folded his arms. "Then we find out what she needs. And give it to her."
Eros huffed. "You make it sound so simple."
Lux turned to him. "It is. When you have leverage."
Eros narrowed his eyes. "You planning to use , Lux?"
"Of course." Lux smiled. "Sa way you planned to use . But don’t worry. I’ll make sure it’s mutually profitable."
"Greedy bastard."
"Flirty whore."
Eros grinned. "You rembered my na."
Lullaby, still focused, said, "Silence, both of you."
Everyone froze.
The air grew heavier, magic circling tighter.
Lullaby’s eyes opened, fully now, slit pupils visible, glowing softly as dreamlight flooded her aura.
"She’s here," Lullaby whispered.
Lux stepped closer.
"Her soul?" he asked.
Lullaby nodded slowly. "It’s whispering. But sothing is trying to pull it back again. I need silence."
Eros knelt beside her. "What do you need from ?"
Lullaby looked at him once, then pointed to the candles. "Burn those. Not with fire. With your voice. Speak truth into them."
Eros blinked. "Seriously?"
"Truth is fire," she said simply.
Sira looked annoyed. "Is this going to take forever?"
Lux gave her a side glance. "If you’re bored, go rearrange his closet. I’m sure it needs so humility."
Sira groaned but backed off.
The flas danced.
Lullaby humd under her breath, a tune so soft it made the hairs on their arms rise. Lux felt the magic begin to spiral.
And beneath the glass...
Azithra stirred.
One finger twitched.
Then another.
Lux’s eyes glowed faintly. Not red this ti. But sothing older.
"I see her," he murmured. "She’s dreaming of cages."
Lullaby flinched. "Not just cages. Chains. mories dressed as love."
Eros grit his teeth. "Bastard..."
Lux stepped forward. "Then we show her sothing stronger."
Sira crossed her arms. "Like what? More power?"
Lux turned to her. And this ti, his voice wasn’t charming.
"Like safety."
That shut everyone up for a second.
The air felt heavy. Not infernal-heavy, just mortal. Like silence soaked into the concrete beneath them, the stone pillars that held up Eros’s sanctum, the polished marble tiles gleaming under weak afternoon light. The kind of quiet that ca with realization.
Lullaby stood near the glass coffin, her hand hovering just inches above the curve of it, fingers trembling slightly. Her expression had dropped its usual sleepy sweetness, replaced by sothing somber. A priestess vibe. Or maybe a queen. Like soone who’d seen too many dreams shattered and had decided to never let that happen again.
"No... This isn’t just a simple seal," she whispered. "And it’s not her decision to sleep. I feel... Greed."
Everyone turned to Lux.
He held up both hands. "Hey. Not ."
Lullaby shook her head. "Not him. Old Greed."
Lux’s jaw clenched. "Zoltarin."
Eros’s eyes narrowed. "Why would that bastard attack Azithra?"
Lullaby was quiet. Her lashes fluttered, and for a second it looked like she was listening to sothing no one else could hear.
Then her voice ca soft. "LustNetwork... He wants access."
Eros looked like he’d been slapped.
"He took her as a hostage," Lullaby continued. "Told her if she told you what he really wanted... then he’d release her. But she didn’t. She went silent. Because she knew Zoltarin doesn’t just want access. He wants your clearance codes, Eros. Your executive override. He wants to use your connection to LustNetwork to manipulate everything. Contracts. Desires. Traces. Vault tags. ssaging protocols."
"And throw the bla on ," Eros muttered.
Lux nodded grimly. "Of course. It’s classic Zoltarin. He was always more dangerous as a whisper than a sword."
Ely stepped back, visibly shaken. "That’s... He was sealed. He was sealed, right?"
Sira’s mouth was a thin line. "Not sealed enough. Not if his voice can reach this far."
Lux exhaled through his nose and rubbed his temples. "And Azithra took the hit to protect LustNetwork. To protect you."
Eros flinched. Just a little. Barely visible, but Lux caught it. He knew that kind of guilt.
He’d lived it.
User Comments
0 comments from readers