The Immortal Prince ✔️

41

Keo pauses in his spot, staring down at me with a furrowed brow.

"How do you know of him?"

"Doesn't matter. I just do," I mumble, trying to usher him along, desperate to be reunited with my mate, who probably believes I'm dead at this point.

"A man who carries the touch of death is not someone I recommend becoming acquainted to," he tells me quietly.

Ah, so he really does no Larsen. Good to know Hale keeps such volatile company that even a powerful man such as Keo is scared of him. I don't believe Larsen kills without cause though, even if he wants everyone to think he does.

"I'm ready to see my mate now." I motion down the fork in the cave, where the entrance to Hale's home now lies.

"Excellent."

We make it to the door, however, once I go to step past it, I'm pushed back by an invisible force, nearly knocking Keo over as I stumble back into him.

"I forgot...I'm immortal so I can't get through his ward," I mutter, laying my hand against the wall of magic.

Keo rolls his eyes. "Well, isn't that great."

"Hale! Are you in there?" I call out, hearing my voice echo down the narrow hallway. I'm

For a painful moment, there is no response. Just cold, unending silence, until finally, the faint sound of footsteps can be heard passing over the rock.

Hale emerges into view, and my heart almost completely stops at the sight of him.

My mate. I wasn't gone for long, and yet I missed him so much...

"Vaela," he breathes, looking over me as if he can't believe I'm actually standing in front of him. I can hardly believe he is here either, that we are lucky enough to be reunited.

"Hale...I'm so glad to see you," I breathe. I want to collapse into him, but I'm wary with Keo standing so close by, dwelling in the shadows while he watches the exchange between my mate and I.

Hale steps out, clasping my arms, his fingers trembling against my skin. "You're alive, you're here...I searched everywhere in Death's realm for you."

"Someone got to me first." I cock my head to the left.

Hale's gaze darkens as he takes in the man who has accompanied me here. And then, his attention slowly travels back to my arm, which has a bandaged haphazardly placed over it.

I'm lucky Keo even bothered to give me that before we came here.

"Keo..."

"Hello to you too, Hale." Keo steps from the shadows, that smug grin on his face that he seems to observe soully for people like Hale.

I can Hale deciding whether he should attacked Keo now or wait for an explanation. "What did he do to you?"

"Believe it or not, he saved my life. Not without endangering it first, though," I say, narrowing my eyes on him. Keo merely winks in response.

"You saved her life?" Hale folds his arms over his chest, looking more imposing than I've seen him in a while.

"We have come to a deal."

Hale drags his gaze to me. "Don't tell me you made a deal with a Demon, Vaela."

When he puts it like that, he makes it seem like a terrifying notion.

"I had no other choice. Relm was bleeding me out, wanting to essence of the magic from your in me to make a conduit for Keo to use, but I struck a deal with Keo, and now I'm alive," I tell him sheepishly.