...Eros stepped forward with grace that silenced the very stone beneath his feet. His hand, smooth yet impossibly strong, gently rested upon Belamorte's trembling shoulder.
Violet and Alexis blinked. He was touching the demon?
"Rise," Eros said, voice low and rich with authority. "You've done well."
Belamorte's breath caught. "My lord…?"
Eros leaned down and, in a move that stunned even Amanda and Ngozi, pulled the incubus into a tight embrace. The demon froze, uncomprehending. Then, for the first time in what must have been centuries, Belamorte gave in... he wept. Quietly. Brokenly.
"You guarded what you could," Eros said near his ear. "You survived. That's more than most. And your Queen… she is still my woman. I'm going to find her."
He pulled away, still gripping the demon's shoulders, looking into his glowing eyes.
"I will break this curse."
Violet's voice cut in like a whip. "Are you serious?! Black Lightning Dragon, what are you doing? That thing—they—are demons!"
