Morning arrived like it had somewhere better to be.
The house was quiet in that strange, almost theatrical way it got when the demons were trying to behave like mortals. No shadows crawling. No flames licking the corners. Just the faint tick of the wall clock Zoe insisted on keeping because, in her words, "If we're pretending to be human, we're doing it right."
Levi hated the clock. He hated the sunlight even more. And he hated the warmth in his chest most of all.
He stood outside Jade's door for a long moment with his arms folded, staring at the cheap wood like it had personally offended him. His mind kept replaying last night in fragments: Jade asleep on the couch, that ridiculous smile, the word friends spoken like it meant anything, and then the way she'd curled her fingers into his shirt when he carried her upstairs. The memory sat under his skin like grit.
He had not slept. Not truly. He didn't need to.
But the Mortal Realm did odd things to demons, and the longer he remained in this house, the more he found himself doing pointless mortal habits. Standing still. Thinking. Feeling.
Disgusting.
Levi lifted his hand to knock. Only silence. He tried again.
The door didn't have a lock. Zoe had probably assumed the idea of a lock was insulting. Levi imagined her saying something like, "If any of you misbehave, I'll break your kneecaps, so locks are unnecessary."
He exhaled through his nose, irritated.
"Human," he called, not loud enough to wake the whole house, but loud enough to be undeniably rude. "Get up."
Silence. Levi's mouth twitched.
Fine.
He pushed the door open. The room greeted him with an explosion of pink so aggressive it felt like an attack. Curtains, bedding, pillows, a fluffy rug, and a canopy that made the bed look like it belonged to a princess in a children's story. Levi took two steps in and immediately regretted being there.
Jade was sprawled across the bed as if she'd melted into it. Her hair was a mess, face turned toward the window. She looked peaceful. Unbothered. Like last night hadn't ended with a Prince of Hell trying to press death to her mouth.
Levi's eyes narrowed. "How do you keep doing that?"
He crossed the room, picked up the small glass of water on her nightstand, and dipped his fingers in it. The water chilled instantly beneath his touch. Not ice. Not enough to hurt. Just cold enough to startle.
He flicked it onto her face.
Jade jerked. Her hand flew up to wipe her cheek. For a split second, she looked dazed, as if she'd been crying in her sleep. Then she blinked hard, focusing, and her gaze snapped to Levi looming over her.
Levi chuckled, the sound low and sharp. "Good. You're alive."
Jade's eyes went wide. She scrambled backward in the bed like she'd been shot out of a cannon.
Levi stared at her, confused by the immediate terror. He'd expected… something. Anger, maybe. A sarcastic remark. A demand for breakfast like mortals tended to do when they thought they were safe.
But this was pure alarm.
Jade pulled the blanket up instinctively, clutching it to her chest as if it were armor. "What are you doing in here?" she squeaked.
Levi blinked. "Waking you up."
Jade's face turned the color of a fire alarm. "What do you think you're doing in here, pervert!"
Before Levi could respond, a pillow smacked him in the face.
He caught it with one hand and stared at it like it had personally insulted his bloodline.
"What's your deal, freak?" Levi snapped, tossing it aside. "I only came to wake you up."
Another pillow launched.
This one hit him upside the head.
Levi's eyes narrowed. "Stop that."
"GET OUT!" Jade screamed, voice cracking with rage and mortified panic. "Get OUT!"
Levi stood there, stunned for a heartbeat, and then irritation surged up hard enough to drown whatever warm nonsense had been building in his chest all night.
"Damn it, Jade," he hissed, and strode to the side of the bed.
Jade tightened her grip on the blanket.
Levi grabbed the edge of it. "Stop acting like one of Zoe's brats trying to dodge school. We have a long day. Get up."
Jade kicked at him wildly under the blanket. "I said GET OUT!"
Levi yanked. Jade yanked back. For a ridiculous second, they were playing tug-of-war like children.
Levi's patience snapped. He wrenched the blanket hard enough to rip it free. The blanket flew off the bed and slid to the floor.
Time stopped. Jade froze, eyes wide and horrified. Levi froze, staring in blank, stunned disbelief.
Because Jade was naked.
Completely.
Not a shirt. Not shorts. Not even socks. Just Jade, bright red with embarrassment, one hand scrambling to cover herself, the other reaching for the canopy curtains like they could erase reality.
Levi's brain, which had survived centuries of demonic politics and cosmic rules, produced one coherent thought:
Oh.
Then Jade's scream returned, higher and feral. "GET OUT!"
She grabbed the nearest pillow and launched it at Levi with murderous intent.
Levi flinched like it might explode and bolted for the door.
He got two steps.
The door flew open from the outside.
Levi slammed straight into it and stumbled backward, landing hard on the floor.
Zeth and Aamon burst in like a response team.
"What's the matter?" Aamon started, voice sharp.
Then both demons froze. Zeth's face went red instantly, his eyes wide. Aamon went unnaturally still, gaze snapping away as if he'd been burned by sight alone.
Jade shrieked again and tore at the canopy curtains, yanking them down around herself like a shield. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
Aamon recovered first. He dropped his gaze to the floor and clamped a hand over Zeth's eyes.
"Move," Aamon ordered, and physically shoved Zeth backward out of the room.
Levi, still on the floor, opened his mouth to protest. Aamon hooked him by the ankle without even looking and dragged him across the carpet like a misbehaving animal.
Levi's pride screamed. The door slammed shut behind them so hard the hallway rattled. For a moment, all three of them sat on the floor in stunned silence.
Zeth was still bright red, rubbing at his face like he could erase the memory.
Levi's hair was disheveled and his expression was pure offended disbelief.
Aamon's hands were curled into fists. Then he stood. The air around him tightened, heat simmering in it like a threat. He grabbed Levi by the front of his shirt and hauled him up like he weighed nothing.
"What did you do?" Aamon snarled.
Levi blinked at him, startled by the sheer venom. "Aamon, hang on, it's not what you think."
Aamon's eyes glowed faintly, an ember-bright fury that had nothing to do with the Mortal Realm's curse and everything to do with something older, deeper, and frankly inconvenient.
"I don't care what I think," Aamon hissed. "I care what you did."
Levi's jaw clenched. He lifted a hand defensively. "I came to wake her up. She started throwing pillows. I pulled the blanket. I didn't know she was..."
Aamon's grip tightened. Zeth inhaled sharply like he was about to intervene. Before he could, Jade's door flew open.
She stood in the doorway, wrapped in a tangled mess of curtain fabric like a toga made by an angry amateur. Her cheeks were on fire, eyes blazing.
"You're all a bunch of idiotic perverts!" she screamed. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"
All three demons stared at the floor like it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in existence.
Jade's voice sharpened, the humiliation turning into righteous fury. "I told you to get out! Why didn't you just get out?"
Levi's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again, because he had the audacity of a creature who had never had to apologize in his existence.
"I didn't know," he muttered stiffly, refusing to look up. "You weren't… last night… I wouldn't…" Levi took a breath and his eyes rose to fix on Jade. Stable this time.
"You didn't answer." Levi said, trying to force his voice into the casual uncaring tone he normally carried.
Jade's eyes narrowed. "Then knock louder next time!"
Aamon's gaze stayed down, but his shoulders were rigid like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.
Jade dragged a hand over her face. "Can we just never talk about this again?"
Zeth cleared his throat, mortified. "We… won't talk about this."
Levi lifted one brow, voice dry. "Mention what?"
Jade blinked at him, surprised, then relief flooded her face so fast she almost looked dizzy. "Exactly. Nothing. Great."
Aamon didn't move. The silence stretched. Something about it felt heavier than embarrassment.
Then Aamon spoke, voice carefully neutral. "Coffee."
He turned and walked away like the hallway hadn't just become the scene of a mortal humiliation that would haunt Jade until the end of time. Zeth shuffled after him, head down so far it was nearly comical.
Levi lingered just long enough to look at Jade, finally, eyes cold again.
"If you don't want this to happen again," Levi said flatly, "lock your door."
Jade's mouth dropped. "My door doesn't have a lock."
Levi shrugged, a cruel little motion. "Then sleep clothed, idiot."
He turned and walked downstairs. "You are in a house full of men, after all." He called back as he disappeared down the stairs.
Jade stood there for a moment, cheeks burning so hot she felt like she might combust. Then she backed into her room and shut the door with a quiet, defeated click.
Downstairs, the kitchen smelled like coffee and quiet hostility. Zeth hovered near the counter, face still pink, hands fidgeting as if he didn't know where to put them. He kept glancing at the stairs like Jade might descend and throw a toaster at them.
Levi strode in with his arms folded, expression unimpressed.
"Is she still mad?" Zeth asked immediately.
Levi shrugged. "I thought nothing happened."
Zeth exhaled. "Levi, stop being such an…"
Aamon stood suddenly at the counter with both hands braced on it, staring at the coffee mug like he might crush it on principle. Then, without warning, he slammed his palm down. The sound cracked through the kitchen like a gunshot.
Zeth jumped.
Levi didn't.
Aamon turned, eyes still burning with fury. "What exactly did you do to her, Levi?"
Levi's lips curved slowly, cold amusement returning because he could taste the tension like blood in the water.
"Hey guys." Zeth called, but the men ignored him.
"I don't see why you're getting so hot under the collar," Levi said, voice sweet with mockery. "Unless you're jealous."
Aamon's jaw tightened. "I asked you a question."
"Guys." Zeth tried again, his voice louder this time but it was still in vain.
Levi tilted his head, enjoying this far too much. "Did you ask me something? I must have forgotten." He held his hand up examining his sharp black nails with the calm of a teenager ignoring a scolding parent.
Zeth's patience snapped. "GUYS!"
Both demons glared at him. "What?" They yell in unison.
Zeth pointed toward the kitchen doorway. Jade stood there, dressed now in a simple outfit that still looked like she'd thrown it on while shaking. Her hair was brushed, cheeks still pink, eyes cautious. The room went silent.
Jade cleared her throat. "So, what's the plan for today?" Jade tried to play casual, act like nothing happened.
Aamon said nothing. His silence pressed down on the room like a weight. He looked at Jade once, briefly. And in that glance, Jade felt something twist in her chest. Because it wasn't warmth. It wasn't amusement. It was distance.
Aamon turned away. His voice came out level, almost too controlled. "Change of plans."
Zeth blinked. Levi's smirk faded slightly, curious now.
"I'll stay here," Aamon continued, "and assist Zoe with the house preparations."
Zeth opened his mouth, but Aamon held up a hand, cutting him off without even looking.
"Zeth, you'll still go obtain phones," Aamon said, then his gaze flicked to Levi. "And Levi…"
Levi waited, arms crossed.
"Since you two seem to have become so close," Aamon said coolly, "you'll go get Luke together."
Jade's head snapped up. "Aamon, wait, I…"
Aamon walked past her without even looking at her. The front door slammed a moment later. The sound echoed through the house like a verdict. Jade stood frozen for a heartbeat, then her knees buckled. She sank down onto the kitchen floor, staring at the tile like it had answers.
Zeth's expression softened immediately. He crossed the room and knelt beside her, placing his hand gently on the top of her head, awkward but earnest.
"It'll be okay," he said quietly. "Aamon just… needs time."
Jade's eyes filled with tears. "He wouldn't even look at me."
Zeth swallowed, looking pained. He knew too much. He'd been inside her head long enough to recognize what was happening before Jade could fully name it. He glanced at Levi, who was still standing by the table, expression indifferent, like the scene bored him. Levi met his gaze and offered the barest shrug.
Zeth leaned closer to Jade and lowered his voice. "He'll come around. Just… trust him."
Jade nodded, wiping her cheeks with the heel of her hand, humiliated by how easily she was falling apart.
Zeth stood and offered her a hand up. "We should go. If we're getting Luke, we don't want to be late."
Jade took the hand, still staring at the floor like it might swallow her. Levi finally moved.
He approached Jade with that predatory calm that made her stomach tighten, and without warning he took her hand.
Jade jerked. "What are you doing?"
Levi's grip didn't loosen. His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped into something silky and threatening, not because he meant it romantically, but because he enjoyed control.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
Jade froze, heart hammering. The memory of last night flashed: Levi's fingers on her wrist, the cold smile, the kiss of death threat.
Levi smiled faintly, like a cat watching prey pretend it was brave. "There's no running from me, human."
Jade swallowed hard.
Zeth sighed like he was already exhausted. "He's taking you to the museum, Jade. Just… go with it."
Levi didn't give her time to argue.
The air shifted.
A pressure built, like the world inhaled and forgot how to exhale.
Wind roared around them, loud enough to drown thought.
Jade yelped and clung to Levi instinctively, fingers digging into his suit jacket.
Levi's eyes widened for a split second, offended by the contact.
Then the world snapped.
Weightlessness.
A rush.
A cold, ocean-deep sensation like being pulled through a crack in reality.
And then they were standing outside.
Jade stumbled, releasing Levi immediately, cheeks flaming.
The museum rose in front of them, sleek and modern, its glass facade reflecting the pale morning light. It looked too expensive for the town it sat in, like someone had dropped a jewel into a bowl of dirt.
Levi folded his arms and watched Jade steady herself, expression unreadable.
Jade turned on him, tears and anger mixing into something sharp. "Why didn't you tell him nothing happened?" she demanded. "Why didn't you make it clear?"
Levi's eyes narrowed. "You want me to explain your poor choices to the Sovereign?"
Jade flinched at the title, but didn't back down. "You made him angrier on purpose."
Levi's mouth curved. He didn't deny it.
Jade's voice cracked. "I hate you."
Levi actually stepped back, surprised.
Then his expression hardened again, mask snapping back into place. "For someone so smart," he snapped, "you are unbelievably stupid."
Jade's tears spilled. She wiped them furiously, breathing hard. Levi's eyes narrowed, envy flaring hot and ugly beneath his cold exterior. Because it wasn't Jade he was angry at, not fully. It was the fact that she could make Aamon burn with emotion at all.
"You're right," Jade said suddenly, voice hollow. She lifted her gaze to Levi, and it was raw. Honest in a way that made Levi uncomfortable. "How could someone like me even think about that possibility?"
Levi stilled.
Jade's voice dropped, trembling. "At least before… he treated me like I mattered."
She swallowed, and the words came out like a confession she didn't want to admit even to herself.
"And now he won't even look at me."
Levi stared at her, shock cutting through his usual cruelty. This mortal. This human. She had feelings for his Sovereign? For Aamon?
"You," Levi said, voice low, furious, "have no idea what you're playing with."
Jade's shoulders shook. She didn't deny it. Levi's disgust surged, sharp and immediate, tangled with envy so potent it tasted metallic. Levi took a step toward her, his eyes cold as ice.
""You…for someone so smart you're really stupid, you know that?" he snapped. "How dare you, a human, even consider romantic feelings for my king."
Jade flinched like he'd struck her. Levi's hands clenched into fists at his sides. His voice rose, harsh with the kind of anger that came from envy wearing righteousness as a costume.
"What did you think was going to happen? He's a demon, Jade. THE demon." Levi hissed. "He is the Sovereign. The ruler. The one who keeps the Dark Realm from tearing the universe apart. Not your night in shining armor."
Levi's harsh words cause Jade's knees to buckled. She dropped to the ground, sobbing so hard she couldn't breath.
Levi stood over her, breathing too fast, teeth clenched, anger raging. Somewhere under it, buried deep enough to almost be unrecognizable, was that warm, miserable pressure in his chest again. Friendship. Tether. Debt. Whatever it was, it made him stay instead of walking away.
Levi looked down at Jade, shaking on the pavement outside the museum, and for a moment he looked almost lost. Then the museum's front doors clicked. A figure stepped out onto the entrance steps, perfectly dressed, golden hair catching the morning light like it had been polished. A bright voice carried across the space, cheerful and dramatic.
"Jade, love," the man called, smiling wide. "You're early."
Levi's body went stiff. Jade looked up, eyes wet and wide.
And the day got more complicated.