Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-113. The holy rain [Asher]

"The crown prince is here!"

A celestial guard's voice rang across the Virgo army, silencing the murmurs as a masked figure strode forward.

The emblem of the Solvaris pack was engraved into his golden chest armor, adorned with the complete nine stars of the Swan constellation. The celestials were notoriously selective about who could bear the full constellation.

Undoubtedly, this was him - Caelum's son.

Usually, nature announced the arrival of the immortals by adjusting itself to accommodate our auras. So, even though the mouse prince chose stealth- suppressing his aura, minimizing his presence - he couldn't stop the shift in the elements of nature around him.

I had already registered how his presence softened the disturbance my aura had created in nature. His determination to conceal his identity was commendable, but in his attempt to do so, he had exposed his power potential.

Even for high-ranking celestials, hiding their presence so effortlessly wasn't easy because their souls constantly resonated at a higher vibration, often in harmony with nature.

Manipulating one's aura in a way that could even deceive nature was something even high-ranking celestials failed to master.

Growing up in the Infernal realm must have wired the mouse prince differently from the other celestials. Even though Cadence pulled him out of the Forced Activation before things worsened, he'd spent months within those walls - surviving, just like Ezra and the others.

Naturally, I expected the unexpected from him, but something that badgered me the most about him was, I sensed no danger from him. Either he wasn't a threat... or he was dangerous beyond the scope of my danger sense.

All heads turned to him in unison. The mortal soldiers bowed their heads, while the celestial guards dropped to one knee in a knight's bow, their armors clicking as they hit the ground.

His black hooded cloak billowed behind him as he strode towards the shadow barrier, revealing a physique that instantly reminded me of Ezra.

Though the hood concealed most of his golden and black masquerade mask, his glowing hazel eyes stood out as they peered at my shadows.

It seemed as if he was trying to see past my shadows to confirm Xanthea's presence.

"Do you see her?" Nikolai asked, standing beside him. "My sister?"

"I hear her," the mouse prince said in a resonating, morphed voice. "It's faint... but she's here."

I frowned, narrowing my eyes.

Hear her?

What does that mean?

I glanced at Xanthea, still resting silently in my embrace.

Even if she were screaming at the top of her voice, no one would hear her through my barrier. So what exactly was he hearing?

The mouse prince's eyes widened, glowing bright golden before they darkened into the shadows.

"This is bad," he said grimly.

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, his voice hinted with subtle panic as he skimmed his

eyes from the barrier to the mouse prince.

"He is here," he said, clenching his fists. "Alpha Asher is here with her."

I cocked a brow.

So he can hear me as well, and I am not even uttering a word.

"I've heard Alpha Ezra was the worst of the triplets," the guards discussed among themselves.

"Yeah. Alpha Raven has got a sharp tongue, but he isn't as unhinged as Alpha Ezra." "As for Alpha Asher... aside from attending meetings and handling political negotiations, he never does anything. So this shouldn't be bad, right?"

"So... why does the crown prince look so wary of him?"

"Like your guards said, Asher being here can't be as bad of news as Ezra, right?" Nikolai asked the mouse prince.

"Alpha Asher himself is bad news," the mouse prince said. "And the worst thing about him is that he does nothing. Which means I don't have enough information on him or what he's truly capable of."

We were both wary of each other, and I wouldn't be foolish enough to underestimate him just because he looked afraid right now.

"Whatever. He's just a demon," Nikolai scoffed as he continued in an obnoxious tone. "With you and all these celestials here, he's clearly outnumbered. He might be a lord in his own realm, but here?"

He chuckled, glaring at the barrier with a sneer.

your people can easily slay him and bring the great demon

I tilted my head.

inflated the mortal soldiers' chest at Nikolai's words was knocked right

the celestial guards, Nikolai, and the mortal army

threw themselves between the mouse prince and

they stared at the barrier, bracing themselves for an attack. Some celestials

"But history proves... infernals have destroyed more celestials than the cold pages of any book could ever record." Then he turned his glare to Nikolai, allowing a fraction of his searing aura

at stake. So, I suggest you shut your mouth and stay out of this. I don't want a war - and neither does Alpha Asher. Because if he did... do you think any of us would

his words, but he gritted back

prince and his guards took the frontline. He peered at the

"Begin!"

members of the Celestial Suppression Squad (CSS) materialized around the graveyard, walking out of thin air, holding golden sun staffs in their hands. All of them were high rank,

the sky. The suns atop their staffs flared to life,

recoiled before absorbing all the mana radiating from the light. However, their actual goal wasn't to break through my barrier, but something else.

wings soared into the sky, their staffs clutched in their

illuminating the graveyard from both above and below. Their combined

of holy rain, and once they lost powers temporarily, the CSS annihilated them by

that the mouse prince chose to use the CSS against me only proved he knew me far less than I

grumbled in my head,

mostly irritated Icifer, but one at this scale could inflict

tried to secure him deep within me, but he resisted, snarling in defiance

the rain does to me,' Icifer took over my eyes, glaring at the clouds. 'But it will certainly disturb

this rain's good for Xanthea,' I said. 'It

I haven't already swatted these annoying houseflies hovering in the sky like they

will do torrential damage to your

it hurts,' Icifer grunted. 'I'm not leaving my mate. Especially

'But-'

far worse than this, and I'd suffer them a thousand times over for my mate's safety. You have no idea what I'm willing to do

was exactly why I wanted to suppress him.

wouldn't back down, and if I pushed too hard, he might not let Xanthea meet the

I shut my eyes.

have to

But before that...

soft white dress transformed, shifting and reforming against her

in her

chains cascaded over her shoulders, chest and back, making a sweet metallic chime as they brushed against the onyx

gaze lowered to the coattails, edged with ornate metallic details. Her breath hitched when she realized that this was the signature royal attire of the Infernal

jewels and chains, but before I could relish the way it

his hold to weaken on

up as one after another, countless raindrops scorched my skin like acid, sizzling on

all the pain faded into the background when I saw how the rain plumped Xanthea's parched lips, how it soothed the swelling on her ring finger where I had carved my name, how

as soon as she took me in, the serenity in her eyes was replaced with terror and panic. Her eyes widened as she

holy rain.

"A-Asher?"

covered my face with my

for how

against her chest as she

up to her knees.

few seconds. Icifer was just as confused

I finally realized, my heart

she using her body to shield me

she trying to...

felt like the most beautiful pain heaven

hurt this good in her embrace, I never wanted the pain to

Well... t-this is...' Icifer awkwardly shifted within

protected, but for

my eyes,

chest, in the panicked grip of her fingers clutching my clothes, in her breaking breath as she desperately chanted my name, as if she feared I'd dissolve into the rain

the rain as they bled on

a trembling whimper. "It's weakening you.

It's burning you. I-is this...

inherited her knowledge, but her experience and skills as well. No wonder she figured

her

she hugged me

raindrop.

she panted, her breath