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.

and your people can easily slay him and bring the great

I tilted my head.

at Nikolai's words was knocked right off their faces as soon

the celestial guards, Nikolai, and the mortal army

guards threw themselves between the mouse prince

their heartbeats thundering as they stared at the barrier, bracing themselves for an attack. Some celestials shifted in their divine wolf forms,

for his guards to lower their weapons. "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 to

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 still be

but he gritted back his

guards took the frontline. He peered at

"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

The suns atop their staffs

However, their actual goal wasn't to break through my barrier, but something else. "Shift!" the

sky, their staffs clutched in their jaws, circling around the graveyard in a

Their combined mana condensed to form a halo of faint rainbow

They weakened demons with a shower of holy rain,

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

Icifer grumbled in my

mostly irritated Icifer, but one at this scale could

deep within me, but he resisted, snarling in defiance as he refused to be

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

for Xanthea,' I said. 'It will rejuvenate

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

will do torrential damage

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

'But-'

This isn't the first time, anyway. I've endured celestial banes far worse than this, and I'd suffer them

knew. That was exactly why I wanted

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

I shut my eyes.

just have to

But before that...

hands glided up Xanthea's thighs. My shadows weaved through the fabric of her nightgown. Slowly, the soft white dress transformed, shifting and reforming against her skin into a

change in her clothes, Xanthea

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

Her breath hitched when she realized that this was the signature royal attire of the Infernal

waist, encrusted with black jewels and chains, but

allowing his

up as one after another, countless raindrops scorched my skin like acid, sizzling on contact before they melted

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,

she took me in, the serenity in her eyes was replaced with terror and panic. Her eyes widened as she stared at my face, tarnished by

holy rain.

"A-Asher?"

covered my face with

for how unsightly

head thudded against her chest as she

up to her knees.

mind went blank for a few seconds. Icifer was just as confused as me. I

when I finally

body to shield me from

she trying to... protect

the divine burns felt like the most beautiful pain

demon. If it hurt this good in her embrace,

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

being protected, but for once, it didn't

my eyes, leaning into

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

as they bled

out a trembling whimper. "It's weakening you.

you. I-is this...

but her experience

her chest as it

gritted her teeth, panting as she hugged me closer, trying to cover

raindrop.

means... celestials... are here?" she panted, her breath