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.

another demon. And demons don't stand a chance against celestials. You and your people can easily slay him and bring the great demon lord to his knees - to his fucking doom," Nikolai

I tilted my head.

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

the crowd and the celestial guards, Nikolai, and

themselves between the mouse prince and the

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

mouse prince said, gesturing 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

your mouth and stay out of this. I don't want a war - and neither does Alpha Asher. Because if he

words, but he gritted

frontline. He peered at

"Begin!"

golden sun staffs in their hands. All of them were high rank,

The suns atop their staffs

mana radiating from the light. However, their actual goal wasn't to

wings soared into the sky, their staffs

illuminating the graveyard from both above and below. Their combined mana condensed to form a halo of faint rainbow clouds,

demons with a shower of holy rain, and once they lost powers temporarily, the

prince chose to use the CSS against me only proved he knew me far

grumbled in my

Icifer, but one at this scale

he resisted, snarling in defiance as he refused to be

holy rain? I don't care what the rain does to me,' Icifer took over my eyes, glaring at the

good for Xanthea,'

I haven't already swatted these annoying houseflies hovering

speaking, the holy rain will do torrential damage

don't care how badly it hurts,' Icifer grunted.

'But-'

with your reasoning, forget it. This isn't the first time, anyway. I've endured celestial banes far worse than this, and I'd suffer them a thousand times over for my mate's safety. You have no

wanted to suppress him. But arguing would

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

I shut my eyes.

have to deal

But before that...

thighs. My shadows weaved through the fabric of her nightgown. Slowly, the soft white dress transformed, shifting and reforming against her skin into a high-collared black coat and

her clothes, Xanthea

they brushed against the onyx gemstones embedded into the intricate embroidery of

edged with ornate metallic details. Her breath hitched when she realized that this was the signature royal

chains, but before I could relish the way it

his hold to weaken on the shadow

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

lips, how it soothed the swelling on her ring finger where I had carved my name, how it restored the soft

weary eyes lighting up with a divine radiance, but as soon as she took me in, the serenity in her eyes was replaced with terror and panic. Her eyes widened

holy rain.

"A-Asher?"

covered my face

how unsightly

she

up to her knees.

seconds. Icifer was just as

I finally realized, my heart twisted with the most

using her body to shield

trying to...

felt like the most beautiful pain

demon. If it hurt this good in her embrace, I

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

used to being protected, but for once, it

my eyes, leaning into

her 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 and disappear, slip right through her fingers like

warmth of her tears merged with the rain as they bled on my

choked out a trembling whimper. "It's

burning you. I-is

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

her chest as it

panting as she hugged me closer, trying to

raindrop.

here?" she panted, her breath hitching as