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.

demons don't stand a chance against celestials. You and your people can easily slay

I tilted my head.

the mortal soldiers' chest at Nikolai's words was knocked right off their faces as soon as the tendrils of my shadows

across the crowd and the celestial guards, Nikolai, and the mortal

themselves between the mouse

as they stared at the barrier, bracing themselves for an attack. Some celestials shifted in their divine wolf forms, while the mortal army had over

the celestial-infernal wars," the 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

worst that can happen. But for us... everything except our lives is 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...

he gritted back his

his guards took the frontline. He peered

"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, with over six stars in the shoulder

sky. The suns atop their staffs

their actual goal wasn't

the sky, their staffs

both above and below. Their combined

ritual to suppress demons. They weakened demons with a shower of holy rain, and once they lost powers temporarily,

CSS against me only proved he knew

Icifer grumbled in my head,

one at this scale could inflict actual

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

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

good for Xanthea,' I

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

rain will do torrential damage

care how badly it hurts,' Icifer grunted. 'I'm not leaving my mate. Especially with those

'But-'

celestial banes 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

knew. That was exactly why I wanted to

if I pushed too hard, he might not

I shut my eyes.

just have to

But before that...

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 high-collared

the change in her clothes, Xanthea parted from

metallic chime as they brushed against the onyx gemstones embedded into the intricate

when she realized that this was the signature royal attire of the Infernal lunas, but customised to

corset belt at her waist, encrusted with black jewels and chains, but

allowing his hold to

scorched my skin like acid, sizzling on contact before they melted deep into my

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

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

holy rain.

"A-Asher?"

covered my face

for how unsightly

chest as she wrapped her

up to her knees.

seconds. Icifer was just as confused

when I finally realized, my heart twisted with

using her body to shield me

she trying

felt like the most beautiful pain heaven could bestow

her embrace, I never wanted the pain to

t-this is...' Icifer awkwardly shifted

to being protected, but for once, it

eyes, leaning

it wasn't the same for Xanthea. Even though the holy rain healed her fatigue, soothed her tattered soul - she was hurting. I felt it in her restless heart pounding wildly in her chest, in the panicked grip of her fingers clutching my clothes,

tears merged with the rain as

burning!" Xanthea choked out a

you. I-is

mother's memories, Xanthea hadn't just inherited her knowledge, but her experience and skills

I whispered against her chest

as she hugged

raindrop.

here?" she panted, her