I sighed and sat up, folding the washcloth neatly and handing it to her before dredging up a smile. It was pitiful, but it was a smile, and I held on to it for all I was worth. "It's much better now. Thank you for the aspirin."
"My pleasure. Do you like your coffee white or black?"
"Black, thank you."
She nodded before heading to the kitchen, not even glancing at the man who stood with his hands clasped behind his back and looking out a window with carefully angled blinds. I felt no such reticence, and stared at Adrian until he felt the touch of my gaze and turned to face me.
"It is hopeless, Hasi. He is Joined, he has the ring, and he is raising an army to defeat both Asmodeus and me."
"Mmm. I'm reserving judgment on the 'hopeless' verdict, and you don't know that the army Saer is raising is meant for you."
"I do not have the luxury of your doubt. He will come for me just as surely as he will attempt to overthrow Asmodeus. Saer is absolutely correct—with the ring, he is all but invincible. I cannot withstand an attack by him, and with Belinda Joined to him, he will have the strength he needs to overthrow Asmodeus and destroy me."
I frowned as I glanced toward the entrance to the kitchen. Belinda was humming happily as she puttered around fixing breakfast, the cheerful sounds of the radio drifting out to us. "Now I really am confused. You said that Saer would use the ring to force her to forfeit her soul on his behalf. I can see why he Joined with her once he got his grubby mitts on the ring, but not how that gives him more power, not when you yourself said that being bound to her would hold him back."
Adrian looked out the window again, his face as hard as chiseled marble. "A Beloved's soul carries much value. By its very nature it is pure, one of the purest examples of selfless love ever to exist. To those who seek and use the dark powers, it offers an almost unlimited endowment."
"So he gains power just by virtue of being Joined with her, because her soul is so pure?"
"Something like that."
I rubbed my forehead. I was exhausted, and could feel both Adrian's hunger and fatigue. It seemed like we'd been up for days without sleep. "Where does Damian fit into all this? Surely Saer won't sacrifice him too?"
"No, he won't sacrifice him. At least… no. Not even Saer would seek power in that way." Adrian sounded as tired as I felt. His eyes were clouded with pain and defeat. It was an expression that left me wanting to simultaneously sob in despair and instigate a plan of attack. I decided the latter was the only way we were going to get out of the horrible situation.
"That's a relief, but even if Damian is safe, Saer is a monster to use Belinda as you described. We have to stop him. We can't let him sacrifice her too, not even for Damian."
Adrian ran a hand through his hair, dark smudges bruising the skin beneath his eyes. "It's too late, Hasi. Saer is invincible now."
"Maybe he can't be killed, but that was never my intention." I stood up and went to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and breathing in his wonderful scent a moment or two before pressing a little kiss to his adorable lips. "But I still have Gigli's charm book, and I'm more than happy to try a curse or two in order to give us an edge. I think a tail would look good on Saer, don't you?"
Adrian refused to be jollied out of his glum mood. "This is not a subject for levity, Nell."
"I'm in deadly earnest, loveykins." He flinched. I smiled. "Sorry, I'm still searching for the perfect love name."
"Keep trying."
I kissed his chin. "I won't give up if you won't."
A familiar frown settled on his brow. "Why do you insist on maintaining the deception that there is any way I can stop Saer? I have told you three times that so long as he holds Asmodeus's ring, it is impossible for me—or you—to gain control."
"Oh, Saer doesn't have the ring with him," Belinda said as she set down on a small round table a pot of coffee, two mugs, and a plate of toast. She fussed over setting the breakfast things out, evidently not in the least aware of the stunned silence that stretched between Adrian and me. Eventually we managed to gather our tired wits.
"He doesn't?" I asked at the same time as Adrian demanded to be told the ring's whereabouts.
Belinda looked up from the table, blinking in surprise at both of us. "No, he doesn't have it. He said it was too risky to use the ring to summon minions, so he left it with me."
I stared at her for five seconds, a sudden giddy happiness threatening to burst out of me as Adrian grabbed Belinda by both arms, shaking her in his impatience to get the answer. "Where is it? Where exactly is it?"
"I have it," she said, her teeth chattering a little as she reached up to her neck, pulling on a gold chain that was looped beneath her bathrobe. She tugged it up until a familiar horn-and-gold ring emerged.
"My ring!" I yelled, tears of relief pricking my eyes.
"Your ring?" she asked, the ring dangling before us.
Adrian's eyes glowed hot as he watched it, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to take it. "Saer said it was his."
"Yes, well, I'm the one who originally borrowed it," I said. "I gave it to Saer thinking he was Adrian. If you don't mind, I'd like it back."
Her fingers closed around the ring as I reached for it, a mulish, hard expression on her face. "As it is, I do mind. Saer said this ring will free Damian. I can't give it to you until my son is safe."
"Nell is a Charmer," Adrian said, his voice rough and harsh as if he were fighting for control of himself. "She stole the ring to save Damian."
"I did not steal it!" I glared at Adrian, mouthing that I was going to get him when we were alone. "I simply borrowed it. I have every intention of returning it to Christian just as soon as I'm done with it."
"Nell has sworn to help Damian," Adrian said. I nodded. "She is the only hope of freeing him without releasing a power greater than any of us can imagine. You know Saer. You know what he is capable of. You must trust us."
"Please, Belinda." I touched her arm. "Adrian is right. I've sworn to do everything within my abilities to release your son from his bondage, but I must have the ring to do so."
"Saer is a little… confused, I freely admit that. He's changed the last few years, become a stranger, but even so, I know he would never harm Damian—" she started to protest.
"It is not for Damian's sake he desires the ring," Adrian said softly.
I sent a puzzled frown his way, then remembered that Saer was evidently willing to sacrifice Belinda in order to gain power. Such a monster as I was coming to realize he was wouldn't even blink about leaving his son in the hands of a demon lord.
Belinda looked from me to Adrian, indecision clearly visible behind the tears that filled her eyes. "I don't know what to think. Saer said he would free Damian, and now you say Nell is the only hope. But I don't know her. I don't know that she will do what she says she will do, that she will save Damian. He is only a child!"
"She will save him. She is my Beloved—she cannot do otherwise," Adrian said, his voice smooth with persuasion.
Belinda looked back at me. I tried to look like someone who went up against demon lords every day of the week without batting an eyelash. Finally she nodded, and pulled the chain over her head, dropping it and the ring into my waiting hand. "If you truly are Adrian's Beloved, then I will trust you."
"You won't regret it," I promised, clutching the ring tightly in my hand. It was warm from being next to her skin, but it seemed to glow hot for a moment as I held it. I flashed Adrian a triumphant smile, slipping the chain over my head before I shoved my arms into my coat. "Come on, sweetcakes, we have a demon lord to crush!"
Adrian grabbed me by the back of my coat as I rushed past him. He nodded toward the window. "Loath as I am to waste any time, I cannot go out in that."
"Damn," I swore, glaring at the fading gray. Blue sky was showing before rapidly dispersing clouds. "Why is it that just when you want a nice overcast day, the sun insists on coming out?"
"I wouldn't allow you to go now even if it was midnight," Adrian said as he took my hand in his. "You are too tired. It would be the sheerest folly to charm when you are so tired you can hardly stand. We will rest until the sun goes down."
"But—" I started to protest.
"Damian—" Belinda said at the same time.
Adrian raised his free hand, silencing both of us. "Asmodeus will not harm Damian until he has the ring. Damian will be safe until tonight when Nell will free him. But she needs rest to do that. We had little sleep yesterday and none last night. I hate to impose on your goodwill—"
"You're welcome to stay here," Belinda interrupted quickly. I could tell she didn't like to wait any more than I did, but she saw the sense in what Adrian said. As did I, although I hated to admit that he was right about me being exhausted, and I noticed he didn't include himself in that statement despite the fact that I could feel him weakened by both hunger and lack of sleep.
He shook his head. "If Saer was to come back unexpectedly, he could harm Nell. Do you still have a cot in your office behind the pub?"
"Yes," she answered, eyeing him in a familiar way that sent my hackles up, hostess or no hostess. "But it is meant for one person, and you're rather large—"