As a white fox, Miu was no stranger to the cold. Her kind thrived in snowy realms. However, the frozen hell that Ilessia had summoned in Cassian's dining hall was unlike any storm she had ever experienced. Temperatures kept dropping with each passing second. Frigid winds whipped her skin, cutting through flesh and bone until Miu could feel the chill in her soul. It left her feeling strangely bereft. Empty. Lifeless. A sense of death and despair threatened to overtake her senses.

It didn't take long for the three snake sisters to succumb to the goddess' wintry prison. Their lips had turned a deathly blue. Zava fainted within seconds and Zisa and Zeri lost consciousness soon after. The triplets laid unmoving upon a thick blanket of white. Breaths ceased to enter and exit their lungs.

"Are they dead?" Celestina screeched with a panicked expression.

"Who knows? Who cares?" Lelu fired back, "if we do not find a way out of here, then we will meet sorrier fates than the she-snakes!"

The vampire princess released a wail of distress.

From the corner of her eye, a flickering form caught Miu's notice. Votania's body was turning translucent. Like liquid. Like water. With an apologetic smile, she murmured, "It must be such a hindrance to be trapped in corporeal flesh. My apologies, ladies, but I must bid you all... adieu."

"I see, despite your pretty words, when push comes to shove," Jeen observed sharply, "you are no better than the rest of us. Competition and rivalry have brought out your true colors, Votania."

With a dark chuckle, the phantom retorted, "Can you blame me? Ilessia's arrival has altered the parameters of the game. I must adapt to her rules. Or perish."

Then, without a backward glance, she floated through a solid wall of ice and snow, effectively becoming the first demoness to make her get-away from the dining hall.

Glaring in Votania's direction, Jeen clenched her hand into a white-knuckled fist. When the crimson-skinned demon unfurled her fist, a burst of flames crackled within her palm. The blaze burned bright and hot until it expanded to the size of a large boulder. Releasing a growl, she thrust the fireball toward the wall where Votania had disappeared. Ice and snow melted upon impact, creating a tunnel that led outside the dining hall. In a lightning burst of speed, Jeen shot out of the room through the scorched passage she had created.

Miu's blue eyes darted to this sudden opening. Without wasting another moment, she lunged toward the opportunity to escape.

To her right was Ilessia. A smirk quipped across the goddess' mouth. She waved her hand. Ice quickly began to freeze over the hole.

Miu knew she couldn't hesitate to act. Setting her jaw, she transformed into a white fox in mid-dash. More so than a human body, Miu's beast form was slight and agile enough to leap through the closing gap. The ice nipped at her tails, but she managed to flee to safety at the very last second.

Celestina's desperate cries for help echoed behind her. Miu glanced over her shoulder to steal one last glimpse at those who were still trapped inside—Zava, Zisa, Zeri, Celestina, Lelu, Lucille, and Talinesse—before the crack was completely sealed. Landing gracefully on all four paws, Miu glanced around. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Votania and Jeen were nowhere in sight.

Strange.

How very strange.

Gold-veined white marble floors stretched before her. Unlike the other hallways that she had seen, here, there was no mist or fog obscuring the floor. The tiles shone bright and clear, like polished glass, as golden light streamed in through dozens of high, arched windows. Miu recognized that she was standing in an unfamiliar part of the palace.

Where was she?

White furred ears twitching with curiosity, Miu began to pad down the hallway. Her sensitive hearing picked up a muffled scream from a distance. The shrillness of the voice sounded like the vampire princess. Miu grimaced to herself.

What would become of Celestina and the others?

A strange emotion coiled in her chest. Oddly, it felt a bit heavy. Like guilt. Like cowardice. Like she had abandoned her companions to save her own hide. Miu didn't understand why she felt this way. The other demonesses were none of her concern. They were rivals in Elysium, and Miu had never been one to put anyone else's interests above her own.

Something about the air in Elysium was stirring up foreign emotions in her dark, little soul.

Miu hoped that she had passed Ilessia's first test, but instincts warned her that the goddess was probably hiding a few more tricks up her sleeve. Best to remain on high alert. Feeling on edge and not knowing what to expect, Miu continued to wander down the hallway. She glanced this way and that way. Still not a single soul in sight. Not even a servant or maid crossed her path. Silence followed her every step.

Several twists and turns later, a narrow corridor led her into a stunning sunlit atrium. It was constructed with glass walls all around and a glass dome ceiling overhead. Lush greenery and fragrant blooms filled the space. A crystal-clear pond with blue-green waters glistened near the center of the garden. Miu's eyes grew wide with awe. She had stumbled into a piece of paradise. It reminded Miu very much of her woodland burrow. A pang of homesickness struck her.

All of a sudden, someone called out, "Who goes there?"

Miu froze in her tracks. A shiver slid down her spine. She recognized the low, deep timbre of the man's voice. All too well. Miu suspected that she wasn't supposed to be in this part of his palace. She was also in her fox form. A split-second decision needed to be made.

Could she slip away?

Undetected?

Or should she reveal herself to him and, potentially, face his ire head-on?

Never one to shy away from conflict, she cleared her throat and emerged from the ferns as a seven-tailed white fox. Her blue eyes drifted toward soulless silver ones. Then, she took another step forward and transformed back into her human form as a beautiful, silver-haired woman.

"Ah, of course, it is you," the god drawled in tones of disapproval.

Miu kept her expression impassive, unbothered, as though she had every right to intrude upon his private garden. "I hope I am not intruding?"

"You are very much intruding," Cassian bit out, "I came here because I wished to be left alone."

With a smirk, she murmured, "My apologies."

He scoffed. "You do not look sorry at all."

"I admit, I feel more unnerved than apologetic at the moment."

His dark eyebrows rose. "Unnerved?"

Miu observed him closely. "Yes."

Quietly, Cassian demanded, "From what? Do you not like it here in Elysium?"

For once, the god appeared to be concerned about her well-being.

Or was this merely a symptom of wishful thinking on her end?

Regardless, Miu's heart gave a hope-filled thud in her chest. "I—"

He interrupted her before she could finish, "Because you are free to leave at any time. No one is forcing you to stay."

Instantly, his harsh tone soured Miu's mood.

Nevermind.

The immortal bastard didn't care a whit for her, after all.

Irritably, she countered, "I have no intention of leaving."

"No?"

"But, I must admit, my stay thus far has proven to be most... eventful."

His silver eyes narrowed. "Has it, now?"

"I met your sister this morning," Miu informed him in a breezy manner. "She is a formidable character."

Cassian bowed his head in agreement. "Ilessia is formidable, indeed."

"I narrowly escaped death. Thanks to her."

"Do not be dramatic," chided Cassian, eyeing her critically from head to tone. "For one who has 'narrowly escaped death,' you look very well to me."

Miu wrinkled her nose. "Her methods for finding you a suitable wife seem rather heavy-handed."

"Ilessia is doing what is expected of her."

"I fear three of your potential brides may have already frozen to death."

His expression remained unmoved. "I am sorry to hear it."

She eyed him warily. Miu didn't know whether or not she believed him.

He added, "I am sure my sister will be able to revive them by the end of these, ah, trials."

"You do not seem sorry at all," she decided, mimicking his remark from earlier.

"You are right. I am not sorry," Cassian admitted with a scowl, "but, as you know by now, I am not marrying for love. I am preparing for war. If my bride cannot overcome a minor snowstorm, then what chance will she have of surviving on the battlefield against an army of seraphs and mortals? She will need to be a warrior on all fronts."

On all fronts?

She couldn't resist pushing his buttons. Just a little.

"Even in bed?" Miu remarked, smiling a wry smile. "I did not know you liked it so rough, my lord."

To Miu's surprise, Cassian actually released a bark of laughter at her teasing taunt. Frowning, she couldn't help noticing the smirking shadow that flashed across his face while he drawled, "You have no idea what I like, little one..."

As soon as the shadow dissipated, an echoing whisper sounded through Miu's mind, caressing her consciousness in a most distracting manner.

But I can show you how to please me if you were to become my bride...

Miu's lips parted in a faint gasp. Her insides fluttered with a wanton kind of intrigue.

Why did the voice sound like Cassian?

Yet, its suggestive undertone possessed none of the water god's usual coldness or rigidity. Heat sifted in the air. Their eyes met. A spark ignited. There was an unmistakable promise of dark, unfulfilled desire in not-Cassian's offer. His lust for her was potent. She could feel its pull tugging at the invisible thread that tied their souls together.

With each intake of breath, the fox demon drew in more of the god's wickedness, feeding her lifeforce, feeling her powers thrumming. Thriving. This taste of him whet her appetite. Suddenly, she was starving. Starving for more. So much more. Greedily, Miu wished to know his mind. Claim his body. Own his heart.

Feigning shyness, her long, silvery lashes lowered as she took a step closer to him. "My lord..."

"What is it?"

"Did you really mean what you said... a moment ago?"

"Of course," Cassian replied coolly. "War is no laughing matter."

She tsked at him. "No, my lord. Not that part."

He bristled. "Then, I do not know what you are talking about."

Was the god choosing to play ignorant?

Not on her watch.