The sky was silent.

Red stars burned in a bed of black soil. They hung from gnarled roots far above Hel's dark lands, watching. Whispering. The wind carried their song on quiet nights - notes of terrible sorrow and fierce joy. The melody was ever-changing. Its cadence was born in turbulent happenings in the worlds Above, spilling through Hel's skies as wan echoes. Rae rarely cared to listen.

At present, there was little to hear. The quiet left the night gutted.

Carmen watched the distant stars with the look of a man gazing into the past. Rae reached for him. She slipped her hand under the heavy hood of his cowl and gently cradled his face. Carmen leaned into the caress, heedless of the sharp claws that tipped Rae's fingers. The shadow of sadness marring his expression lifted.

"I had forgotten," the man murmured.

Rae dragged her thumb over a sharp cheekbone. "What have you forgotten, dear heart?"

"The weight of heaven's silence," Carmen said.

Carmen's lips were cold. They warmed under Rae's, his mouth softening from its tight frown. Rae kept close after they broke apart. The thick cloak covering Carmen's shoulders was not enough to keep the frost of nights in Hel away. The man shivered in her arms. He was taller than her, but slighter. His bones were thin and hollow. Rae resisted the urge to tighten her grip. There was no need to keep Carmen tethered to earth.

His wings had long been clipped.

"The skies don't govern us. Their petulance is not our concern," Rae reminded.

Carmen laughed. Rae kissed the sound from his lips, greedy for his happiness.

"Mari disagrees," Carmen told her.

"Mari is bored, and prone to dramatics. She will find something else to brood over soon enough." Rae drew the fur-lined hood over Carmen's head, smoothing down tuffs of white hair and ink-black feathers. Carmen's eyes fluttered in pleasure.

"I will help you preen when we return home," Rae laughed. Carmen hummed in agreement, eyes lazy.

Rae pressed a kiss to the man's cheek and stepped away, though she was reluctant to part from her companion. Carmen hunched into himself. The land was dead under their feet, the air cold enough to burn. Those born in Hel did not feel the difference between scorching days and frost-bitten nights. Creatures from the lands Above who found their way into the realm were not as fortunate.

Rae sliced her palm open with a flick of a clawed finger. Blood budded over the wound and sank into the hard earth.

"The Queen calls," Rae bid.

The ground fractured. A shadow slipped through the cracks, condensing into a large beast. Black fur covered its body. Tall antlers crowned its head, spearing toward the heavens like the branches of some ancient tree. It towered over Rae and Carmen both, blocking the sight of the silent stars.

Rae bowed her head. Carmen knelt. The beast watched them with cold eyes until at last it snorted, sending a gust of scalding air over the barren land. It stooped with regal slowness. Its size diminished, until its shape was that of an uncommonly large horse. The antlers remained. They were the color of bleached bones, protruding from a mane that flowed like ink. Rae was careful not to touch the antlers when she mounted. Carmen slid into place behind her, quick and silent. He put his arms around Rae and nestled close against her back.

The beast rose. It stomped at the ground, powerful hoofs breaking through the soil. The pace it set was hard and fast from the start. Rae clutched at the beast's dark fur as hard as she dared. Carmen's arms went tight around her, but his knees barely pressed over the beast's flanks. Rae held her tongue over a warning. Carmen was gentle to a fault. She gripped Carmen's hands where they clasped over her belly, letting him hold on to her instead.

They rode through empty plains and hollow riverbeds. This was not the First Kingdom, but a wasteland that bordered Hel's lands. When the gates between the world were still open, creatures of all kinds would stumble into the Kingdoms Below, whether by accident or design. Without exception, they would find themselves in this place. Hel patrolled the area not to secure its lands, but to save any unfortunate visitors from a certain death in the desolate desert.

While unexpected guests were now uncommonly rare, Rae upheld the tradition set by her predecessors and guarded the wastelands dutifully. Her efforts had borne rich rewards several times over the last few decades, against all odds.

The beast climbed steep hills as if they were flat ground, sailed over deep ravines without hesitation or much apparent effort. The harsh terrain was no match for its strength. They galloped down the side of a mountain in a nearly vertical descent, landing on an outcrop of rock barely wide enough to support the beast's bulk. From its lip hung a bridge made of thin, black crystal. The mountain continued to drop steeply below them. Its foothills were lost to darkness, if they existed in Hel's realm at all.

"Almost there," Rae said. Carmen nodded against her shoulder.

The bridge speared over a great chasm. A tall gate rose on the other end, surrounded by miles of flat, gray land on all sides. The sky hung heavy above it, shrouded by the same tar-like darkness that churned beneath the bridge. No stars blinked in its arch.

The beast's hoofs rang like gongs as it passed over the bridge. Carmen pressed his forehead against Rae's back, his hands tight around her waist. He did not move or speak. Rae wondered if he had his eyes shut, or if he was gazing into the abyss that yawned beneath their feet.

The beast slowed its mad run. It stopped a distance from the iron-wrought gate and knelt, allowing its passengers to dismount. Rae bowed her head in gratitude. Carmen offered a more elegant salute, bending low at the waist.

The beast studied them, in no apparent hurry to depart. Its eyes burned red, round and bottomless. Carmen shifted in place. Rae stepped in front of him and returned the beast's stare.

The beast snorted. It disappeared before the cloud made of its warm breath melted in the frigid air.

"Has this happened before?" Carmen asked, referring to the beast's strange parting. His worry bled through the bond he shared with Rae, quickening her own pulse.

"Not that I have heard, but that does not account for much. They are unpredictable creatures," Rae said.

"Unpredictable creatures strong enough to crush a demon's skull to powder," Carmen reminded flatly.

Rae held in a sigh. "That happened once-"

"Once is enough!" Carmen exclaimed.

"-and the demon in question had it coming. The dark beasts are not vicious by nature," Rae finished, the finality in her voice heavy in the air.

Carmen's mouth pressed in a thin line. His skin was tinged blue over his cheeks and nose.

Rae's defensive anger melted away. "I cherish your concern, Car. I am asking you to trust that I know what I'm doing."

Carmen's eyes were frozen, deep blue buried under frost. "And I am asking that you trust me," he said. "I am not a child you need to shield from the world."

"ERM."

Rae and Carmen looked up as one. A giant face peeked from above the towering gate, weathered and coarse. It smiled guilelessly.

"THEIR HIGHNESS WILL WANT TO COME IN, YES?" the giant man asked.

Rae let out a laughing breath. "Yes, Skal. We would very much like to come in," she said.

Skal's brows drew down. "IS THEIR HIGHNESS SURE?" He lowered his voice, but his whisper still echoed like a gunshot. "THE LITTLE SNAKE IS LOOKING FOR HER HIGHNESS. HISSING AT EVERYONE. HISSED AT SKAL, TOO."

Carmen groaned. Rae smiled despite herself. "Thank you, Skal. I'll attend to  Advisor Xiang. You may open the gates."

"RIGHT AWAY, YOUR HIGHNESS."

The massive gate parted. Rae walked through, Carmen a step behind. The world shimmered around them, turning warm and bright as they breached the illusion keeping the palace grounds from view. Deep blue grass covered the earth. Red trees crowned with yellow flowers spotted the land, surrounded by large gardens bearing strange little fruits. This was her private realm. Dignitaries and those who wished to visit the Queen of Hel would enter through a different gate at the other end of the property, far away from this peaceful sight.

Rae paused mid-stride. A furry little orb bounced in her path. Rae watched it scurry into the grass with raised brows before resuming her steps.

"We've got a situation, I see," she said

Skal nodded solemnly. He towered over Carmen and Rae, taking half a step for three of theirs. "THE BURBEES TURNED OUT BAD THIS YEAR. STAGED A COUP AND ROLLED OFF THEIR BEDS. FATHER CROW IS VERY SAD."

"'Mad' fits better, I'd wager," Carmen laughed, mood thoroughly restored. Rae's lips ticked up at the edges, at Carmen's joy and the thought of their grouchy gardener chasing after the mischievous fruits.

"SKAL HAD TO SIT BY THE GATE ALL NIGHT," Skal continued sadly. "SKAL PROMISED TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO SQUISH THE BURBEES, BUT FATHER CROW STILL WOULDN'T LET SKAL HELP."

Rae patted Skal's knee, which was about as high up the giant she could reach. "Do not take it personally. He doesn't let me mess with the gardens, either."

Skal perked up at that, grin returning. "FATHER CROW LETS SKAL ARRANGE THE ROCKS," he boasted.

The rocks? Carmen mouthed. Rae shook her head, similarly lost but unwilling to ask. Skal might actually tell her, and then she would need to listen. Rae really wanted to be done listening to strange things, at least for the day.

"LITTLE SNAKE!" Skal boomed.

Rae's shoulders drooped. So much for that wish.

Up ahead, a small red dot was quickly growing larger and more well-defined.  Xiang Yi's thunderous expression was soon perfectly visible. The man advanced with decisive steps, his heavy robes billowing around him like poppy petals in the wind. The castle rose at his back in all its dark glory, appropriately dramatic. Rae spared a moment admiring the contrast of Xiang Yi's red robes against a backdrop of black crystal. Then Xiang Yi was before them, and Rae's attention was called to more pressing matters.

Such as avoiding losing an eye to the clawed finger that was thrust in her face.

"Why was I not informed of Your Highness' departure?" Xiang Yi hissed. His eyes were narrowed, glinting like live coals.

Rae smiled, sharp teeth bare and on full display. Xiang Yi withdrew the offending digit. "Good evening, Advisor Xiang. I hear we have a burbee uprising on our hands."

"Burb-" Xiang Yi's nostrils flared, emitting thin clouds of steam. The man's noble face was rapidly turning as red as his robes. "Your Highness, I am losing my patience."

"Admirable! It is not easy to lose what one never had," Rae said sweetly. Xiang Yi had the worst temper, and was so very fun to play with when he was truly angry.

"What has happened?" Carmen interrupted. He shot Rae a disproving look. Rae bowed her head in mock contrition, and to hide her smirk.

Xiang Yi's agitated shifting calmed. The low hiss that had underlined his words was gone when he answered.

"Lord Todd has awoken," the man said.

"Is the messenger still here?" Rae asked, brightening.

"He is waiting in the Court," Xiang Yi said.

Rae smiled, truly pleased. "Wonderful. Perhaps a visit can be arranged, provided Gabriel is well enough to receive visitors."

Xiang Yi cleared his throat. "Your Highness misunderstands. Lord Todd is waiting. Bleeding all over the marble, if I may add."

Rae's ears rang. She took Carmen's hand and both disappeared in a flash of gold, reappearing in front of the carved gates that guarded the castle proper. They swung open as Rae stormed through. The cavernous foyer that lay beyond was bright with light, and much too empty.

"No visitors tonight?" Carmen asked.

Xiang Yi reappeared beside them, his body pouring into sight like water in a flask. The advisor sniffed in derision. "A few. I sent them away. They had no worthy business to discuss."

Hissing at everyone, Rae remembered. Xiang Yi had emptied the castle of curious eyes and sharp tongues for Gabriel's sake.

"Thank you," Rae said, managing a smile for her advisor.

Xiang Yi grumbled something indistinct and avoided her eyes. He bore compliments and expressions of gratitude as well as most men did beatings.

The iron scent of blood and polluted magic hit them all a fair distance from the Court's entrance. Rae ground her teeth.

"Shall I announce Your Highness?" Xiang Yi asked.

"I'll announce myself," Rae said.

The ornate doors slammed inward, hitting the walls on either side with a tremendous boom. The shadows gathered over the Court's vaulted ceiling scattered with a low screech.

Below them, Gabriel Todd swayed to his feet.

Rae looked at her friend. The furious words died in her mouth at the sight of Gabriel's thin body shaking to and fro. The man was clothed in the thin, pale robes preferred by Healers. The fabric was spotted with patches of dried blood. The stain at the center of his chest was wet, the wound there still bleeding. Gabriel's face was sunken. His red hair coiled slickly over his shoulders, like a cowl of blood.

Gabriel licked his lips. "I-"

"Sit down!" Rae barked.

Gabriel slumped back into his seat without a word of protest.

Rae strode forward. Xiang Yi must have supplied the plush chair Gabriel was currently dying black with his blood. The Court was empty of furniture. Its visitors, usually nobility in want of something, were not meant to be comfortable.

"What happened to you?" Rae demanded.

Gabriel blinked, eyes disorientated. "I have to..."

Gabriel took a breath, gathering himself. There was fire in his eyes when he looked at Rae. His expression was more lucid, but no less terrible.

"I have to go back. You have to let me go back," he said.

"Back?" Rae would laugh, were she not faced with Gabriel's broken body. "You returned in pieces, Gabriel."

Gabriel shook his head, then kept on shaking. One of his hands strayed to the wet spot over his breast. In a human, a heart would lie just below the torn flesh. "They took him away. I have to go back. I have to go back."

Rae clenched her hands into fists, claws tearing at her own flesh. Carmen touched her shoulder, grounding her. The motion caught Gabriel's eyes. The demon looked at Carmen as he never had before - with open want and grief and fear.

Rae's stomach dropped. She knew what Gabriel would say before the words, mangled and torn, made it through his lips.

"They took him, Rae. My soul. My Anima."

Carmen inhaled sharply. He bowed his head, in camaraderie, in understanding.

Rae's throat was tight. "You have to rest, Gabriel," she forced herself to say.

Gabriel's protest lacked strength but not vehemence. His eyes were wild. "I can't. I can't rest, not knowing if he- By Hel, I can feel him, he is hurt, he hurts so much-"

Rae placed her hand over Gabriel's, pulling the man's fingers from the wound on his chest.

"You cannot do anything for him now. Rest. We will speak tomorrow," she said.

Gabriel was still for long seconds. He nodded once, the motion sharp. His face was tight with misery.

Rae helped him up. "Advisor Xiang, if you would show our guest to suitable rooms."

Xiang Yi appeared at Rae's elbow. "Lord Todd, if I may," he said softly, and wrapped a careful arm around Gabriel's waist. Gabriel leaned against him, allowing the other man to bear most of his weight.

The air around them shimmered. They were gone within a blink, melting into shadows and then nothing.

Rae let out a string of vicious curses. Carmen stared at the bloodied chair, brows low.

"Will you let him go back?" he asked.

Rae fell silent. Carmen turned to look at her. His expression was calm, devoid of judgment.

"Rae. Will you let him?" Carmen pressed.

"The rules exist for a reason, love. It is not in my power to allow Gabriel passage to Samodevia so soon after his return," Rae sighed.

Carmen snorted. "And here I thought blatant favoritism was the foundation of Hel's politics."

"My favor is not at issue," Rae said, a grin pulling briefly at her lips. She shook her head, her smile drooping. "Gabriel is a child of Hel. He cannot cross into Samodevia without forfeiting a portion of his magic, just as creatures born in the Worlds Above must shed skin and bone to enter Hel. Gabriel needs time to regain his strength. He will not survive another passage."

Carmen was quiet. His mind turned on itself, agitated. "What if a creature born Above lent him a hand?" he asked at last.

Rae grabbed Carmen's arms, fingers digging into skin. "You must never!" she hissed. The words came from deep within her throat, guttural and jagged.

Rae had seen people broken for the sake of allowing a demon passage to the Kingdoms Above. It had been a common practice once, when war raged between the Kingdoms and atrocities of all kind were but a matter of course. If Gabriel were ever to suggest using Carmen in such a way, Rae would cut him down where he stood.

Carmen's startled look had Rae gentling her grip. The man had lived in Hel long enough to think of the First Kingdom as his home, yet he knew little of its bloody history – a purposeful oversight in Rae's teachings. It was not surprising that he would be innocent in his knowledge of matters related to travel between the realms. Carmen's own descend into Hel had certainly not been planned.

"Do not offer to serve as a door to Gabriel. No living creature can bear the cost, no matter their origin," Rae said at last. Her voice was steady, but she could not help begging, "Promise me, love," when Carmen did not immediately respond.

"I promise," Carmen said.

Rae nodded, and forced herself to let her mate go.

"I do, you know," she said.

"What is it?" Carmen asked.

"I do trust you," Rae said. "I always have."

Carmen silently took her into his arms, and Rae leaned against his wry strength. Her eyes were still firmly closed.

Carmen bowed his head so his lips pressed against her neck, then her cheek. Rae turned in his embrace. She slid her hands up Carmen's back, curved claws nestling just below the jut of the man's shoulder blades. There, the stumps of broken wings protruded from heavily scarred skin.

"They didn't let you come for me, either," Carmen reminded.

"Yes," Rae agreed.

Carmen hummed softly. Far above them, shadows watched all with empty crystal eyes.