Page 141

Startled, Evan yanked the thing out of his pocket, ready to send a blast of energy with his free hand. But when he held it up, he squinted in the dark at the little thing jiggling in his hand.

Zeev held up his hand, and a flame ignited in his palm. He brought it close to Evan’s hand, shedding light over whatever was hanging between his fingers.

Evan’s brows knitted when he saw what it was. “You… When did you sneak into my pocket?”

It was the little ball of smoke, the child spirit.

“It seems familiar to you, sir,” Zeev studied the ball of smoke from behind his mask. “If not, I could disperse it for you.”

“There’s no need for that,” Evan cupped his hands together, and the ball of smoke curled like a little kitten in his palms. Its essence was soothing, almost…familiar. “It’s harmless.”

Maybe it was lost or died too young to understand it no longer belonged in this world. Such spirits would seek warmth near human bodies, mistaking them to be their parent.

Zeev inclined his head, acknowledging his order. “As you wish, sir.”

Evan slid the ball of smoke back into his pocket then turned to Zeev. “Earlier, I came across a Hellguard and a hound of some kind. It had three eyes and seven tails. I thought they were trying to stop us from leaving the forest, but instead they started fighting each other. Do you know why?”

Behind that white mask, it was impossible to tell Zeev’s expressions. But Evan had a hunch he was frowning. “I believe the demon was sent to stop and possibly drag you back to where you were initially held. The land acquired by the Covenant of the Nightshades is guarded by such creatures.”

“What Hellguard is free enough to roam in the human world, patrolling the territory of some freak cult? Aren’t they supposed to serve an Eternal or something?”

Zeev gave a brief nod. “Mostly, yes. But not always. If a Hellguard hasn’t pledged loyalty to one of the Abyssal Trinity, he isn’t bound to serve them, and can roam any realm at will.”

So basically, stray dogs.

“And that hound?” Evan asked.

“It was sent for your aid.”

Aid? That monstrous—kind of fluffy—thing was sent for Evan’s aid? By whom, God of Death?

As soon as the question of “who” surfaced in his mind, Evan’s eyes involuntarily drew to the broad expanse of a red-clad back, long black hair, and hands clasped firmly behind.

Of course, the King of Demons was nothing if not dramatic.

Itwasnoteworthy, though. For a Hellguard that size, only a beast of equal stature could battle it. Although the memory of those three eyes sent shivers down Evan’s spine, a subtle relief settled over him when he realized the hound was sent by Xen.

Scratching his jaw, Evan sighed. “Alright. So, where are we going? Do you know where Wren, Rumi, and Nick are being held?”

“The abducted humans are near the Tomb of Ascension.”

Evan grunted. “Fuckers.”

He knew it the moment he’d heard of their disappearance. Who else would kidnap them if not for the freak cult? But the thing stressing him out the most was that all the people kidnapped were men. By the body structure of those cloaked cult members, it was evident they were all men too.

Rumi must be the only girl amidst the horde of men, and that was as unsettling as enraging. Evan’s fingers twitched, patting his pocket for a cigarette. The ball of smoke wiggled inside.

After fidgeting with his hands for a few seconds, Evan tried to shove away the doubts from his mind. He’d made a promise. He would find them no matter what and bring them back safely.

Searching for a topic to distract himself, Evan prompted, “Oh, right. Reth. What happened that day after I…”

Ran away with my tail tucked between my legs.

Zeev let out a silent breath. “We did not find it, sir.”

“You can call me Evan,” he cleared his throat, throwing a curious look at Xen’s back as he walked on ahead of them. “And don’t worry, I will keep my word and find Reth. I’ll definitely find it.”

“Someone already did, sir,” Zeev said.