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Brick pawed at the floor again, then paced.

“We can’t get to him.These wards are too dangerous,” Sutton said as she took her phone from her pocket and zoomed in, taking pictures of the sigils.“Rune should be able to help us.He’ll know how to break through.”

I didn’t want to leave Brick here, but at least I could tell Dirk and Elena that their son was alive.Tarrant had something planned for him, obviously, whether that was auctioning him off or something equally as fucked up, I had no idea, but for now, at least, we knew he was okay.

Sutton placed her hand on my arm.“The auction’s tomorrow.We’ll get him then.”

I nodded, grabbed her hand, and headed back the way we’d come?—

A whistling Lars rounded the corner, carrying bags of meat.He froze—dropped the bags, then spun and ran.

I exploded after him, tackling him to the ground before he’d barely rounded the corner, then dragged the thrashing demon back.I held him down, tightening my grip on the fucker’s throat, and scented the air.“He’s the only one down here.He can release Brick.”

Sutton looked down at him, then up at me.“We have to leave Brick here.If we get him out now, Tarrant will know something’s up.He’ll postpone the next auction, or move it somewhere else, and we won’t get the evidence we need to shut him down.”

I hadn’t thought of that.Fuck.I kneeled on the demon’s chest and glanced up at Sutton.“You’re right, but he can still tell us how to drop the ward so we’re ready.”I gripped the squirming demon’s throat.“Tell me how to get through those sigils.”Lars clawed at my wrist, gasping for breath.“Speak or I tear your head from your neck.”

“There are words that must be spoken and…and a charm.”

I squeezed tighter.“Show me.”

He nodded, and I lifted him by the throat to his feet.He rushed to the entrance, and I grabbed him by the back of his collar.“You stay at the entrance.”If Lars was able to walk through the ward, I wouldn’t be able to get to him.“Explain how it works.”

He nodded quickly.“Once you say the words, you only have ten seconds to use the charm.”

“Do it.”

Sutton lifted her phone, recording him as he recited a bunch of words in an old demonic language, then pressed the charm to the sigil closest, the one that was more ornate than the rest.

The demon lifted his hand and demonstrated the ward was down.“Is it safe for me, or just demons?”He looked up at me, and I could tell he was trying to decide whether to lie or not.“Weigh your options very carefully here, Lars.You lie and I survive, you are ash.”

“Only those of us with demon blood may pass.”

“Is there a way to destroy the barrier completely?”

Fury filled the demon’s eyes.“Yes.”I gave him a rough shake to keep him talking.“The mother sigil must be broken.”

“This one?The one you used the charm on?”Sutton asked.

He nodded, scowling at her.

“We know how to free Brick,” she said, then turned back to Lars.“There’s another hound, yes?Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where?”I slammed Lars against the wall.

“I don’t know!Tarrant moves it around.Only he or Poe look after it.”

“If anything happens to him, to either of them, you’re dead, and it will be slow and painful, motherfucker.”I heard the rattle of bags and turned as Sutton...walked over the threshold, through the barrier Lars had dropped, and my heart nearly fucking tore through my chest.

She was fine, unharmed, her demon blood had protected her, but my heart was now lodged in my fucking throat.

“Don’t get too close,” I called out.

She nodded, carrying the bags of meat closer and stopping just out of Brick’s reach.She tossed the meat to him before rushing back to me.“We should get going.”

Yeah, I needed to get her out of here before any more demons decided to drop in.I dragged Lars back the way we’d come.