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“They’re desperate, they need blood. Not a lot left who can navigate Earth... especially now that there arerumorshumans have been destroying portals.”

“Nine left,” I said. “I’m close.”

Brad peered at me. “You need to stop.”

“I can’t. You know that.”

“You’re committing a genocide. Let her go, she’s innocent.”

“Nodemon is innocent,” I said. “What happens when they build back up? Ten thousand demons... a million demons... a hundred million demons. We’d be right back in the Dark Ages. It’ll be ten thousand years before we get another shot like this, and by then maybewe’llbe extinct.”

“It’s supposed to be balanced,” Brad said, “our world and theirs. It’s been that way for centuries... for as long as there’s been civilization.”

“She tell you that? Them using us like cattle, you think that’s balanced?”

Brad sighed. “This isn’t about balance. This is about Nicole and Joy.”

My jaw tightened at the mention of my wife and daughter. “Theyhuntus.”

“You hunt them.”

“Forget it. I’m not talking about this with you. What about her healing ability? You get anything on that?”

“She’s a healer.”

“And?”

“Like we thought.”

I stared at him. “The hell is this? Am I interrogatingyou?Fucking give me something, Hawkins. I saw her regenerate the portal master out of a pool of blood from over half a mile away. How’d she do it? What’s her minor affinity? Besides giving you bedroom eyes and making you forget how to move your mouth.”

“You know what, I don’t need this crap right now.” Brad stood and ambled toward the door. “Call me when you’re ready to be an adult.”

“Sit down,” I barked. “You leave, and you’re a dead man. They’ll be coming after you, too.”

He shook his head at me. “Man, how do you sleep at night?”

“I don’t.” I raised my palms. “Truce, alright? No more name-calling. What else did she say?”

He peered longingly at the door, then exhaled loudly and paced back across the room. “She talked about a connection to other demons,” he said. “Might have been figurative, I don’t know. She’s healing a lot of demons with that blood.”

“Yeah... fuck.” I squeezed my jaw. “She has to die. She’s too dangerous. With that kind of healing ability, every demon could be as strong as an army. A thousand of them... they could overrun Earth. They’d be invincible.”

“Primus Dominus pretty muchis.”

I drew my hunting knife. “You want to do it? Or should I?”

He flinched. “Jesus, Asher. Just... just chill out for ten seconds, alright? Do that human thing.Think.Bargaining chip, dude. You’re in a tight spot, you got Dominus coming at you hard, he’s about to rip your head off—but wait, wait, you have his daughter... do I smell a trade?”

I conceded his point with a grim nod. “No, that’s smart. I agree. But I don’t trust her.”

“Her?She’s a kid. Look at her, man. She’s a lamb among wolves.”

“I trust the ugly ones.” I thrust a finger in the vague direction of her cell. “Notthat... whatever that is.”

“What’s she going to do to you? You’re Jame Asher.”

“She’sdistracting.”