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What to do, what to do.

“You’re new here, so I’ll let you know: you’re never to touch a man’s—”

I leaned forward and began pressing the buttons again.

Suddenly, the sound of screaming music began to blare at me from all sides, accompanied by loud clashing sounds. I let out a yelp of surprise and clutched my ears.

Asher gave me an irritated look, but I noticed the corner of his mouth turned up as he pressed another button and clicked the sound off. “You’ve never heard of a radio?”

“I’ve heardofit. I’ve just never heardit.” I looked at the buttons with distaste. “That was human music?” Carnage sounded sweeter than that.

“A type of music. Heavy metal.”

“Heavy... metal?” I repeated, not understanding the name at all.

Asher drew in a breath, like he was about to explain, then released it. “Never mind.”

I returned to picking skin around my nails, my eyes finding that photo he had taped to the dartboard.

I was avoiding the topic I needed to broach.

Just say it already.

I swallowed. I didn’t have the kind of magic to snatch back words. Once I spoke them, I was committing to this path.

There are no others left for me.

I drew in a deep breath. “I can find your portal for you.”

Asher slammed on the brakes, tires squealing as the car skidded to a halt. Dust kicked up around us, swirling over the car as he maneuvered it to the side of the road.

“How?”

“I will only find your portal for you if you come with me to the other side.”

He reared back at that. “I’m not going to let you take me to hell.”

“Abyssos,” I clarified. “You hate us so much, but perhaps you wouldn’t if you saw what our world looked like.”

Asher looked as though I asked him eat something distasteful. “No way you’re dragging me to that shithole.”

“You kill us because you don’t understand us.”

“I kill you because you killus.” For the merest of moments his eyes flicked to the photo taped on the dartboard. A sick sensation coiled in the pit of my stomach.

I didn’t think I wanted to know this man’s tragedies. But I could leverage them.

“Asher, I’ve lost just about everyone that’s ever mattered to me...everyone. Surely you can understand.” I let my gaze move to the picture.

He gave me a hard, hard look. “Don’t. Go. There.”

So brutal. And protective. I should be annoyed, but all I could think about was how these were traits Infernari were known for. Traits they wore proudly.

He sighed out a breath. “Look, it’s not an option. The moment I cross over, you’d all gut me.”

I shook my head. “Infernari would respect our oath.”

“Lana,” and now Asher looked at me pityingly, “don’t be naïve.”