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I look back at the rock face. The blue-white light has gone, leaving a faint shimmer in the air.

“Is it safe to leave it unmanned?” I ask.

“I think so,” he replies. “It’s unlikely anything else will come through tonight.” He heads off down the track. Giving the dead beast one last look, I hurry to catch up. There’s something I want to ask him.

“Killian,” I say to get his attention.

He slows down and I come up beside him. “What?”

“How come you and your people are here? How did you even know about the portal?”

“Khendril showed me.”

I stop short. “You knew Khendril?”

“He saved my life. After the shadowguard attacked me. I was bitten and left for dead.”

“When?”

“Over fifty years ago now.”

“Wow. You’re looking pretty good for a...”

“Apparently, it extends our lives. I don’t know by how much.” He shrugs. “Anyway, Khendril found me, looked after me, explained what was going to happen.” He gives me a sharp glance. “You know him?”

Sadness washes over me. I’m glad I got my memory back, but it brought with it a lot of grief for all the people I’ve lost. People who died looking out for me. “He was my guardian for two years.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s dead.”

“Shit. He was a good guy. I haven’t seen him in nearly twenty years, but I kept hoping.”

“I’m sorry. He was a good man. The best.” I think for a moment. That would coincide with when he left the Astralis to help Hecate look after me. “So he showed you the portal?”

“Yeah, and said I could play an important part in keeping the world safe.” He snorts. “Who doesn’t want to be a superhero. But let me tell you—it gets pretty old, fucking fast. Anyway, over the years, he brought others to join me. I occasionally found survivors from an attack, but they invariably died. Except for Laura—she was the last, only a couple of years ago.”

We make the rest of the journey in silence. Back at the house, I pause just inside the door. “I’m going to check on Josh,” I say.

“He’s in the last bedroom along the hallway,” Killian replies. “I’ll go see how Laura is doing.”

I glance at Zayne and raise an eyebrow. “I’m going to find something to drink,” he says. “It’s been a long fucking night.”

“Kitchen, back cupboard,” Killian says. “Help yourself.”

I open the bedroom door slowly. Across the room I can see the shape of Josh’s small body under the covers. There’s a man slumped over in a chair by the bed, but he comes to attention as I enter the room.

“I didn’t want to leave him alone, in case he woke up,” Jack says.

“Thanks. I can take it from here though. Go to bed.”

“I will. Goodnight.”

I wait until he’s gone then slide the chair across the floor and wedge it under the door handle. Me paranoid? Nah.

Then I kick off my boots, unfasten Nightfall and lean her close to the bed, peel off my jacket and jeans, and slip under the covers. I wrap an arm around Josh, and he mumbles something then cuddles close.

I go over the evening and that conversation with Killian. Part of me wishes I could stay here and help. Earth, even with a portal to Hell so close—still sounds a lot better than where I need to go. But things will only get worse here if I stay. I suspect there will be more of those creatures in the coming days. And maybe worse. No one will be safe until I do what I was born to do.