Page 16

Monty

Tuesday Afternoon

Hel’s Castle

“ T his is bigger than just her,” Hel said. She was leaning back on her throne, arms crossed, and very obviously annoyed.

“She’s ours . You need her unharmed, My Queen,” I argued. There was no fucking way I was letting this go.

She studied me while she petted her beast. Two demons stood off to the side, their heads turning back and forth between us as we argued.

Normally, I wouldn’t show her this disrespect but my human had been gone for five days now, and I was at my wits’ end.

I’d searched but Vane clearly used the sigil to block me again. He was growing bolder, and that was an even bigger problem.

“I do and she will be. Vane cannot harm her, or he would forfeit his contract and would die,” she reminded me yet again.

“She has a fragile mind,” I shot back. “She might never be the same, and then what good would she be to you?”

“I’ll speak with him. In the meantime, I suggest you stop pestering me on matters I cannot be involved in and use the resources you have,” she said. It felt like she was holding something back from me but there was no convincing Hel to talk when she wasn’t inclined to.

She tapped a nail on her skeletal cheek as she waited for me to leave.

“I will kill him for this,” I warned her. “The threat of breaking his contract is no longer enough to keep my vengeance at bay.”

“Then you will be dead alongside him,” she said in an icy tone. “Remember your place, Commander, or I’ll replace you.”

Self-preservation had me keeping my mouth shut this time. She’d said I should use my resources, which meant even if I couldn’t kill Vane to get to Harlow, it didn’t mean that no one could.

With no further words, I popped out of Hel’s castle and into the common room of the third floor of Dark Haven Institute.

Sitting at the table was the entire floor minus the one human I was desperate to find.

“She’s still in solitary, we can’t get to her,” Crew complained. At this point I knew all of their names which was more attention than I gave many other humans.

“We have to,” Layne said. She was fairly calm compared to her usual unhinged nature.

I half expected her to be ready to charge ahead. I needed that energy.

“Come on,” Crew urged her. “Let’s go rest while they figure something out.”

She didn’t argue as he helped her up and back to her room, leaving Drake and the one who jumped between personalities. I never could tell which he was at the time, nor did I care to figure it out.

“Drake,” I said, coming into view for both of them. She said to rely on allies, well these would be the two best fitted to actually figure this out.

Though I doubted myself as the human looked at me stunned and afraid.

“Ivar,” Drake answered in an annoyed tone. “Tell me you know something. I’ve searched solitary, she’s not fucking there.”

His arrogance at speaking to me so casually sent a surge of annoyance through me but I bit it back.

“Hel ordered me not to act. So, I’m having to rely on you,” I said in a snide tone.

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” the other boy asked, finally breaking out of his trance. “And who the hell are you?”

“Sorry, Roman, welcome to my world. This is Ivar, commander of Helheim’s demons and a demon himself,” Drake said, not sugarcoating or hiding anything. “No, this is not some sort of psychotic break, I can see him, too.”

“So, you’re Monty?” Roman asked in an amused tone. “I guess it’s good to know you exist.”

“He was the reason she screamed during group,” Drake said, giving me a side-eye, and soon Roman was glaring as well.

“I thought we were trying to find her,” I drawled in annoyance. “What you think of me is irrelevant.”

“Vane took her to solitary, that’s all we know,” Drake said. “I’ve searched though and she’s not there.”

“Wait, how did you get to solitary to look?” Roman asked.

“I have my ways,” was all the half breed offered which didn’t settle well with the other human.

“Why did Vane take her?” I asked. If I’d have swallowed my pride and asked earlier, I would already know, maybe I’d already found her. Relying on humans was beneath me. But for her, I’d do it.

“She snuck on the roof again. She was off, like something was forcing her up there,” Roman said. “Was it you?” The accusation had me letting out a warning growl. But I knew I couldn’t kill them where they stood. They were protected by Harlow.

For some odd reason, her being displeased held me back. She’d clearly burrowed herself past my indifference.

“It was not me,” I said. “Possibly the gargoyles.”

“They’re asleep,” Drake countered.

“Wait, gargoyles?” Roman asked. It seemed we’d shaken him yet again.

“Yeah, another creature from Helheim,” Drake agreed.

“Good thing Hiro forced us to learn so much about mythology,” Roman deadpanned.

He was handling it oddly well. Then again, that was the exact reason we chose this place. Their minds stretched beyond normal boundaries, and they were willing enough to see the unseen that it made this entire process easier.

“You have to go to her,” I said again. “He’s warded wherever she is.”

“Trail Vane, he’ll have to check on her. See if you can find anything and we’ll do the rest,” Drake agreed. “In the meantime, I’m going out.”

“Excuse me?” I seethed. Not only was this petulant hybrid telling me what to do, he was abandoning her. How was he not affected, shaking and sick with the feeling of her suffering through the bond?

“Calm your tits, Ivar. I’m getting her some Gatorade and snacks to process the withdrawal and lack of food she’s probably getting,” he said as he stood and sauntered back to his room. In that brief flash, I saw in his eyes everything I was feeling. Apparently the half demon was simply good at hiding. Better than I gave him credit for.

Fury boiled in me at the dismissals I’d received today, and it pissed me off even more that Drake had been right. Only I could track Vane undetected.

“So, what’s Helheim like?” The voice that asked was softer than the other, and I glanced down at the curious eyes of the boy I assumed was now Hiro.

“Cold,” was all I offered before flashing out of the third floor in search of Vane.

All I had to do was keep my composure and not kill him.

Easier said than done.

Drake

Tuesday Evening

Fifth Floor

Dark Haven had been my home my entire life. Yet as I delved further into the fifth floor, I realized this floor was still a mystery to me. I’d never considered that the offices only took up about half the floor and the rest was unseen.

I was in demon form to avoid getting caught, and I walked easily past the offices and toward the door Ivar had indicated.

It said storage on it, but the moment I turned the knob and saw another hall, I knew it was Vane’s doing.

He was keeping secrets.

The question was, who else did he have except Harlow?

Demons lurked in this corridor, sticking to the shadows since the afternoon sun was still streaming in.

They wouldn’t be hurt by the sun but they hated it. The fact they were here at all was unsettling.

That wasn’t the agreement. As far as I knew, the demons were able to feed, after dark only, and never enough to kill or permanently harm.

He was getting bold.

The doors were locked, so I continued to follow the hallway until I reached the nurses’ station. Demons saw me as well, but that couldn’t be helped, and I’d likely have Harlow back before they could do anything about it.

The fact he’d tucked her away here where no one could monitor him, was fucked up. Vane wasn’t just bold but stupid because my anger was building, and he would be my outlet.

He’d pay for this . . . in blood.

Oldies were playing from a dated radio on the desk, but there was no activity in the empty common room or the station outside of one woman.

The old nurse was smoking with her head poking out of a window, so she didn’t notice the keys I’d taken from her desk.

It was too easy.

Clearly, this floor was careless since it had gone all but unnoticed by everyone else up until now.

Vane was planning something with the demons here. It was the only explanation for why they’d defy Hel.

The human wouldn’t risk it without reason.

My heart pounded as I pushed the key into the first door and turned. The click was loud and I froze, hoping she wouldn’t hear. Thankfully, the music drowned it out. A small man was curled on his side, shaking. From the matted hair and smell, I had a feeling he hadn’t seen daylight in weeks... or a shower.

“No, don’t let them in,” he pleaded. I hated myself for backing out and locking the door. At least that way they couldn’t get in, too, but I couldn’t save him.

Not yet. That would have to wait.

My mate mattered more.

The next three rooms were more barely functioning patients in various states of distress. One was crying, another babbling incoherently as she rocked back and forth, and the third was all but catatonic. I didn’t recognize them, and there were no names or charts to be found.

Vane put these people here to be forgotten.

I’d kill him for this.

Finally, I pushed open the door and recognized the blonde hair hanging off the bed. Her scent was so strong in here that I knew he’d taken her off suppressors. I couldn’t think of the implications of that, not yet.

My chest tightened to the point I could barely breathe as I walked forward and rolled her over. Her eyes were heavy, barely open, like she’d been drained of all life. She was a shell of a person now and fury snaked through my veins.

If I didn’t kill him, Monty would, this would not go unpunished.

“I’ve got you,” I promised her as I lifted her into my arms.

We’d barely made it out of the door and past the sigil keeping him out when I called out to Ivar.

He popped in, flames burning bright at the sight of her.

“Take her to our showers. I’ll meet you there, I can’t travel like you can, and she needs to get out of here. Now. ”

“He’ll come for her.”

“He won’t have that fucking option,” I promised him.

“Make it hurt, half-breed,” Ivar said.

With a nod of acknowledgment, he popped out of existence with my girl secured in his arms.

Our girl.

I had one more thing to take care of before joining them.

For the first time in my life, I pulled on my demon powers with a calm confidence, letting them wash over me.

Instead of cringing away from the icy shadows coursing through my veins, I embraced them with open arms.

The feeling was incredible.

My body felt stronger, more powerful. The shadows and fire dancing along my fingertips felt like they could purge the world in seconds.

If this is how I feel as a half demon, how would I feel with full strength running through my veins?

That kind of power would drain me fast, however, so I didn’t waste time as I stalked down the hall to Vane’s office.

His secretary looked worried at the door flying open, but she couldn’t see me.

Neither could Vane as I closed and locked the door, only then allowing him to see me.

Demons were masters of disguise, and now that I felt more demon than ever before, it was an easy switch of intent.

The look on his face was priceless.

His usually cold eyes were wide with fear, and his body shook as he backed away, chair slamming to the floor and making him topple over it.

He should fear me. Though from his confusion, he didn’t realize who I was. Not yet anyway.

“You keeping pets, Vane?” I asked in a voice that was so deep it was almost hard to recognize myself. He stuttered but couldn’t find his words, so I picked him up and slammed him to the couch. Monty was bound by Hel. I wasn’t. “What did you do to Harlow?”

“She’s fine,” he argued. I wasn’t just speaking of this incident. I knew exactly what he’d done that first night she’d arrived, or the biggest part of it. That, combined with him using the hall as his personal feeding ground for a group of demons easily coerced, was enough damning evidence for me to act.

“No. When she arrived. What. Did. You. Do?! And if you lie to me, I will kill you,” I promised, digging claws into his arms to prove my point. Blood trickled down and he swallowed hard.

“She, I-I just welcomed her,” he said. “Like I do all the new patients I can.”

“Explain,” I growled.

“I fucked her!” His scream was one of desperation as he lost all sense of composure.

Good. He deserved it.

The man’s sins were stacking up and many people in my life were already affected. His reign here was ending, and I was more than happy to knock him from the throne he’d erected for himself here at Dark Haven.

“And for that,” I said before grabbing a heavy metal paperweight from his desk, lifting it, and slamming it as hard as I could down on his lap. The scream of agony that tore from him was unnatural, and I breathed in his fear and pain, feeding from the human who’d wronged not just Harlow, but this entire institute.

“P-please,” he begged as he tried but failed to grab his broken dick. His arms were pinned to his sides, courtesy of me, and I wouldn’t give him the relief that might bring.

“You want mercy? From me?” I asked with a hollow laugh. “After you took what was mine and abused her. Did they feed from her night and day?”

“Yes,” he said with a whimper. He was pale and sweaty now, tears pooling in his eyes from the pain and the desperation for his life.

“Five days, so that’s five punishments. The first doesn’t count,” I mused, liking this a bit too much.

The thrill of drawing out his fear scared me, but the human side of me was tucked away where it belonged for now.

This was no job for a human, and as a demon, I’d bring him to the brink of death and savor every fucking scream.

“No, p-please,” he pleaded as I cracked my knuckles. The smell of urine and a guttural scream filled the air.

Rendering such a proud man to a babbling, feeble coward was satisfying.

And I was just getting started.

“One,” I counted gleefully before lifting him and slamming my knee into his already broken dick.

“Fuck!” he yelled out as he writhed against my hold.

“Two,” I said as I dropped him to the floor and let hellish fire fill my hand, then slammed it into his chest. The fire burned through his shirt and blistered his skin, turning it black.

He scrambled away, patting his chest and shaking violently.

I gave him as much mercy as he showed the patients in his secret hallway.

None.

“Three.” This time I bent down and carefully carved a line with my claw from temple to chin, diagonally across his face.

No longer would he be the egotistical narcissist he once was. His face was ruined, and a scar that deep would be jagged and a constant reminder of his sins.

He choked out a sob, no longer able to speak.

That was fine, he would have more screams for me in a moment.

“Four,” I sang out as I broke both of his hands. At this point, he was barely able to scream.

“ Don’t kill him, ” Hel shouted in my head. It was so much stronger in my demon form that I nearly dropped to my knees. “ He’s done. ”

“Almost,” I corrected, doing the one thing I knew would hold power over him and keep him in line. It would keep Harlow safe.

Every demon had a calling card, one we rarely shared. Hel bestowed mine upon me the moment I connected with my demon form, and I carved it into his wrist now, deep enough he’d never be able to get rid of it.

He was now officially my slave, forced to follow orders when asked of him.

Another demon couldn’t intervene, and he couldn’t cut it away. It was absolute.

Happy with my work, I stood and looked down at the shell of a human curled in on himself. I’d rendered him useless in many ways, and that was more satisfying than his death.

Though that would come despite Hel’s protests if he ever did something this vile again.

“Next time, death will come for you. Don’t touch her again.”