Page 32

Harlow

Saturday Afternoon

Third Floor Common Room

“ T hese are literally just the ramblings of a madman,” I said as I tossed aside the fourth journal from Vane’s office.

We quickly learned his laptop was clean, like he didn’t trust the cyber world to keep his crazy thoughts private.

Though Crew was determined, claiming that Vane had to have something hidden and made it his job to find it.

Which left the rest of us with stacks of hastily written journals to leaf through. Bringing them here was better than spending more time in his office.

As I flipped the pages, I realized there would be nothing useful in here either. He just detailed his job for Hel and how important he was.

The ego on these pages was enough to put the worst narcissists to shame.

“I’m done, I can’t read this shit anymore,” Roman said as he added his to the pile.

He was easing his way back to us more and more. It wasn’t quite the same, he was still holding back, but I hoped treating him the same as before would reassure him more than my words could.

“This is useless.” He punctuated his words with a groan as he stretched his body out. I barely stopped myself from checking him out, still marveling at how different he was from Hiro. Somehow even his body seemed stronger, wider, than his counterpart.

“I’m still trying to get into these files,” Crew said from the table.

Layne was sitting on the window seat behind him, looking out the window. She had slipped into another episode, and I was afraid to see what would happen if it got over our heads.

Drew was now useless, and I didn’t know if the other floor she went to was safe.

“Drake is looking for more,” I said with a long sigh. “Maybe it’ll prove useful to us.”

“Go to the portal.”

The voice had me glancing around. Was it another hallucination?

“Who said that?” I asked.

“What?” Roman asked, his hand going to my thigh like he did when one of us needed to ground ourselves. He moved in close enough to breathe in his campfire and smoke scent but it didn’t cut through the strange words as they came again.

“Someone said to go to the portal,” I hissed. “It sounded like?—”

The common room faded to the throne room I’d seen before, my words cutting off.

“It was me,” Hel said with annoyance. “Go to the portal, Harlow, if you want more answers. Your time is swiftly approaching, and you need to be ready to close it.”

“Except you won’t fucking tell me how to close it!” I yelled out at her. The connection was wavering, and I wasn’t sure if she could even hear.

“Go.”

I was dismissed. The world faded back in and Roman was squeezing harder, trying to get me back.

“You with me?”

“Hel wants me to go to the portal,” I said. My eyes were wide as I took him in, trying to convey my fear to him. The things I couldn’t and wouldn’t say out loud.

What if I wasn’t enough to do what Hel needed? What if I couldn’t save us all.

“How do you know it was real and not just your mind?” Layne asked from the window, finally turning our way. Here I thought she was tuning us out.

“It’s different there. Everything feels sharper. Cold. Scents. The colors. All of it is more intense. My hallucinations don’t usually change scenery,” I admitted.

“Then let’s go,” Roman said. “Call your demon or something. We shouldn’t approach without backup. Who knows what’s waiting for us.”

“Monty!” My voice echoed in the room. He popped in a moment later in a flourish of shadow and stormy air.

“Hel just came to me. She wants me to go to the portal,” I explained in a rush.

“This can’t be good. But ignoring her will only make her suspicious. You ready?” Monty asked me.

I nodded, relieved he didn’t even question that he was joining us.

Instead of using the elevator, he reached for me. On instinct, Roman latched onto my arm just as he whisked me away.

The darkness surrounded us like a cold cloud before it dissipated, revealing the portal in front of me. The gargoyles were already surrounding it, claws out and crouched in defensive stances.

They were likely awaiting a fresh wave of demons, but I knew Hel wouldn’t send me down here for that.

The scent of fire and crisp cold permeated the air as it raged on. We all waited for it to escalate as the fires raged on, shooting out of the cracks in the earth.

Anxiety laid into me with its unrelenting grip, each moment we stood there—with our weapons in hand—had it settling in further until I was ready to scream.

With higher emotions and stress came the fucking shadows, joining the array of creatures already standing around in the courtyard. It was quickly becoming a blended blur of reality and hallucinations so I could barely make sense of it.

At least Roman and Monty were solid as they stood beside me. The scent of fire and storms surrounded me, a balm to my anxiety.

A blast of icy wind slammed out of the portal with enough force that it threw us away from it.

If not for Roman, I’d have hit the ground. As it was, I slammed on top of him stealing his breath.

“Shit, sorry,” I groaned, rolling off of him as I tried to inflate my own lungs.

“I’ve got you,” he promised in a strained voice as he struggled to his feet and helped me stand.

We froze as Monty dropped to his knees, along with every gargoyle in the place. My demon wouldn’t meet my eyes now but I felt his rage blooming through our bond.

What the hell just happened?

As the smoke cleared, two demons stood before us.

They weren’t like the other demons I’d seen before, but large and imposing like the commander.

One wore black leather armor that clung to his muscled frame. The charcoal skin peeked through and was lined in scars that burned with the embers of Helheim’s blue fires.

Like Monty’s face, his held a bone mask, this one resembling a large ram, thick horns curling on either side of his head.

The second demon was smaller and lithe, his robes billowing and white which stood out intensely against his coal-black skin. His fire wasn’t as strong as the larger demon, but it smoldered under the surface and in the eyes of his skeletal bear mask.

“Rise,” the smaller man called. His voice was high-pitched and grating, and I winced at the sound.

“This must be the girl we’re meeting,” the second answered in a deeper voice. His gaze was on me now, oppressive, as if it were urging me to my knees.

Fuck that.

“I’m Harlow,” I said with confidence despite my nerves. “And you would be?”

“Askaal, the warden of Helheim,” the bigger demon said, giving me a bow that had me even more confused.

“And I’m Gravik, Hel’s adviser,” the second answered with a bow as well.

And that brought an army of gargoyles and Monty to their knees?

“Why are you here?” I asked. She said they’d have answers, but I wanted to know what demons that garnered this sort of respect were doing this side of the portal.

“As blunt as Hel herself.” Gravik chuckled. “I’m here to make sure you do the task you are destined to do, and Askaal is here to protect us.”

“And what task is that?” I asked, not giving anything away. He eyed me, studying me closely with his head slightly tilted. It resembled a dog, and it might have been funny if this whole encounter didn’t have me so on edge.

“Shall we go somewhere we can talk?” he asked.

His formal way of speaking was throwing me off guard. I’d been around the brutish and possessive demons, and here he was acting like a strange form of a gentleman.

Roman stepped behind me, telling me silently he wasn’t leaving my side. I appreciated that he was willing to face this with me.

“Sure,” I hedged, turning to Monty. “Ivar?”

I could feel his annoyance at the name, but I didn’t feel like sharing something so intimate with these demons. The last thing I was going to do was give them ammo to use against him for being so casual with a ‘mere human.’

“The group therapy room,” he suggested and I nodded, gesturing to the doors leading inside.

“This way.” They didn’t protest as I turned and led the way inside, only pausing to call Kol forward with me. “My mates stay with me.”

These strangers would not get me alone, and would not separate me from my men and monsters.

The room had a class but the therapist stood at the sight of us and ushered his group out of the room. From the sweat and fear on his face, I could tell he was aware of what we were. He’d clearly been introduced to what lurked beyond the veil.

Once they knew, you couldn’t unsee them.

Did all the staff know? Including the nurse who’d pretended to be oblivious to Monty from the moment I arrived?

That had me wondering what Drew knew about this place. It would explain better why she defended Vane so intently.

“Am I actually going to get answers on how to close this portal?” I asked as I took a seat.

The two newcomers didn’t sit, but they stood across from me as if I were a queen on her throne.

“That’s a bit complicated,” Gravik admitted with a slight dip in his tone. “I’m forbidden from telling you outright, but I’ll try to answer what I can so you come to it on your own. Hel was adamant it be you who finds your way there.”

“Of fucking course she did,” I growled. “Then this meeting is useless. What can you tell me that they haven’t?”

I gestured to Monty, then Kol. Both now stood behind me, one on each side.

Gravik let out a dark chuckle and I could feel annoyance coming from both of them. They must have expected a meek human, but I would not bow down to Hel’s closest advisers.

I no longer trusted her. She had lost control of her demons, let a rebellion happen, and broke her deal with Vane letting the demons kill humans.

Her cryptic messages weren’t doing me any favors.

“That Hel is pleased with your progress so far. She also sends along a warning that you are following the wrong leads.”

His words had my eyes narrowing.

“Wrong leads? So, she wants us to just let this happen?” I scoffed. He gave a smirk that didn’t hide the fact he found my ignorance amusing.

I pulled out my dagger and flipped it around in my hand, toying with it as I stared at them.

“Can I close it by sacrificing a demon or two with this?”

“That would likely do the opposite,” Gravik answered with a shrug. “That’s not what you’re supposed to do, though.”

They had all the answers and weren’t giving me a single fucking thing to go on.

“You, then?” I cocked my head to the side, taunting them right back. Maybe if I threw them off enough they’d spill something. Plus, it was easy to fire them up when I was protected.

The two new men tensed, and I felt Kol and Monty shift behind me in response.

Kol leaned down, his tone sharper than it had been with me before.

“Watch your tone. These are not lowly demons, they’re the highest-ranking ones in Helheim, mate. I’d like to not die for you today,” he said.

Monty let out a low chuckle of laughter at Kol’s words.

“I disagree. Show them who the real boss is here, Harlow. You aren’t to be looked down on,” Monty said, earning a growl from Kol.

It was like I was having the cartoon moment with a devil and angel on my shoulder, only mine were both monsters.

“I’m just asking a simple question. It was not a threat. I’m grasping at straws since everyone seems to think I’m just supposed to know about portals and their mechanics, when all I’ve known is the human world,” I countered as I tucked the dagger away.

Roman was in my periphery, his body so tense I could almost mistake him for one of Kol’s gargoyles. He hadn’t said a word, but I could tell he was watching, learning these new demons, and listening for unspoken signs.

I was glad he was here and not Hiro. Roman would stand aside and not dive into the fray.

Hiro... I wouldn’t put it past him lately. Especially not after diving onto a demon the day before. He’d started to get reckless like he was proving he was alive with each new, crazy action.

“No. Sacrificing us would be unwise,” the warden answered. “This meeting is over for now as long as you are going to make a mockery of it.”

I laughed out loud at that. “Apologies, I didn’t know you’d be so fragile. I assure you that I am taking this seriously. Far more than you. My friends are dying in this place at the hands of your rebellious demons. Someone is sacrificing patients that look like me as an intimidation tactic. My patience with this smoke and mirrors is wearing very, very thin. So yes, let’s end this. You acquaint yourselves with these halls, and just know that you will not harm a single human during your stay.”

I half expected them to argue, but I stood and walked past them before they got a chance, dismissing them with not just words, but actions. My head was high and my body rigid with confidence.

This was now at a critical point where I had to hold the power. They needed me for this to play out the way Hel wanted, and I doubted they’d do anything to jeopardize that.

They were likely forbidden against it by Hel herself. That alone was my saving grace.

Otherwise she might have ended me before now for not working fast enough. Yet she offered no way to move forward.

“That was so stupid,” Monty hissed at me the moment the door closed behind us. Twisted delight colored his words, giving away his true feelings. “But so fucking perfect.”

“You should be careful,” Kol countered. “Those two demons are not who you think they are.”

“No one is.”

“I’m unsure what Hel is intending here, but I do not like this,” Kol said in a low voice.

I half expected Monty to make fun of him, to snap at him, something. Instead he nodded in agreement.

Though, he was reluctant about it.

A tension still hung in the air between them, but the more Kol integrated himself into our fold, treated me with respect, and kept us safe, the easier it would be between them.

“Be vigilant. I have a feeling Harlow’s life depends on it.”

Drake

Saturday Evening

Third Floor

After hearing about the meeting I’d missed and the supposed answers Harlow never got, I was angrier than usual. It had been a shitshow, and I felt like everything was building like a powder keg, ready to explode at the first hint of a spark.

“Harlow?” I called out as I opened the bathroom door.

“Knock much?” Layne asked, crossing her arms and cocking a hip to the side. At least she was clothed this time, though I doubted any of us would have cared.

“What are you doing in here?” Harlow asked in amusement. She’d been moody after the meeting, too, so laughter was good to hear from her.

“I’m going up to six.” I let the words hang in the air as she pieced them together, then lit up like I offered her the world. Fuck, that did things to me. After years of building walls and keeping the world out, having someone else care about Mom was strange, but nice.

“I’ll meet you by the elevators,” she agreed, waving me out as she threw on her clothes. By the time I walked to the elevator and leaned against the wall, she was darting across the hall to her bedroom. No less than five minutes later she was walking out, clothed and with a smile on her face.

She was different than anyone I’d ever met. She made me want to earn smiles and push her limits, fight with her, fuck her, and give her everything.

“Stop looking at me weird, Alpha ” she protested, slapping me in the arm as she passed. She emphasized the word in a sensual, tasing way. I let out a growl that had her laughing as she hit the button, not afraid of me at all.

That right there made her stand out. Everyone feared me. It was likely instinct, I was half demon, but she met me fire for fire.

Hiro was different, too; he saw past his fear with me and that strength called to me. He was changing lately, fighting harder, and I respected that just as much.

Soon I needed them together. Under me and my command.

“Come on,” Harlow called out when I didn’t step into the elevator right away. I stuck my hand out as it started to close and walked inside.

She leaned into me as the floors passed by. I wished we had more moments like this. To get to know each other and not just in quick moments and fast fucks. I wanted to take my time, figure out everything about her and Hiro’s desires and use them to shatter their worlds in the best ways.

Instead, I was stalking a coward and fighting off demons.

Nothing in my life could just be easy.

I greeted the nurse as I walked past, pausing outside of her door to make sure Harlow was ready.

She rolled her eyes and shoved past, knocking before entering.

“Harlow!” my mom called excitedly, pulling her into a hug. My eyebrows rose and Harlow gave me a mischievous grin.

She must have been visiting on her own.

I wasn’t mad in the slightest, relieved was more accurate. While I was busy fighting for our home, it was nice to know someone cared enough to keep a sad old woman company.

It was strange, but that was the moment I realized Harlow Devoe had changed me and there was no going back.