Page 31 of Frosty and the Reaper

“Be careful.”

With a nod, he allowed Devlin to teleport him away from his mate and the Fae Realm.

When they arrived at their destination, Zander saw that Devlin had brought him to a modern mansion. They were standing in a white marble foyer in front of a grand double staircase that swept upward in elegant curves. There was a large vase of white flowers on a tall pedestal between the stairs, and a large crystal chandelier hung down from the ceiling, casting soft, ambient lighting throughout the space.

The décor might have been minimalist, but the entire entryway had an air of opulence and sophistication. The luxurious surroundings didn’t interest him much. What did catch his attention was the familiar pulsing energy he could sense somewhere close by.

“You built your home over the seal.”

“I did,” Devlin declared. “Although I own several properties around the world, I spend most of my time here at the mansion in Mystic, Colorado since this is where the seal is. Come on. Your gift is in the dungeon. We have to take the scenic route down to that level.”

“Not a problem.”

They walked to the left curved staircase and paused as Devlin opened a hidden door. Torches burst to life on the wall as the door automatically closed behind them. As they started down the steps, Zander caught a faint metallic scent in the air.

“You have other guests?”

“A few. There are a couple of unfortunate souls who thought they could make deals with me and get away without paying the fee.”

“Foolish of them.”

“Very. Back when I originally agreed to watch over the seal after the witch coven in charge of guarding it destroyed themselves by infighting, it was supposed to be a temporary deal until a new keeper was chosen. But that changed once you and the others disappeared. The source selected me, so I had to remain here in the Human Realm.”

“It made sense to build your home over the seal in order to protect it. That’s why I wanted to move the seal in the Realm of Souls to the In Between.”

“That’s actually where I got the idea to build here,” Devlin admitted.

“How about the other seals?”

“The Fairy Queen still has hers lockdown tight, so we don’t have to worry about that one. The seal in the Shifter Realm went dormant after they lost their magic, but now that their magic has been returned to them, a new keeper will have to be selected. Oh, and Keo is still guarding the seal in the Celestial Realm, where they use it for their Merit of Godhood Trials.”

“Hiding it in plain sight is both genius and reckless.”

“Well, that describes Keo pretty accurately.”

They both chuckled, then Zander asked, “Has the seal in the Fae Realm remained hidden?”

“According to my sources, yes.”

Since the four fae kingdoms were always fluctuating between war and peace, they didn’t trust each other enough to share guardianship over the seal. Because of that, they decided to let one of the other keepers hide it somewhere within the realm. As long as the source magic still flowed into all four kingdoms, they claimed they didn’t need a specific keeper.

Since Zander had been the one to move it, he knew exactly where the seal was located.

But that didn’t mean it was still safe.

When they arrived on the lower level, Devlin led the way down a dark stone hallway, passing by several cell doors. Zander heard stirring in a few of the rooms but ignored them when he sensed the supernaturals inside were relatively low-level beings. If they had made a deal with Devlin and tried to cheat their way out, they deserved to serve time in his prison.

The last room at the end of the hallway was a large space Zander considered Devlin’s workroom. Torture devices of every kind were displayed on the walls and covered the long tables on each side of the room. Gleaming blades, rusted chains, spiked cuffs, and delicate instruments designed for pain lined every inch of the stone walls, reflecting the flickering torchlight in chilling patterns.

Some of the implements looked ancient, their designs hinting at cruel ingenuity from centuries past, while others were unmistakably modern instruments. It was not just a place for punishment.

It was a chamber devoted to inflicting suffering.

Two males were strapped to crosses at the far end of the room. Both of their bodies were covered with lashes from a whip, though the one on the right had fresh marks delineating him as the most recent victim. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and antiseptics, but a soft breeze cleared the room of the cloying smell.

A female and male demon wearing glasses and simple uniforms were busy cleaning a few of their props. Zander thought they looked more like secretaries working in an office rather than torturers.

Devlin leaned in and whispered, “The glasses keep the blood from getting in the eyes. I really hate that.”