AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The library?” I hissed, not wanting to be overheard. “Layne? Do you know the way?”
“Second floor, east wing, through the storage room,” she answered just as quietly. “But I wouldn’t take the elevator with these tremors.”
“Good point,” Drake offered. She looked taken aback by the compliment, and in any other situation, it might have been funny.
By the time we got to the second floor, I was out of breath but afraid to stop running. Demons were filling the upper floors already, and the chances of us going unseen were slim.
“Quiet,” Roman warned, pointing down the hall where a single demon was prowling.
Layne took the lead and opened the closest door, urging us inside and shutting it behind us. I’d expected a tiny storage room but this was twice the size of my room. It was filled with shelves of linens and medical supplies that all had seen better days. From the layer of dust coating it all, it hadn’t been used in a very long time.
“Back here,” she said, disappearing between two full linen shelves. The door was half hidden but she shoved it open, revealing a high-ceiling library that was covered in dust.
“Ivar!” Drake yelled, and when he didn’t come, he turned to me pointedly before barring the door with Roman’s help.
“Monty! Help!” I called out, hoping that the demon in the hall couldn’t hear us with how our voices echoed in here.
He popped in immediately, looking around for the threat. He was breathing hard, which wasn’t surprising since we’d literally yanked him from battle. “What is it, little human? They know not to touch you.”
“And you still think they only follow your orders?” Drake demanded. “Ward this room against them like you did her room.”
“I don’t follow your orders half breed,” he spit out, but I wasn’t having any of his elitist bullshit.
“Do it. These demons aren’t going to hold back, they’re not all loyal to you,” I reminded him. Loyal demons didn’t get cast back to Hel. “Or do I need to recap my week in Vane’s secret wing? Not to mention you saw them run after us in the courtyard, even you couldn’t have missed that.”
Monty let out a low growl before going to the door we entered and shoving the table aside before carving a large sigil into the back of the door. He did the same on a door upstairs before coming back to stand in front of me. I expected more yells but he let out an exhausted sigh.
He leaned down and pressed his forehead to mine. I reached through the shadows to place my hand against the bone covering his chest. It was solid, a reminder he was here. We just breathed each other in for a few beats. Monty was my safety net and I didn't want him out of my sight now.
He finally pulled away and turned to Drake.
“Keep her safe.”
He gave us all one last look and disappeared. If he wasn’t facing bigger issues, he never would have followed Drake’s demands, even if it was to help me. That alone had me worried.
“You just summoned a demon,” Layne said. I nodded and grimaced, waiting for more but she laughed. “Of course, you did.”
“So, what now?” Crew asked as he started pacing, his footsteps were the only clean spots on the dust-covered floor. The man was barely holding onto his sanity by a thread and I hated that he was swept into this world.
They didn’t deserve it.
No one bothered to answer. Hell, I didn’t even think Drake knew what to do, and he was likely the safest out of all of us since he was half demon.
At least we were safe here.
We all wandered the library for a moment, my mind mulling over everything that had happened in the few short months I’d been here.
The library was likely once very beautiful. The windows cast rays of bright light into the room, illuminating the large shelves clad with hundreds upon hundreds of books.
A staircase wound up to a loft filled with more books, but I couldn’t see much beyond that from where I stood.
The earthquakes had dislodged books from the shelves, creating a mess of ripped pages and broken spines.
Couches, chairs, and dingy tables filled the space between the shelves. It would definitely work to keep us safe, but there was no food here.
Hell, all we had was furniture and books, not anything to keep us alive.
“We need a plan. Layne and Crew, find the records and see if you can find building plans. There has to be ways we can get around unseen. Roman and Harlow, check out the room, find anything we can use as weapons. I’ll be back.”
