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It wasn’t password protected so I logged right into her search engine and searched for demon portals. Even with the added keywords like Helheim and mythology I kept getting the most ridiculous sites that felt like fanfic more than actual reality. Or whatever type of reality this was.
A dark shadow passed behind me, and I turned to ask Monty if he had suggestions only to find it wasn’t him but another demon. This one looked different. Wrong. His blue flames were there but they were tainted with shocks of green. I let out a scream, but he was faster than I was, pinning me on the desk and cracking the laptop as it flattened under me.
“Get the fuck off of her!” Hiro’s screams were followed by a squelch of blood. The demon was off me and after him in seconds, but Monty was there by then, lifting him and letting the shadows dissolve the intruder.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Drake demanded and Hiro didn’t back down this time.
“I was thinking she was going to die so I acted,” Hiro yelled back. “Or why did you give me this fucking dagger?”
“To use when I’m not here,” Drake said, running a hand over the back of his neck and pacing.
“I’m warding again,” Monty said as he let the shadows fall back into his robes, stalking to the door and using his claws to draw out a sigil on the frame. “And now I’m going to join the search. I’m not letting this fucker beat me. He’s a useless fucking human, there’s someone else at play here. I’ll find them, even if it takes every resource I have left. I’m not one to stand idle and allow another to make a fool of me.” His voice was a low hiss laced with ice. It sent a shiver through me though I didn’t fear my demon in the least. He’d proven to have far better values than the humans in this place. Monty turned to me, eyes slowly taking me in before he let out a long breath.
With that, he disappeared, leaving the rest of us in a tense silence. Drake simply gathered the laptops and a stack of books and walked out, pausing only to ensure we followed.
I had a strong feeling I was about to be locked away in a tower again, a damsel in distress while her knights in not-so-shining armor saved the day.
If they thought that was how this would play out, they were dead fucking wrong. I’d be safe, but I’d keep searching for a way to end this. I was really fucking tired of almost dying and seeing my men hurt.
We’d end this soon.
We had to.
For their sake and mine.
ChapterNine
Harlow
Saturday Afternoon
Third Floor Common Room
“These 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 he had to have something hidden and had 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.”
“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 more 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.
“Someone said to go to the portal,” I hissed. “It sounded like—” The common room faded to the throne room I’d seen before.
“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.
