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“Be warned, a gift is not given without one expected in return. I’ll return for my favor later, you delicious specimen,” he teased, tracing a finger over my chest before disappearing and reappearing on top of the gazebo, crossing his legs and eating a bag of popcorn.
Gods are weird.
That was all the time I had to devote to the strange ginger god as a wave of demons finally got past the wall of monsters and were heading for the door to Dark Haven.
They didn’t seem to notice me as I waited, sword by my side until they were close enough. Their eyes were set on the building itself, hunger had their tongues darting out as if they could taste the human emotion in the air.
But they wouldn’t get the chance.
I swung out, slicing through the front lines like butter, their bodies crumbling to ashes on the spot. My demon side had taken over, fire burning along my skin and katana, making my reflexes that much stronger.
The fight waged on for what felt like hours before the demons stopped coming through. I wasn’t sure how many actually resided in Helheim, but now there were about a hundred less.
“Well done, half breed,” Ivar said as he slammed his fire into the chest of the last demon, letting his remains join the others.
“Vane?” I demanded. Exhaustion was tugging at me but this was far too important to not see through.
The hiss of anger wasn’t promising and when he simply turned and walked toward the fissure, I had no choice but to follow.
“He sacrificed a human and hid. I was here in seconds but he made the gashes deep enough and placed it just far enough away he had time to run and hide like a fucking mouse before the blood hit the fissure.”
The portal was wider now, still closed enough I could jump over it but barely that. Anger welled within me at the sight of the bloody, battered human. Her hair was long and blonde, blood discoloring it. When Ivar pushed her body with his foot so she’d roll over, I knew this was a threat. She was about as close to Harlow as he could get from hair to build, and he’d even beat the girl beforehand, if the bruises were anything to go by.
“He’s unraveling,” I noted.
“He’s a dead man,” Ivar countered. “If he thinks he’s going to have a chance to attack Harlow, he’s fucking lost his mind. His intentions here are clear.”
“Vane lost that a long time ago. We can’t keep doing this,” I said, turning and searching for the gargoyle I knew would go to the ends of this realm to save Harlow. Now was finally the time to ask him for help. “Kol.”
“What is i—” He landed and took in the sight of the human with bruises and shredded skin, blood dripping from nearly every inch of her.
“It’s not her. But it’s meant as a warning of some sort,” I said solemnly. “I don’t care what orders you have, Kol. Find this man before he does this to Harlow. He’s been targeting her.” Kol stilled at my order, the final words that left my mouth had him closing his. No one cared about rank when someone’s life you cared about, or in his case thought he owned, was on the line.
Kol turned and pulled out a horn, blowing out a long, melancholy tone before taking off for the roof.
“Vane!” I yelled out so loud my muscles strained. “I’m telling you right the fuck now we will hunt you down like the prey you are. If you thought I made you hurt before, next time it will be worse. You’ll spend days writhing in pain before I grant you the slow mercy of death!”
At this point, it didn’t matter if he heard me. I wanted everyone and everything within Dark Haven to know this wasn’t over.
“Good show,” Loki called down to me. “Very, very heroic.”
* * *
Kol
The imageof the human girl who bled out on the ground below was burned into my mind. Drake did not even have to get out the words for me to know the significance. And I wouldn’t stand for anyone trying to harm my mate.
“The traitor must be found. Split into teams, one per floor, then keep the courtyard and roof well-guarded. This is only the beginning,” I told my troops. “But keep him alive. His death is mine to take.” I might even let the bossy half breed have his way with the man first, but I... I would be the one to cause the life draining from his eyes. Ivar could watch, that was the most I’d give him.
“It will be done,” my enforcers called out before flying off to their posts. I had no doubt we’d have the man within the hour. There was no ward or lock that could save him now.
I had a mate to find. Once I knew she was safe, I’d join the hunt.
When I was alone on this side of the roof, I called her name, infusing it with my power. We were already connected, and I knew she could not resist my call. Though she would not be happy about it. My mate was full of fire and seemed to love to push back at my every word and demand.
Stravos burst through the door a moment later with Harlow’s arm in his grip. She was spitting out curses and fighting him off. Only when she was on the roof did he let go and slip back through the door, ignoring the way she spat out curses at him. With one last show of her middle finger, she turned her anger on me.
“I’m not your fucking doll to toss around!” she screeched.
