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He narrows his eyes toward the trees as the sound grows louder, and after a beat he nods.
“It’s him.”
Something inside me snaps and I break into a sprint across the yard, heading toward the woods even though I haven’t seen him yet. Relief washes through me, lifting a heaviness off my shoulders and making my limbs feel light as air when I see something move amongst the dark, gnarled plants.
As he emerges from the woods, I launch myself at him and he catches me in his arms.
“Aww, a welcome home party,” he jokes, squeezing me against him. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I was about to send out a search party,” I say, pulling away just enough to stare up at his beautiful face. “What took you so long?”
“Not sure you noticed, but there are thousands of Malevs on the move. I hung back to see if they were headed for Havec,” he admits, looking over my head at Elio who’s still standing near the house. “Not that I could have done anything, but I was curious.”
“And?” Elio asks, his voice dancing across the clearing. “Were they?”
Azarius shakes his head. “Turned West. No idea where they’re headed.”
My utter joy at seeing Azarius alive and in one piece dims at the thought of the Malevs attacking some unsuspecting city. Surely every monster in the realm is aware of what’s going on by now and they wouldn’t be completely unprepared. Hopefully they’ll be ready to fight.
“Come on,” Azarius says, interrupting my thoughts and dragging me toward the mansion. “I’m exhausted and hungry. Elio, dear, what’s for dinner?”
I snort a laugh but Elio scoffs before turning his back on us.
“Keep it up and you can figure it out yourself,” he calls over his shoulder, even though we all know Azarius is about as useful in the kitchen as I am on a battlefield.
“You’d think he’d be more relieved that I’m not demon chow right now,” Azarius whispers playfully before taking my hand and leading me to the secret entrance.
I, for one, am overjoyed. Relieved and ecstatic that my mate made it home. Even if Elio won’t say it out loud, I’m sure he’s happy about it too. Even though they bicker like an old married couple sometimes, I know they couldn’t exist without one another.
I’m equally sure that I couldn’t exist without the both of them, and finally, for the first time since we arrived to Havec, I feel like I can breathe a little easier.
ChapterEight
RAFE
Using the darkest shadows to ground myself, I shift as smoke through the barred gate surrounding the perimeter and up toward the slate gray mansion before dissolving into existence on the doorstep. It’s been nearly a year since I last visited this place or spoke to the monster Mistress who runs it, but I hope my reputation will gain me an audience with her. After all, I’ve traveled a great distance to be here, and we don’t have much time left to rally as many monsters as possible.
I need this deal to go well.
I’ve solidified our alliance with hundreds of monsters over the last two years, but I still fear it won’t be enough to overthrow the demons and eradicate them from existence. They are also assembling and multiplying every day. The fate of the war could be determined by an extra handful of warriors on either side, and I’m not taking any chances. We will be victorious and this hemisphere of the realm will be mine to rule.
Far too much planning and preparation has gone into this for us to fail.
Failure is not an option.
I reach for the heavy door knocker and clack it against the metal plate several times before stepping back to adjust my suit jacket and plunging my hands into the pockets of my slacks. My mind churns as I wait for someone to come to the door, weighing the possibilities that could result from our meeting today.
Considering the amount of monsters that frequent this place, there is potential to add quite a few fighters to our growing numbers. Besides, who doesn’t want to be in good graces with an upscale brothel owner?
But if the Mistress should decline my offer…
Before I can think too much more on the issue, the door swings inward revealing a red-skinned monster with solid black eyes. He wears a fitted black suit and has horns curling out of his forehead, back over his slick hair.
“Rafe,” the doorman says, his brows inching toward his dark hairline. “What a pleasant surprise. Are you here for an appointment?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m afraid not, but I need to speak to Mistress Raiine.”
He shifts in the doorway and cocks his head to the side. “Does she know you’re coming?”
