Oliver spread his hands wide, a smug smirk on his face.
The vampires shrank back, their eyes wide. The one behind me grabbed my arms again, though his hands shook. He must’ve let go when I’d burst into flames.
The lead vampire’s wide eyes turned to the one behind me, and he jerked his chin again.
The demon behind me released my arms and scurried away, joining his comrades. My arms trembled as I stretched them. Disoriented, I stumbled toward Oliver. He touched my elbow, the gesture subtle enough for the vampires not to notice. Oliver’s fingers gripped me firmly as if he knew I might fall over at any moment.
“Truce?” Oliver asked. “You let us go, and we don’t report you to El Diablo.”
The vampires huddled together, and I was inexplicably reminded of a football team. As they whispered among themselves, I turned to Oliver, my chest still rising and falling from my heart palpitations.
“The fire . . .?” I couldn’t even ask the question.
Oliver’s lips barely moved. “Yes. That was me.”
My mouth opened and closed. I’d never heard of an Elemental who could do that. As far as I knew, Elementals could only summon magic through their hands.
Demons, however, had all kinds of nasty abilities that I didn’t know much about. I’d heard stories from my parents of devil-like demons who could set themselves and others on fire.
“How—?” I asked.
“Not now,” he whispered as the vampires broke their football huddle and approached us, their expressions guarded.
The lead vampire crossed his sickly arms in front of his body and tilted his chin up. At first I wondered why, but then I looked at Oliver and realized the vampire was several inches shorter. This ridiculous demon was intimidated by how tall Oliver was. I would’ve snickered if I hadn’t still been terrified.
“We won’t kill you,” the lead vampire said.
Relief blossomed through my chest. I could breathe normally again.
“But you must be debriefed,” the vampire continued. “Come with us.”
Horror trickled into my stomach, and I exchanged a worried glance with Oliver. His eyes were anxious, but his expression remained neutral. Apathetic, even. He’d clearly practiced this poker face before, and he was good at it. I swallowed back my fear and tried to mirror his casual expression, but I was pretty sure I just looked constipated.
“We don’t answer to First Tier demons,” Oliver said, his tone harsh. “We only answer to El Diablo.”
The vampire’s lip curled. “And when did you last check in with El Diablo?”
Oliver’s mouth opened, and he faltered. “I—uh. Yesterday.”
Smooth, I thought, suppressing an eye-roll.
“Ah, well then you must come with us anyway,” the vampire said with a sneer, ticking his head to the back door behind them. “Undercover Second Tier demons must check in every six hours with El Diablo.”
My eyes widened. Every six hours? Not a very solid undercover operation if you had to duck out so frequently.
“We’re on a special assignment from El Diablo himself,” Oliver said. “We aren’t supposed to report until the mission is complete.”
The lead vampire stepped forward, his lip curling. “Then El Diablo can tell me that himself.”
Oliver snorted and shrugged, his expression indifferent. But his clenched fists trembled, betraying his reluctance. “It’s your funeral, then.”
The vampire stiffened and cocked his head, as if considering. Then his eyes darkened, and he stretched a hand behind him, toward the back door.
Oliver glanced at me in resignation. My arms tensed by my sides. We couldn’t go without Elena and Manuel! We were already outnumbered by the vampires, but if we followed them to the demon headquarters, we’d be even more overpowered. I looked at the six vampires and then back at Oliver, trying to assess my chances of using my magic to overcome them so we could escape.
Oliver’s intense gaze bore into mine, and he shook his head ever so slightly. He knew what I was thinking.
The hope of escape deflated in my chest like a balloon. He was right. Vampires couldn’t be knocked unconscious. The only way to destroy them was to banish them or kill them with a wooden stake. If we attempted either, the vampires would overpower us before we got a shot.
“Follow us,” the vampire said, extending his hand again, his red eyes glittering with malice and triumph.
I clenched my fingers into fists to keep them from shaking. Oliver stepped forward first, and I followed closely behind. The remaining vampires lingered behind us, so we were sandwiched. No way out.
Relax, Desi, I told myself. Oliver knows what he’s doing...I think. I’d only met him a few hours ago. I knew he was a good Hunter, but I didn’t know anything else about him. I shouldn’t trust him.
But I had no other choice.
The vampires led out the back door to a small, secluded alley. The lead vampire knelt to the ground and pressed his palm against the dirt. It liquefied and shifted until a small, square opening appeared like an ominous black box. It was just like when Elena had led me through the red door when we’d first met. But as I peered into the black square, I noticed steps leading into the darkness.
The demon headquarters were underground.
My breaths came hard and fast, and my fingernails dug into my palms.
The lead vampire smirked at me, as if he could smell my fear. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could. He stood and sauntered down the staircase, followed by two other vampires.
Oliver glanced at me briefly, his eyes intense with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “You can trust me, Desi,” he whispered, grasping my hands in his. “I will keep you safe.”
I swallowed. I wanted to laugh off my fear or ask him more questions. But all I could do was nod.
Oliver descended the staircase, and I followed. Movement behind me indicated that the last of the vampires trailed after us. The stench of rotting skin and
