I held up my hand, attempting to still the tremors. Where did my Light come from? It was just… there. When that Balan demon had lifted me from that box, I’d screamed… and purple light had blinded me. I’d fought back. Even as a child, I had the courage. I couldn’t lose the plot now.
Glancing at the door, I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t going to be locked in a box while everyone died, not this time.
I thrust my palm against the door and it blew open, swinging around so fast, it slammed into the wall and cracked the plaster. Holy guacamole!
Grasping the arondight hilt Alo had given me, my heart raced as I strode across the gym and picked my way over the pile of lesser demons outside the door. There wasn’t any time left to ponder the glory of the universe and how I’d been able to conjure my Light without passing out. I simply put it down to adrenalin. I’d hooked into my emotions, just like the night my parents died.
I made my way through the Sanctum, one eye open for the Colossus—whatever that thing was supposed to be—and any rogue lesser demons.
The library, I thought. They’re in the library. The breach would be the best place the demons could fortify. The other Naturals would secure the Codex and sweep the Sanctum, but Wilder was out there on his own. I had to help him.
I ducked behind a marble statue of the Lady of the Lake as a group of lesser demons lumbered past, knowing better than to try to take them on solo. They didn’t catch my scent, and the moment they were gone, I continued down the hall.
I saw the library doors were falling off their hinges when I approached. The air reeked like someone had washed a stinky dog, then lit a fire on a humid day and forgot to open a window. For a moment, I wondered if this was how Hell smelt, like a smoky wet dog. My nose wrinkled as I darted into the library and ducked behind a row of shelves.
There were no guards, so I managed to work my way over the debris unseen. Overhead, the entire roof of the library was shattered. Rubble and glass were strewn all over the place, books were flung off shelves, and display cases were smashed to pieces. Above, the pillar had waned, but I now saw it was some kind of portal. It appeared to be a hollow tube, almost like a wormhole through space and time. So that’s how they got so many demons inside.
Hiding behind one of the Greek columns surrounding the reading room, I peered at the scene before me.
Greer stood in the centre of the room, circled by six lesser demons. A dozen Naturals lay on the carpet in front of them, set out in a neat row, all of them unconscious. I tensed when I realised Romy and Brax were amongst them.
The Codex! They’d never arrived, which meant the book was unguarded… but there were two other teams out there sweeping the Sanctum, and Aldrich was facing off with the Colossus, so there was still hope. He’d make it back. I knew he would, but there was still no sign of Wilder.
A man dressed in a dark suit paced back and forth. His black shirt was unbuttoned, his brown hair was slicked back and brushed against his collar. If I’d seen him on the street, I’d assume he was just another run of the mill businessman who’d forgotten his tie—maybe a nightclub owner or concert promoter—but watching him wear a hole in the carpet in the Sanctum? He had to be the greater demon in charge of these shenanigans.
“They’ll make fine additions to the project,” the man said, his voice grating like sandpaper against an open wound.
I flinched, resisting the urge to slap my hands over my ears. Despite Wilder being pissed at me, I had listened to every word he said. Greater demons had the ability to manipulate their own kind of Light. He’d called it Darkness, but that was kind of obvious. I liked to call it Demon B.O. It must be using its voice to inflict pain.
“Greer,” the demon said, stroking a finger along her jaw, “it’s time to collect the Codex.”
Her eyes were completely white, but a tear trickled down her cheek. She was fighting it.
“Your struggle is pointless,” the demon went on. “I will have what I came for.” He raised his hand and struck Greer across the cheek. Greer’s head snapped to the side, the sound of the blow echoing through the library.
Movement pulled my gaze to the other side of the library, punctuated with a flash of silver. A dagger flew tip over tail across the expanse, faster than my eye could follow.
The metal shard imbedded into Greer’s chest and her mouth gaped as a rush of black smoke poured out of her. A flash of white Light streaked across the room as an arondight blade arced towards the pulsating swirl that was the Infernal. The greater demon turned to block the blow and I sprung into action.
I brought my arondight blade to life, purple sparks showering onto the carpet as I sprinted towards the danger zone.
“Hey, arsehole!” I exclaimed.
The demon spun and I ducked, swinging the blade towards his exposed stomach. The Infernal wailed as the other sword cut through it, a burst of hot air signalling it’d been sent back to Hell.
The greater demon smirked, his body phasing in and out of reality, and my blade passed right through him. I stumbled in shock and cried out as a fist slammed down onto the back of my neck. As I fell, my gaze met Wilder’s.
I knew it, I thought. He rushed in to save Greer.
I moaned as a boot kicked me over and tensed as my gaze met the greater demon’s. He stood over me, his shadow blotting
