by Tina Folsom
Again, there was silence in the room. The men dropped their gazes, suddenly studying their shoes as if they were of paramount importance. Almost as if Zoltan’s declaration had embarrassed them. Only one person looked straight at him: Enya.
She said nothing, but her lips formed silent words. I love you too.
“Okay,” Aiden said, glancing at his brethren. “I believe you.”
The others nodded in agreement, but didn’t go so far as putting it into words. It was good enough for Zoltan.
“Thank you,” he said.
“So tell us how you think of destroying the demons,” Aiden said. “We’ve sure tried for centuries and haven’t gotten anywhere.”
“It’s rather simple. We won’t have to kill them all. We won’t even have to engage them in a battle.”
Several eyebrows rose.
“We only have to make sure they can’t leave the Underworld anymore.”
Manus scoffed. “And how do you suggest we do that?”
“I assume you’re aware of the vortex circles in the Underworld?” When the men nodded, Zoltan continued, “There are only three of them. No demon can cast a vortex in the Underworld unless he’s standing in one of the vortex circles. If we destroy them, the Underworld will become their tomb. They wouldn’t have a way out. And the few demons that are currently topside won’t be too hard to annihilate. It might take us a few months, but one by one, we’ll kill them.”
“Interesting idea,” Aiden said, “but what if they build more vortex circles? What then?”
Zoltan shook his head. “They don’t know how.” When several of the Stealth Guardians grumbled in disbelief, Zoltan lifted his hand. “Yeah, I didn’t believe it either at first, but I put my best men on the task. See, my plan, once I’d destroyed your race, was to invade the human world, and to do that, I needed more than just three vortex circles. We looked at everything we could get our hands on—old scriptures, magic, anything that would give us a hint at how the vortex circles were created in the first place. We came up with exactly zilch.” He paused and let the news sink in. “There isn’t a single demon alive who knows who or what created the vortex circles and how. Which means if we destroy them permanently, the demons have no way out.”
“And how do we destroy the vortex circles?” Manus asked.
“We flood them with lava.”
“Where exactly is the Underworld?” Aiden asked.
Zoltan sighed. “I wish I could tell you.”
“I see,” Aiden said tightly. “Still keeping things from us. That’s not tipping the scales in your favor, just so you know.”
“I’m not keeping things from you. The truth is, nobody knows where the Underworld is located. It could be under Antarctica, Russia, Australia, or the U.S. For all I know, it moves constantly. Nobody knows. That’s why the demons need the vortex circles. They are the only things that can anchor them to their home. The only way to find their way back.”
When he saw the skeptical faces of the Stealth Guardians, Zoltan added, “But we don’t need to know where it’s located. All I need to do is open a vortex topside and travel down to one of the three vortex circles in the Underworld. Once I’m down there, I can set the plan in motion. But I need help.”
“What do you need?” Aiden asked.
“Explosives. I know where the largest magma chambers are in relation to the vortex circles. If I blow up the right chambers, the lava inside will flood the vortex circles and destroy them. The lava will remain liquid for centuries, and even if it cools one day, whatever created the vortex circles in the first place will have been stripped away.”
“That’s a suicide mission,” Enya said, her voice shaking, her eyes boring into him. “If you destroy the vortex circles, you can’t get back.”
“I’ll set a timer and transport out just before.” Of course, there was always a risk, but he was willing to take that.
Enya shook her head. “That would assume that you can still cast a vortex by then. What if you can’t?”
“Enya, I—”
“Don’t Enya me,” she interrupted, bracing her hands at her hips. He recognized that gesture. She was ready for a fight. “If Wes and Charles are correct, then you’ll turn fully back into a Stealth Guardian within twenty-four hours and will lose all your demon powers, including the power to cast a vortex. You’ll be stuck there. It’ll be your tomb too, and I’ll be damned if I allow that to happen.”
“But it’s the only way,” Zoltan said. “We have to destroy the Underworld, otherwise you’ll never be safe, and neither will our child. And if that means that I won’t ever see my child, I’m good with that, because I know that the two of you will be safe.”
“There has to be another way.” Tears welled up in Enya’s eyes, and he wanted to pull her into his arms, but he couldn’t, didn’t dare, or he would break down himself. He had to be strong, for both of them.
“There is none. The only way out of the Underworld is by casting a vortex in one of the circles.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Just like you need your portals, the demons need their vortexes.”
Enya sniffled, then wiped her face with the back of her hand, her eyes widening. “That’s it. A portal.”
“What?” Zoltan asked, not understanding, while several of the Stealth Guardians started shaking their heads as if they knew what Enya was alluding to.
“That’s crazy,” Logan said.
“And it won’t work, not for him,” Manus said, pointing at Zoltan. “He hasn’t got all his powers.”
“The council will never approve it,” Aiden said. “And without their approval—”
“Would somebody fucking tell me what you’re talking about?” Zoltan interrupted, raising his voice.
Everybody fell silent for a moment.
“It’s not even an option,” Pearce grumbled.
“Too risky,” Logan agreed.
But Enya lifted her hand to silence her brethren. “Sure it’s risky, but we signed up for risky when we became warriors.” She looked at Zoltan. “If we carve a portal somewhere in the Underworld, we could make it out even if you lose your ability to cast a vortex, or if the circles are destroyed before we can teleport out.”
Zoltan let the statement sink in. It made sense, though there was one thing he needed to clarify. “Who are you referring to when you say we?”
“You and me, of course.”
“Out of the question!” he snapped.
“You have no choice. To carve a portal requires the blood of a Stealth Guardian, and your blood is still green. And I’m the only one here who’s seen a portal carved. I know how it’s done.”
“Then teach somebody else.” He pointed to her brethren. “Any of them.”
She shook her head. “No. If something goes wrong, I’m not going to be responsible for having sent one of my brothers to his death. Not happening. It’s gonna be you and me.”
Pearce cleared his throat, making everybody look at him. “Has somebody else here forgotten one of the most important things?”
Everybody stared at him.
“The dagger. The council will never hand us the source dagger so we can send you both down to the Underworld. Even if we try to convince them of this plan, they’ll never go for it.”
“Then we won’t tell them,” Enya said.
Grayson raised his hand. “Uhm…”
“Yes?” Enya snapped.
“How are you gonna get the dagger? My understanding is that it’s locked up in the council compound and very well guarded. You said so yourself.”
“Yes, it’s guarded, but against outsiders. There is a way for a Stealth Guardian to retrieve the dagger,” Enya said.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “How?”
Enya smiled. “Did you know that the door to the council’s archive where the dagger is kept isn’t made of lead?”
Hamish blew out a breath. “Son of a gun. You’re just gonna march in there invisibly and steal it, aren’t you?”
Enya shrugge
d. “I was hoping one of you will, because I need to shore up support from Scanguards.”
“What’s Scanguards got to do with it?” Grayson asked.
“We need their help with the explosives.”
“You’re missing something here,” Hamish said.
Enya turned her head to him. “What am I missing?”
“You need three teams to work on the vortex circles simultaneously, otherwise the chance of the demons discovering the explosives is too high.”
Aiden nodded. “Hamish is right. Three teams means three Stealth Guardians to make those who plant the explosives invisible. Plus protection.”
“But I can’t ask for that,” Enya said. “I can’t make you do that.”
Aiden looked at his brethren. “No, you can’t. But we can volunteer.”
“But the risk—”
“The risk is much smaller if you and Zoltan go down using a vortex, then carve the portal somewhere where it’s hidden away, then come get us,” Hamish said. “What do you say, guys? Are you up for kicking some demon butt?”
Grunts of agreement bounced off the walls.
“Guys,” Enya said, choking up.
“I think what Enya wants to say is thank you,” Zoltan said, and squeezed her hand. “And so do I. You won’t regret it.”
Logan nodded. “Make sure of that, because if you betray us…” He didn’t need to complete the sentence. Zoltan understood.
“By the life of my unborn child, I promise to be true to my word.”
31
Enya gave Grayson a long look. “You’d better be okay with lying to your father, or you might as well turn back now.”
She, Zoltan, and Grayson had traveled to San Francisco via the portal and were approaching the Scanguards headquarters in the Mission District. Simultaneously, Pearce and Aiden were traveling to the council compound to retrieve the source dagger. An invisible Pearce was following Enya’s instructions on how to remove the dagger from its hiding place, while Aiden was visible at all times to provide a cover for Pearce. Had Pearce traveled alone and exited the portal invisibly, suspicion would have arisen. But by Aiden exiting the portal visibly, nobody would blink or question what Aiden was doing at the council compound. He would visit with his father under a pretense, then return with a still-invisible Pearce and the source dagger.
“Don’t worry,” Grayson assured Enya. “It won’t be the first time I don’t tell my father the whole truth. Though I really don’t know why you can’t tell him—”
“If he knows that the council didn’t sanction this, he’ll feel obligated to inform them. You of all people should know his high moral ethics.”
Grayson shrugged. “His ethics never stopped him from doing the right thing. And the right thing is defeating the fucking demons, no matter how.” He glanced at Zoltan. “No offense, man.”
“None taken.” Zoltan motioned to the large building on the next block. “That it?”
Grayson nodded. “Yeah.”
Enya heard the pride in his voice. As the son of Scanguards’ owner and founder, it was his destiny to take over the business one day—if Samson ever decided to retire, which was questionable.
“Uhm, so the building is full of vampires. Is that right?” Zoltan asked.
“Yep, and humans and witches,” Grayson said.
Zoltan stopped walking and looked up to the top floor. “I’m assuming your father has his office on the top floor.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Then I think we have a problem.”
Enya turned to him. “What do you mean?”
Zoltan pointed to the building. “The moment we encounter a vampire, he’ll take one sniff of me and identify me as a demon. Remember? I still have green blood. I still have no aura. They’ll attack me faster than you can explain to them that I’m not a threat.”
Enya looked at Grayson. With everything that had happened in the last hour, she hadn’t even thought of this issue. “Grayson, I’m assuming you have the highest clearance?”
“You bet.” Grayson seemed to understand her unspoken question immediately. “If we enter through the garage and take the elevator from there to the executive floor, we have the best chance of not encountering anybody.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll text Blake to clear the executive corridor for us.” He typed a message on his phone and sent it. A moment later, his device pinged. “Okay, let’s go.”
As they walked around the corner to the entrance of the parking garage underneath the east side of the building, Enya asked, “What did you tell him?”
Grayson smirked. “That I’m bringing a high-value prisoner in and need an escort to my father’s office.”
Zoltan stopped. “Are you shitting me? Why don’t you stab me in the back while you’re at it?”
“Calm down,” Grayson said. “It’s the only way to assure that nobody attacks you. I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope you do,” Enya said. And she hoped that Blake would keep a cool head once he realized who exactly they were bringing in. “Let’s do this.”
Grayson used his access card and thumbprint to open the gate for the parking garage, and they walked inside. By the time the gate closed behind them, they’d already reached the elevator. Moments later the doors opened, and Grayson ushered them inside. He used his access card again to select the executive floor, then pressed a second button.
“What’s that for?” Enya asked, pointing at it.
“To make sure the elevator won’t stop at any of the other floors.”
“Good.” It appeared Grayson was much smarter than she’d given him credit for.
The elevator slowed, and a soft ping sounded.
“Here we are,” Grayson said.
Enya’s hand instinctively went to the dagger hidden inside her jacket pocket. She was prepared to defend Zoltan should Blake make a wrong move.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing Blake already waiting for them. He wasn’t armed, but vampires were strong and fast, and lethal even without weapons. Their fangs and claws could tear flesh apart more efficiently than a butcher knife.
Blake’s nostrils flared. No doubt he recognized Zoltan’s scent. Grayson stepped out of the elevator and raised his hand.
“Yes, he’s a demon. And no, he won’t hurt anybody.”
Still, Blake looked past Grayson, his eyes finally focusing on Enya and Zoltan’s intertwined hands. His eyebrows went up. He looked at Enya. “I wish I could say it’s nice to see you again, Enya, but maybe I’ll reserve my comment for once I know what’s going on here.”
Enya nodded and let go of Zoltan’s hand. “We need to see Samson. It’s urgent.”
Slowly Blake stepped aside and motioned them to enter the hallway. “Amaury is with him right now. I’ll escort you.”
Grayson marched ahead and knocked on Samson’s door, then opened it without waiting for an answer. “Dad, Amaury, I need you to remain calm. I brought somebody.”
“Grayson, what—”
Enya entered with Zoltan by her side. Two pairs of vampire eyes fell on them—Samson’s and Amaury’s. Immediately their nostrils flared like Blake’s earlier.
“He doesn’t mean you any harm,” Enya said quickly. “He’s on our side.” She made a point not to mention Zoltan’s name yet, suspecting that once Samson and Amaury knew that the ruler of the demons had just walked into Scanguards, they wouldn’t be willing to listen to her. She needed to buy time to explain the situation to them.
Behind her, Blake closed the door and blocked it from the inside.
Samson glanced back at Blake, then at his son. “A little advance notice would have been nice.”
Grayson took the reprimand in stride. “There was no time.” He motioned to Enya. “Enya will explain.”
Samson glanced at Amaury, who shrugged. “We might as well hear what she’s got to say.” Then Amaury tipped his chin toward Zoltan. “We can always kill the demon later.”
His expression unreadable, Samson told Enya, “G
o ahead.”
As concisely as possible, Enya laid out the situation, telling their vampire allies that the demon she’d brought was in fact Cinead’s kidnapped son, and that he was transforming back into a Stealth Guardian. She divulged Wesley and Charles’s involvement, as well as their belief that Zoltan would completely lose his demon powers within the next twenty-four hours, making it paramount for them to mount an attack on the Underworld immediately. For obvious reasons, she left out his name and instead called him Angus, the name Cinead and his wife had given their baby son.
When she finished, Samson ran a hand through his dark hair and Amaury blew out a breath.
“That’s one heck of a story,” Samson said.
“You believe us, don’t you?” Enya said.
“Oddly enough, I do. You can’t really make this shit up, can you?” He gave a bitter laugh. “So, this is Angus?” He shook his head. “You do actually resemble your father quite a bit.”
Zoltan nodded. “I know.” But he didn’t say more. Mentioning that he hadn’t actually met his father yet would raise too many questions and reveal that the council knew nothing of this situation. “Enya said you could help us destroy the demons.”
“What do you need?” Samson asked, all business now.
“Explosives, and a couple of people who know how to handle them,” Zoltan said.
Samson looked at Amaury.
“Quinn,” Amaury said, then looked at Enya. “Ryder is trained too.”
“We need a third person, if you can spare somebody,” Enya said. “There are three vortex circles in the Underworld. We’ll have to blow them up simultaneously.”
“I can handle it,” Amaury said.
“You sure?” Samson asked him with a sideways glance.
Amaury rolled his eyes. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve done anything fun, like blowing up demons?”
Samson chuckled. “You’ve got a point. Maybe I should join you.”
“Delilah is gonna kill you,” Amaury said.
“She doesn’t need to know.” Samson looked at his son. “Right?”
Grayson lifted his hands. “I’m not gonna tell Mom anything.”
“Then it’s settled.”
