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I stopped the car at the shoulder and texted Ivy.
Where should I meet you?
By the moon, I hoped she didn’t tell me something like Chicago or Los Angeles. I didn’t want to have to get a flight to go meet her.
She sent me the address of a motel not even four hours from DuMoir. I let out a relieved breath and entered the address on the car’s GPS. Then, I drove in silence for the next four hours.
* * *
Not an hour after I left, my cell phone vibrated. I glanced at the first texts and calls that came—Lavinia and Thea. After a while, even that bothered me, so I turned my phone off.
I felt bad about it, but I knew that if I answered or replied, they would try to talk me out of this, and I couldn’t back off now.
At least, they couldn’t tell Shane I was missing, not while he was on an overnight flight to the other side of the continent. Hopefully, they wouldn’t tell him at all, or he would be distracted.
A pang cut through my chest. I hated lying to him. He would be pissed with me when he came back.
Everyone would.
Again, I shook my head. No, I couldn’t think about Shane or our friends right now. Right now, the only thing that matter was getting to Ivy.
I arrived at the shady motel at almost two in the morning. There were only two cars in the parking lot—the black sedan Ivy had mentioned was parked in the far back.
I slowed my car beside hers, glancing at the inn. On the second floor, a figure looked out from a window. The bright light was right behind her and I couldn’t see her face, but I knew that was Ivy. She gestured for me to come over.
If this was a trap, would Ivy participate willingly? Or was Paimon holding her hostage, asking her to send me those messages?
There was only one way to know.
With a sigh, I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat, slung it across my shoulders, and headed toward the inn. As I walked to the second floor, I glanced around for any signs of danger. If there were demons hidden in the darkness beyond the inn, I wouldn’t know, would I?
A sudden dread coursed through me. This was a really bad idea, but I was here now, and I couldn’t turn and leave without knowing if this was really Ivy. I couldn’t bear the thought that it could really be her and leaving her behind.
So, instead of panicking, I rolled my shoulders and thought of what I could say to her to convince her to come back with me. Jitters ran through my arms as I raised my hand to knock on the door.
It opened before I could touch it.
I walked into the dim room, holding the door open. “Ivy?” I looked around.
She sat in the armchair across the room. Relief relaxed my muscles. It was really her.
I closed the door and took a couple of steps closer.
Then I really saw her.
Her mouth gagged, her hands tied, and her eyes wild.
I froze.
“Hello, Raika,” a familiar voice said from behind me, a colder tone than I remembered.
Slowly, I turned around.
And faced my father, the former prince of the underworld.
Fear closed my throat.
A wicked grin took over his lips. “I’m so glad you came.”
