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It had been some time since she fell asleep, but I couldn’t join her. Not with everything on the line should I forget myself and give in again.
I traced the line of her cheek with my thumb, and her lips twitched before she wrapped an arm around my waist and cuddled into me like the endearing little bird she was. I fought the urge to wrap my arms around her and tell the world to piss off, mission be damned.
This sublime creature was finally warming to me, and I couldn’t even begin to explain how desperately pleased I was because of it. Instead, I gently removed myself from her, then strolled over to the in-room window. Closing my eyes, I reached out to the endless expanse of space. I separated from my body and strolled into a dream.
The room bled away to a vast ocean of crashing waves and a thundering storm. Water soon became asphalt and cement sidewalks, lined with buildings and populated by nightlife. The moon beamed through stormy clouds before a heavy rain fell and doused every person walking around me.
I eyed a sign, sensing the energy inside of it, and strolled into the establishment without the faintest bit of hesitation. Music played from the back corner, and the small bar was packed with bodies. No one looked over, simply went about their lives as if I weren’t there.
Because I wasn’t.
This was a memory. Or perhaps a dream. But the energy here told me I’d find what I was looking for somewhere around here. So, I walked on, letting the bar bleed away to another room. Then another. Until my shoes thudded over cobblestone and old buildings towered on both sides of me.
I eyed a small storm shaft and pulled one door loose. I crawled through and took a steep staircase underground. Damp, stale air met my nose as soon as I hit the bottom. I recognized the tunnels, and it was a fitting place for Rift to hide his heart.
He’d never leave it in Hell. Too many could find it there. The human world was the best place to hide intense evil like a demon’s heart without a strong enough demon seeking it out. The low demons who wandered to the mortal realm couldn’t detect this sort of power, and it likely made Rift overly comfortable leaving it somewhat unguarded.
Taking in the maze of tunnels, I took mental notes of every detail that would aid Lady in finding it should that need to happen. What I did know was this place wasn’t far from where we were. Rift clearly hadn’t expected to have trouble with finding her. He didn’t plan to stay, and that was evident with the very little precaution he took to hide his heart.
Slowly, I closed in on a small, unassuming box left in a corner, covered with dirt. To anyone walking through, it looked like discarded trash. No one would suspect incredible darkness lurked within. Even should they check it out, his heart was invisible to the human eye. They’d only find an empty box.
Crouching over the floor, I lifted the lid. Inside was Rift’s pitch-black heart, still beating. I stared down at it, sensing the malicious power permeating around the organ. And when I rose to my feet and turned around, a man so dark he bled into his surroundings stood in front of me.
A dark cloak was wrapped around his shoulders and military style boots covered his feet. Silver brackets lined his torso, in two parallel lines. But it was the bright red eyes glaring at me that stole my attention. His jaw was clenched and every muscle in his body was taut, already aware he couldn’t fight me. Not here. Not in his memory.
Poor sod.
“Nova.”
My mouth crept upwards. “Rift.”
“I thought you might come looking for it,” he growled, eyes brightening with the threat. “But you won’t get to it before I get to you.”
My smile broadened, having expected Rift to say as much. “Oh, I wonder about that.”
The dark-skinned demon started to laugh before he inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring. “You…what the fuck did you do?”
My little experiment proved quite advantageous, and his sudden growl of anger was like music to my ears. I swept stray hair out of my eyes, stealing a look at the box in the corner. “I’ll see you soon, old friend.”
The underground tunnel bled away, and the room I’d first been in swiftly replaced it. What I hadn’t expected was to find Lady standing right there beside me, looking out the same window. Her bubblegum-pink hair was visible in the moonlight, and when she looked over at me, her gorgeous eyes beamed a curious light.
“I sensed something was off,” she admitted softly. “Did you find where that bastard’s heart is?”
I stared a little too long without speaking, and when she clicked her tongue and crossed her arms in frustration, I finally found the will to speak. “It’s not far, and he will come for us. But something tells me he’ll have trouble tracking me right away.”
She offered me a raised eyebrow, and I couldn’t help but snicker. She groaned when I lifted my phone and quickly called Reese. “I’m sending the coordinates to you. Meet us there in twenty.”
Lady’s eyes widened, and she moved into action. Wasting no time, she dressed herself and grabbed an assortment of weapons before her favorite bat was in her hand. By the time I walked over, she was tying her hair up into a messy bun.
Surprising her, I cradled her face and kissed her softly. Her beautiful hands latched onto my wrists, but she didn’t push me away. Instead, the vixen demanded I tell her everything in her usual superior tone.
“You better explain yourself, asshole. I’m running thin on patience.”
“If my theory’s correct, your blood intermixed with mine corrupted Rift’s ability to track me like before. I can’t be certain how long it’ll last or how corrupt it is, but this is an opportunity. We need to move on it fast.”
And then she said something I didn’t expect at all.
“In that case, take more.”
