come back, to give her and her family a proper burial.
Then, he picked up his sword and turned toward Ingur.
Even if it killed him, Devon would put this demon back in his place and make everything right.
Present
Devon
I pressed a hand to my head as the rest of the memories came back to me.
I hadn’t killed Ingur. Not then, not later.
The battle against him raged for years. It destroyed villages and towns, and killed many people.
But the war hadn't been mine to fight. I had been called by the gods and they rendered my punishment for not stopping Sandler from opening the chamber again: They sent me to hell for a few centuries.
And I knew now why they had brought me back. Because Kianna had been reborn into Kenna, and I had to do this all over again.
I punched the kitchen island beside me. I had already failed this fucking thing again. Noel, now Nigel, had taken her from me.
But this time … this time, I wouldn’t fail.
This time, I would save her.
Present
Devon
All my grief, all my desperation took a backseat to the rage and determination I felt. Hanging on to those feelings, I moved. I went to my house and called to the gods. For the warriors. For whoever the fuck wanted to hear me.
Not five minutes later, Ryder appeared in my backyard. I walked out and met him.
“You failed?” He glanced to the house beside mine, to the broken windows and ruined porch. “Again?”
I crossed my arms and faced him. “I haven't failed yet. And let me just say, this setback only exists because the fucking gods didn’t tell me shit about this mission!” My voice rose. By now, the neighbors were probably watching us. The destroyed house. The two guys in odd clothing, carrying weapons. And now shouts. I didn’t fucking care. “Now, where the fuck is the tomb?”
Ryder let out a long sigh. “It’s under an abandoned fort forty miles south of here.” I nodded and started marching across the yard. He followed me inside. “I’m coming with you.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t need your help.”
He grabbed my arm and tugged me back. “I’m your friend. I want to help.”
I jerked my arm free of him. “Suit yourself.”
The truth was, I was glad he was coming with me. I wasn’t sure I could take Nigel and dozens of demons by myself. I wasn’t sure if the two of us could do it. But I had to try.
Ryder and I jumped into my car. A moment later, we were on the road, headed toward the fort. I stepped on the pedal and went as fast as the car could go. As I expected, we caught up with Nigel in less than thirty minutes.
A line of black vans followed the curve of the road like a writhing snake. Speeding up a little more, I zoomed past them and threw my car in their way. The first van tried to swerve and pass me, but I put my car in reverse and hit its front, stopping it completely. The next van didn’t have much time to brake. The driver turned the van off the road and slammed into the ditch, smoke steaming from its radiator. I hoped Kenna wasn’t in that one. The next couple of vans all hit each other as they braked to avoid the stopped vehicles.
Ryder and I moved, going from van to van, searching for Kenna and taking down the demons. We cleared the first two vans. By then, demons had emerged from others the vans and lumbered into position around Ryder and me. And right behind them were Nigel and Kenna. Her eyes locked with mine and her name rose to my throat, but I held my tongue. Her wrists and arms were bound with thick ropes and a piece of cloth gagged her mouth, her blond hair blowing behind her. Nigel held a dagger above her chest.
“One more step and I’ll kill her,” he declared, his voice loud enough to be carried above the demons' hissing and growls.
“He’s bluffing,” Ryder whispered to me.
“I know,” I whispered back. “He needs her alive until she’s close to the chamber.”
“Attack?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Ryder and I rushed the demons. We slashed through them as if they were made of air. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Nigel. As I thought, he simply held on to Kenna and retreated to the van in the back. He shoved her inside and hopped behind the wheel.
He turned the key.