Reign of Night (Thorne Hill #7) - Emily Goodwin Page 0,102

and I’m almost sad to miss it. A group of politicians finally speaking the truth? This will never happen again. “It’s a few floors down.” He scoops me up, able to move faster if he carries me at vampire speed down the stairs instead of going in the elevator.

We go into the vacant office space, which used to be a lawyer’s office. The glass doors are already unlocked, and I can see the light from Easton and Melinda’s flashlights bobbing up ahead.

“Hey, guys,” I say and hold out my hand, conjuring a bright blue energy ball to toss up overhead and light the area. “Everything good?”

“For us.” Easton unscrews the cap of a jar of holy water. “For him? Not so much.”

The demon trains his dark eyes on me and inhales. “How kind of you to bring me the half breed.”

I let out a sigh. “You’re not the first demon to tell me that.”

I summoned my familiars as we left the club, and I can sense them enter the building.

“But I’ll be the last,” the demon goes on, and I think everyone in the room collectively rolls our eyes. “You’ll make such a fine gift for our new King. When I break free, you will be mine.”

“Look around,” Lucas says right as my three familiars shadow into the room. “You’re outnumbered. You’re not breaking free. You’re not leaving here alive. Tell us what we want, and when we have no more use for you, you’ll get a swift death. And if not, we have a well and a binding spell. We can keep you locked up for eternity.”

“I’m not talking,” the demon spits.

Lucas smirks, showing off his fangs. “Oh, you are, isn’t he, my love?”

“You are,” I say, and my eyes flash blue. I hold out my hands, summoning hellfire. “Because the new demon is not your king. I am your queen, and you will answer to me.” A crown of hellfire erupts around my head, burning so bright Easton and Melinda have to look away. The demon tenses, doing its best not to look frightened, and it reminds me of something Lucifer said. I have to use pain and fear to give them a reason to submit to me.

Not entirely sure if this will work—and being slightly terrified I’m going to be the girl who burned down Chicago’s tallest building—I bring my hand to my face and blow, sending sparks of hellfire raining down on the demon.

He screams in pain, and I send more sparks flying.

“Okay!” he finally relents. “I’ll tell you, but only because there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Yeah, I’ll be the judge of that.” I lower my hands, still holding onto the hellfire but letting the flames subside. “Whatever plan you have to destroy the world isn’t happening.”

“Oh, but it is.” He smiles, face twisting with glee. “And we don’t want to destroy the world. We want to turn it into our personal playground and have fun with the humans. And by fun, I mean maim and dismember one by one. When Tozaryn rules, demons will be free to come and go as they please.”

“That’s never going to happen,” I say.

“It already has.” He laughs. “Tell me, have you found the keys?”

“Keys?”

“There should be two of them, swaying in the breeze.”

What is he—oh shit. The bodies. They weren’t just blood sacrifices to summon a demon, and now I know where there was no blood found at the crime scene. It wasn’t removed but absorbed and breaking the seals that hold the Gates of Hell shut.

Chapter 31

“Tozaryn?” Lucas echoes.

“You are not worthy to speak his name!” the demon hisses.

“Tozaryn,” Melinda says, wrinkling her nose. “Sounds like an antibiotic or something.”

“Hah, it does,” I laugh. “Now, what do to with him.” I tap my finger on my lip.

“Kill him,” Lucas says casually, like he’s suggesting we get take-out on the way home. “He’s given us all the information he can.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” I hold up my hands and the hellfire burns brighter.

“Wait,” Easton says, stepping forward. “We should take him outside where it’s easier to clean up the mess.”

“Good point,” I say and clench my fists and extinguish the fire. “Though the guy’s body he’s possessing did just die. The family might want some closure.”

“Oh, right,” Melinda says with a nod, agreeing with me.

“Just kill him,” Lucas presses, not caring about the man or his family. I’m much more empathetic than Lucas ever will be when it comes to strangers. “Or use the spell Lucifer taught