by the time he arrived at his exit. Zander and Izzy were at his side as he reached her apartment complex. “I’m going up the fire escape. You go in through the lobby.”
Zander clapped his shoulder and nodded before he and Izzy were off. Jett prowled by his side. “I don’t sense anything nearby. There’s a good chance she is hiding somewhere else.”
Dante glanced at the other male. Jett hadn’t been happy from the moment he found Chloe, but the male was trying to reassure him. No doubt Dante’s terror over her was palpable. That’s how it was with a Fated Mate. He should be locked in the thick of the mating frenzy.
Initially, those were often the urges that usually took center stage when a couple first meets. Dante wasn’t blessed with something so pleasant. Instead, he could hardly breathe, and his heart was racing while he tried to find his angel and make sure she was ok.
Crouching, he jumped and grabbed hold of the bottom of the ladder a story above his head. He pulled himself up, so he was climbing like the Devil was chasing him. A stone settled in his gut. Something was wrong.
Her bedroom window was open, and her curtains were flapping in the breeze. That stone developed razor sharp edges that cut into Dante. The scent of brimstone and rot was faint.
He was through the window at the same moment the front door crashed open. Dante had a blade in his hand in the blink of an eye. He caught himself before he threw the weapon at his long-time friend.
Zander inclined his head and headed for the kitchen while Dante scanned the room. The bed was a mess. Drawers were emptied and clothes were everywhere. There was a hint of copper in the air.
He noticed a few droplets of blood on the dresser, but there was nothing to tell him where she was. It was far messier than when he’d packed her bag the other day. Noise from a door off to the left caught his attention and he crept silently to it.
The panel was ajar, and he saw tiled flooring on the other side. Had to be her bathroom. With a shaking hand, he pushed it open and saw his reflection looking back at him.
The bathroom was in a similar state to the bedroom. Towels and shredded toilet paper were everywhere, along with makeup and brushes. The scent of rot was stronger here.
When he pushed the curtain aside in the bathtub, he saw why. There was the withered corpse of a spider demon in the basin. Black goo was everywhere. “There’s nothing here.”
“I doubt she was ever here. This is the same as when we rescued you the other day.” Dante turned to meet Axel’s gaze.
“We have to find her. She’s in trouble. I know it.” Dante lowered his head and tried to come up with where he could look for her. He doubted the archdemon would be dumb enough to go back to the basement after what they’d left for him.
He walked down the hall to find Zander and Izzy looking through the living room. Zander paused and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you sense her?”
Dante closed off everything around him and focused on Chloe. There was a sizzle along the fading bond, but nothing else. Shaking his head, he kicked a pillow. “Not a fucking thing. Dammit.”
Zander grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him once. “Stop. This willna help your mate. I nearly let despair consume me when Elsie was missing. Once I calmed enough, I was able to follow our connection and find her.”
Dante lifted his face, barely holding back his snarl. “Elsie was bound by mating compulsions, plus she accepted you. Chloe told me she wasn’t going to mate with me last night.”
Zander grimaced and let Dante go. “You canna give up on her. Izzy is right. The Goddess paired you for a reason. We will find her. Let’s go.”
Dante followed as they left the apartment through the front door. “Where? This is a big city.”
Zander pushed the glass doors to the building open. “Then you’d better reach deep and force some energy into that bond.”
Dante did as Zander suggested. There was something to the west of where they were. Unsure where it was going to take him, he started walking. The Dark Warriors crossed the street at some point. It would have looked odd to have six large males walking with Izzy.
Several blocks later, Dante lost