“It’s not for an experiment,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I need my Helping Hand. I have an idea, and you’re just going to have to trust me.”
Before she could go, Des stayed her with his hands on her shoulders. “What is it?” She looked up at him, at the sorrow and pain in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Aurelie.”
Perhaps she should be angry with him for betraying her, butthen, she had done far worse. She had destroyed the life he worked so hard for. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m so sorry, Des. I’ve done nothing but cause you trouble since the moment you met me.”
He pulled her against him, so tight it hurt, but it was a reassuring hurt, the kind that meant they were still very much alive. “Turns out I like trouble,” he said, resting his chin atop her head.
“I have to make this right, Des. I have to send the demon back and destroy the portal forever.”
He squeezed her tighter. “And then we’ll go find that cottage in the country and start our new life together. We could be happy, Aurelie.”
Her heart hurt at his words, because as badly as she wanted to believe them, she couldn’t. People like her,criminalslike her, didn’t get happy endings. But she nodded, and because she knew it was what he needed to hear, said, “I know we could, Des.”
When they emerged from Easton Hall with their materials, the campus was deceptively quiet. Perhaps Aurelie had been too hasty and they should have waited to hear Commander Yew’s plan. “Maybe it’s already de—”
The demon landed with an earth-shuddering thud directly in front of them.
Aurelie screamed. Had it been on the roof? Could this thing fly? If so, they were doomed. They were caught on the steps. If they retreated to Easton Hall, they’d be as good as abandoning the city.
“What do we do?” Des asked, squeezing her hand so tightly she could feel her bones grinding together.
They braced themselves, but the demon was watching them, its head cocked in an almost curious way, and Aurelie wondered for a split second if it was hoping to communicate with her.
She was in no mood to talk to this demon.
“We’re going to have to split up, Des. I don’t think it will kill me.”
“You don’t think?”
“I’m going to lure it away from here. Go to Kobal, see if you can set it free. Then meet me at the tower.”
“Aurelie...”
She turned her face toward him. “Please, Des.”
She could see he was at war with himself, but finally, he nodded once. “All right.”
Aurelie squeezed his hand one last time and then slowly moved down the first step. The demon didn’t move. She took another, then another, until she was at the bottom of the stairs. The demon’s eyes were fixed on her. In her peripheral vision she could see Des moving swiftly down the steps along the left side of the building. Aurelie walked right, away from the cemetery and the grotto. Skirting the edge of the courtyard, the demon followed her, but it kept the same distance between them.
Finally, she had to turn her back on the demon in order to make it to the tower. She was truly alone with it, and all she could do was take calm, measured steps, afraid if she sprinted the demon would chase her down and rip her head off as it had the guard’s.
When she reached the clock tower, she looked back and gasped. The other Iron Guards were trying to engage the demon, which was still focused on Aurelie.
“Leave it!” she screamed, but they ignored her, instead dartingforward and back, hoping to catch it with an iron blade while it was distracted. When one finally managed to slice across its heel, the demon roared and turned on the woman, tearing her in half with its massive fists.
Aurelie felt bile rising in her throat, did her best to choke it down. At least the demon was focused on her again. She crawled through the jagged hole it had left in the side of the building, praying it would continue to follow her.
Everard’s body was where they’d left it, illuminated by the soft glow from the portal, which fortunately hadn’t released anything else, though she could make out dark shapes in the distance. Perhaps they needed the gatekeeper’s permission to enter, or perhaps they were just biding their time.
She stooped next to Everard and held her hand over his mouth to check if he was breathing. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disgusted when she felt a puff of air.
A commotion from outside spurred her into action. Fortunately, they’d stashed bags of salt here as a precaution, and Aurelie tore a hole in one with her teeth as she walked around the portal, creating an open circle of salt. She could only pray it would be enough to hold the demon until she could enact her plan.
Aurelie startled when she heard footsteps on the stairs behind her. Des lumbered into the room, Kobal limp in his arms. He dropped the creature on the floor next to Everard.
“Where’s the gatekeeper?” she asked, referring to the massive demon.