Page 69 of Savage Hunt

There was still a chance.

“They helped us escape from Heldrok.” My free hand rested on his chest. “When Mykel caught you before we were free, you told them to get me to safety. We were supposed to come back, but Venna?—”

“Tate, are you okay?” Logan called.

Fane slapped his hand over my mouth before I could yell. “Don’t even think of alerting them.”

He would bolt the moment I did, and he was too fast for either of them. Nadia’s magic probably wouldn’t catch him either.

The demon shifter’s nostrils flared. “She said you’d use the Infernal Sol’s magic to trick me.” He jerked his chin toward the forest. “You must be using it on Logan and Ruin too.”

“Okay, Tate, since you refused to answer me, I’m coming over there,” Logan shouted.

Fane cursed and backed away. “This isn’t over, Tatum Teague.” His lips curved into a sinister smile. “I found you once. I’ll find you again.”

A strangled laugh burst out at the same words he’d said in that alley. “Yeah, I know. You find things, Maverick.”

His brows knit, but as Logan’s footsteps grew closer, he pivoted and vanished through the foliage on the other side.

When the high demon appeared and saw my face, he hurried toward me. “What’s wrong?” Thankfully, he was fully dressed again.

I dragged my hand through my snarled locks and then, remembering I stood in my soaked bra and underwear, I crossed my arms to cover myself. “Fane was here.”

“What?” Ruin materialized in his all-black attire and peered through the nearby trees. “Where is he?”

“Don’t bother. He’s already gone,” I said. The demon shifter moved like a ghost and nearly as fast as a vampire. “At least he won’t kill me on the spot. Venna convinced him to bring me to her first so she can try for the Infernal Sol.”

Logan pulled me from the tree and hugged me to his warm body. I would have shoved off anyone else, probably even Ruin. “We’ll find him, Tate. And we’ll get him back. I promise.”

If we couldn’t, I’d rather hand myself over to that evil bitch to keep Fane from suffering in her prison. He may no longer have bars around him, but he was still her captive.

I frowned as we walked through the outskirts of Vlehull, keeping to the shadows. This was the closest door to Earth and the most dangerous since it took us right through Venna’s territory.

The last time I was here, everything was lively like any city. People roamed the streets, and the windows of houses were lit up. Fane and I had to be careful as we made our way to Logan’s place.

Now? The city was desolate and abandoned. Some of the buildings were crumbling and the red streetlights were broken.

“What happened here?” I whispered as if I might disturb any ghosts hiding amongst the dilapidated structures.

Logan dragged his hand through his sandy-brown hair as his blue gaze roamed the cobblestone street. “Things have gone downhill since Venna took over.”

My head snapped back. “She’s worse than Karn?”

“At least Karn cared about Vlehull. He wanted it to be a top-notch Underworld city.” Logan shrugged. “Venna doesn’t give a shit about this place or the citizens. She only cares about power.”

Ruin jerked his chin for us to turn left onto a narrow street. “She’s spent most of her time in Heldrok with you and Fane or snooping around my territory.” He cracked his neck and flexed his fingers. “I guess she doesn’t need to snoop anymore since she knows why I wanted the Infernal Sol.”

Knots fisted in my chest, and I stared at my boots as a bitter taste coated my tongue. “I’m sorry, Ruin.”

His hand rested on my shoulder. “Don’t feel guilty, Tate. It’s not your fault.”

Yes, it was. I’d just add it to the growing list of grievances I needed to atone for.

“Tate, I didn’t?—”

Nik lifted his hand to quiet us as his neon-green eyes brightened. My nape prickled at the mounting tension. Had Fane followed us all the way to Vlehull?

A figure emerged from the shadows, long ebony hair swishing around her thin waist as she hurried toward us.

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