Page 44 of Beyond the Darkness

“Torres, if he’s available.” Hudson sighed into his phone. “Kage and I will wait here at the bookstore for everyone.”

“That sounds perfect,” Kit said.

Connie turned toward Kit again, his gaze sharp and focused. “What?”

“You really don’t think you’re the only one going, right?” Kit protested immediately. “Don is personal for me. I need to see this through.”

Recognizing the determination on Kit’s face, Connie knew it was about to hit the fan. Really, Hudson should have known Kit wasn’t going to let this go. “Um….”

Kit pointed a finger at Connie. “Yeah, no. Don’t even. I’m coming. This is not even up for discussion. And before either you or Hudson say anything, I’m as safe as I can be with three daemons and three dragons. Besides, if Austin is going to be there, then I damn sure am going to be there too, unless you can explain to me why he gets to be there, and I cannot?”

Both Connie and Kit stared at the cell phone Connie held when they heard Hudson’s growl.

“Answer the question, and don’t you growl at me,” Kit snapped.

“Kit—”

“No. If you can’t give me a reasonable excuse, then Iamgoing to be there.”

“Fine!” Hudson barked. “But you do what I say when I say. Absolutely no unnecessary risk.”

“Of course,” Kit said sweetly.

Connie, Hudson, and Kage spent the next twenty minutes discussing every possible scenario they could face in the tunnels—from booby traps to an ambush by Don or other hunters. Connie also called Torres and gave him a heads-up on what was about to happen and asked him to inform the rest of the inner circle.

“Okay, Kage tells me Maia is coming to get you and Kit after she picks up Torres. Denisha is coming straight to us. Kit? Make sure no one blunders into your office at a bad time. Connie? Will you let Beckett know what’s going on?”

“Of course.” Connie sent Beckett a quick text.

“Maia will be there shortly,” Kage said.

After they hung up, Connie approached Kit, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “We’ll get through this,” he murmured quietly.

“I know,” Kit replied. “That doesn’t mean it didn’t scare me when he said he and Kage went through that hidden door.”

Connie pulled Kit into a hug. “I completely understand, believe me.”

“Yeah, I guess you do. If you hadn’t been stuck here with me—”

“None of that now. It was just yesterday you gave me a scare. My dragon and I needed to be here with you. Just keep reminding yourself that Hudson is a thousand years old and more than capable.”

“You too.” Kit gave a half-hearted chuckle as he stepped back, ending their hug. “I saw your reaction, remember? Let’sjust hope all those centuries have given him a good sense of direction in those tunnels.”

Connie released him, clapping him on the back. “If not, he’ll just blame us or Kage for any wrong turns.”

His brief attempt at humor faded as they prepared for what was ahead. As promised, Maia appeared within minutes, a swirl of shadows heralding her arrival. Torres was right beside her, his face set in grim determination.

“Ready?” Maia’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Connie said, glancing at Kit, who nodded in agreement.

They moved as one, stepping into the vortex of shadows Maia controlled. The sensation was disorienting. The absolute absence of light deprived all beings of their senses. The nothingness swallowed up everything.

No sound could be heard as they traveled through the portal. The silence was heavy and oppressive. Isolating. Unnerving. Pressure seemed to compress around them before suddenly releasing them into their new location—a dimly lit corner of a bookstore that smelled of mold and forgotten stories.

Hudson and Kage were already there, several sheets of paper sprawled out across a dusty table.

“What are those?” Connie asked, coming to stand next to Hudson. “Wait. Are those maps? Where in the world did you get those from?”

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