Page 57 of Hell Gate

The door opens a few moments later and an unimpressed woman with crow’s feet at the corners of her freckled face eyes us, giving Valerian a shrewd once over. “Demon.” She narrows her eyes, then waves an arm in invitation. “My name is Lane.”

“Hi, I’m Lily. Thanks for your help.”

I glare at Valerian when he clamps on my neck hard, ignoring the burst of heat throbbing in my core. What harm is there in giving my name? It’s not world-ending information.

Lane’s wavy brown hair is tied back and shot through with streaks of silver, though she doesn’t appear burdened by age. She moves spryly through her house as we follow to a kitchen with a worn round table and dried herbs hanging from the exposed beams. Like the rest of the cottage, her kitchen is cluttered at first glance, every worktop covered in repurposed tea tins, candles, and an eclectic mix of knickknacks. I get the sense she’s a woman who enjoys spending her time in nature and working her land.

“My sisters assured me you’d pay well for my help.” She wipes her hands on an apron and gestures to a chair. “Sit.”

“And they assured me you’re the best at dealing with spells of a binding nature.” Valerian positions himself behind me, bracing his hands on the high back of my seat. “Your payment depends on that skill.”

“Best on the east coast,” Lane says airily. “Let me get a sense of you, Lily.”

She lights a stick of cloying incense and brings it to the table, wafting it around me. Vale releases a low growl in warning when she grasps my chin. She ignores him, turning my face from side to side before taking my hands and closing her eyes.

“Oh,” she murmurs.

“Is something wrong?” he demands.

“No, it’s just—the pain. It’s overwhelming.”

I duck my head, face flaming. He didn’t mention the witch would be able to see through me in under thirty seconds.

“What about the seal?” He presses closer, his torso brushing against the back of my head. There’s an urgency I’ve never seen from him bleeding through his sternness. “Can you sense if her memories are there?”

“I need to put her in a meditative state to get a better sense of the binding. It’s strong. Though I’m able to discern that she’s stronger.” Lane hums and creases her brow. “This feels as though she was forced into a rebirth. If that’s true, there’s a chance there aren’t memories to find locked in her head. She may only have echoes and fragments left of her past life.”

I exchange a glance with Vale when she moves away. The corners of his mouth are downturned in thought. A knot forms in my stomach. What’s rebirth for a demon? Did someone kill me and reincarnate me?

Another awful thought pops in my head. He seems to care about the demon inside more than me. If I don’t live up to his expectations, he’ll abandon me as a lost cause that upset the balance of his life as a guard for nothing.

“Here.” Lane returns with a tray of crystals, a small green bottle, and a hammered bronze dish stacked with orange marigolds. “Drink the potion.”

Before I bring it to my lips, Vale snatches it, giving it a whiff. He glares at Lane. “Poison.”

“No. It’s a small dose of belladonna to encourage the meditative trance. It’s not enough to poison her.” Lane places an amethyst in one of my hands and clear quartz in the other, sitting them face up on the table. “The quartz will act as a vessel to take on the energy scribed to it, keeping you grounded. The amethyst will promote mental clarity to help us navigate your mind and find the path to the magical seal binding you. And for distrustful demonic minds, the calendula flowers are for me. They bring positivity to the spell.”

“Sounds legit,” I say.

She huffs in amusement, casting a baleful glance at Valerian. “That’s because it is. Now, take the potion and close your eyes while I chant the incantation to guide you into the trance state.”

“Bottoms up.” I toast Vale and down the slightly sweet concoction.

The trickle tingles down my throat, spreading outward gradually until my fingers and toes feel numb. Everything is heavy. Lifting a finger takes effort. My head lolls back and Vale stares down at me with concern, cradling my face. He strokes my cheeks, mouthing my name. I can’t hear him clearly over Lane’s chanting, like I’m underwater. The thought sends a spike of panic through me, and he brushes his knuckles down my cheeks when Lane waves a hand at him.

The last thought to cross my mind before the darkness at the edges of my vision takes over is that he looks nice with his tousled black hair falling in his face like that.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

LILY

“Vale,” I mumble.

“—here. Right here, little flower.”

The soft touch to my cheek feels so good. I nuzzle into it, seeking more.

A bright flickering light to my left distracts me. I’m not in Lane’s kitchen anymore, but the hall from my dream with obsidian floors and stone arches. I turn my back on it, not interested in visiting the throne room. Although—the guys could be there. The need to see them crashes over me.

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