Page 81 of The Road to Hell

I drank until there was nothing left.

When he stilled, I released him and sat back, exhaling slowly. The heat of his blood still lingered on my tongue, metallic and bitter. I licked the last traces from my lips, then returned to my feet and scanned the area around me. The bodies were proof that someone had been here. Not usually an issue, except I didn’t want to bring attention to our presence.

It only took a few moments for me to clear them. Then I returned to the air and quickly flew back to the cave. I landed at the entrance, my steps steadier and my body lighter. The moment I stepped inside, the others looked up.

“That was fast,” Eliza murmured.

I ignored her and moved toward Lily, still asleep. I’d hoped that I would return and find her awake. A foolish hope.

Calyx studied me, then gave an approving nod. “Ah, you look much better. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I didn’t dignify him with an answer.

Instead, I placed a hand on Lily’s neck, feeling her pulse. She wasn’t awake, but she was still alive. And right now, that was all that mattered.

After a few moments, I turned my attention back to the others. “I found three hellspawn nearby,” I said.

Eliza sat forward slightly, narrowing her eyes. “How close?”

“Close enough,” I said. “They weren’t heading toward the cave, but they were in the area. And they weren’t just wandering.”

Calyx tilted his head, watching me with quiet interest. “Scouting?”

“Or tracking,” I said. “They must have found the last cave we were in. They were speculating on what’d happened and debating whether or not they needed to inform Lucifer.”

Eliza swore. “And?”

I met her gaze. “And I took care of it.”

Relief had her eyes closing briefly.

“But that doesn’t mean more hellspawn won’t discover the cave,” Calyx commented.

“I know,” I said. “I thought about that too. We need to relocate. We’re too close in proximity.”

Eliza and Calyx both nodded.

“I can fly with Lily,” I continued. “Calyx, you can take Eliza.”

Eliza’s head snapped toward me, her expression incredulous. “Whoa, I thought we covered this already. I refuse to let him fly me anywhere.”

Calyx sighed. “If you’d rather take the scenic route and dodge hellspawn on foot, by all means.”

Eliza’s fingers flexed around her dagger hilt, like she was preparing to stab him. “I’d rather crawl through a pit of razors than fly with you.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, inhaling slowly. “Eliza. I can’t fightandcarry Lily. We need to get to our next location fast. Walking when she’s in this state is incredibly dangerous.”

She turned her glare on me. “No. Absolutely not. I amnotputting my life in his hands.”

Calyx pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. “I’m hurt. Do youreallythink I’d drop you?”

“Yes,” she deadpanned.

He grinned. “Fair.”

I sighed. “Fine. I guess I’ll just have to carry you both separately.” I hated that plan even more. The thought of leaving Lily’s side for that long physically hurt.

“Oh yes, brilliant idea,” Calyx drawled. “Take twice as long, waste precious time, and leave your sleeping beauty all alone with me while you ferry Eliza. What a perfectly sound strategy.” He eyed the siren. “Of course, one option is much smarter than the other.”

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