Page 218 of Dark Haven Omegaverse

Elkan gave a noncommittal shrug. “He worked under the warden for all the years I’ve been here. I can’t speak for his worth.”

It seemed the only choice I had was to take risks and punish those who defied me.

“Would you be dumb enough to cross your Queen?” I questioned. His eyes flitted from me, to Elkan, Kol, then Monty before going back to me.

He dropped to his knees, bowing his head low enough it brushed the dirty floor.

“No, My Queen, I would not betray you. We were forced to do what the warden wanted, and what Hel wanted. I’ll be just as loyal to you as I was to her.”

Not exactly a reassuring statement, but it rang with honesty. Even Helheim seemed to approve, a small fraction of magic shifting toward the kneeling demon.

“Then you will be the new warden and you will fix this mess. Your life depends on it. I will be back often to check on your progress. This includes the men I’ve chosen to be at my side. You will treat them with the same respect. They speak for me.”

“Yes, My Queen.”

Helheim and I were so in tune, I didn’t have to question how much power to send into him. I left it up to the realm to decide what and how much he needed, and the moment I felt the power halt, I pulled away.

“Send word if you need us,” I told him. “I have more of the realm to see. I’ve gotten what I came for and I’ll be taking these three with me. You will not under any circumstances let the former warden out. He is to remain here unless I say otherwise.That power I gave you can easily be taken away and you could join his fate.”

“Understood,” the warden said before letting out a shrill whistle. He stood tall now, sure of himself. The guards all fell in line behind him as he led them away.

They were the most well-organized group of demons I’d seen since being introduced to this world. It was at least a little reassuring to witness.

Maybe they wouldn’t fuck this up in my absence. Then again watching the former warden’s head torn from his body was sufficient motivation.

“Elkan, is there anyone else who needs to be released before we go?”

My adviser shook his head. That was good enough for me.

“The others are free to go, their cells are still open. They’re far too weak to travel and you can’t give power to everyone. Only time will heal them, you’ve done enough.”

“Then are you ready to meet your son?”

I’d never seen a demon pale but I swear Elkan’s color changed and he looked uncertain.

It was such a human emotion that it would have been funny if not for the fact his human emotion was exactly what set him apart from the other demons.

In fact, he helped me more than anyone else had been able to. I’d take wins wherever I could get them in this life.

They were already crowded around me, so I set sights on the castle, reaching out for Drake’s energy and using it as a guide.

The shift was smooth but even before I opened my eyes, I knew I’d succeeded.

The air was no longer damp and stale. Instead, it was fresh, and a warm breeze blew through my hair.

I hadn’t realized how bad it was in the Scourge until I was here and took a deep breath of the clean air.

“Remind me not to go to the prison again for a very long time,” I said with relief. We all needed a shower and fresh clothes, but we were free of that place for now.

“I second that,” Kol muttered as he shook out his wings, stretching them to their full expanse.

“Harlow?”

The voice that called out my name was familiar, yet strange. My chest tightened as I turned to take in the man standing across the room.

I knew without a doubt it was my Hiro. He had too close a resemblance to Roman and his former body to not be.

If that wasn’t a dead giveaway, his sweet and smoky scent was. He was all beta, a soothing tone mixing in now.

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