The air at the Great Gate of Voidmore was thick enough to choke on—a heavy mixture of sulfurand the intimidating aura of thousands of demons preparing for their festival. The guard's spear remained leveled at the car window, the jagged metal tip mere inches from Hannah's throat.
"I said turn back!" the guard roared, his breath smelling of raw meat. "The Sovereign's Celebration has no room for the stench of mortality. If I see this vehicle in my sightline in ten seconds, I will peel the metal back and eat your hearts while they're still beating!"
Robert's foot hovered over the accelerator, his knuckles white as he prepared to pull a frantic U-turn. "Hannah, we have to go. This was a mistake. We'll find another way—"
"No," Hannah whispered, her voice a thin, raspy thread. She leaned her head against the window frame, her skin looking translucently grey under the violet sky. "Wait."
Suddenly, the aggressive shouting of the guards ceased. A silence fell over the gathered demon crowd, a hush of deep, ingrained respect and fear. The heavy thud of armored boots echoed against the bone-white stone of the gate. From the shadows of the inner archway stepped a man who looked less like a monster and more like a dark, fallen god.
He was tall, draped in a cloak of midnight-black fur that rested over shoulders broad enough to carry the weight of an empire. His armor was etched with gold, and his face was strikingly, dangerously handsome—sharp jawline, eyes the color of burning amber, and a smirk that promised both pleasure and pain.
"Thorn Theodore," Robert hissed under his breath, his voice vibrating with terror. "The Commander of the Demon Army. The Demon Lord's's right hand."
Thorn moved with a predator's grace, the crowd parting like a black sea before him. He ignored his soldiers, his amber eyes locking instantly onto the vehicle—or more specifically, onto the pale, shivering girl visible through the glass. His nostrils flared, catching the scent of her vulnerability, and a slow, predatory grin spread across his face.
"What is this?" Thorn's voice was like velvet over gravel, smooth but lethal. "A pair of stray lambs at the slaughterhouse gates?"
The guard who had been threatening them immediately hit one knee, his head bowed. "Commander! These humans refuse to leave. They are trespassing during the Great Ascendance. I was just about to... dispose of them."
Thorn reached the car and leaned down, his face inches from Hannah's through the open window. He ignored Robert entirely, his gaze raking over Hannah's collarbones, her messy hair, and her wide, tear-rimmed eyes. His lust was immediate and visible—a dark, possessive hunger that made the air in the car feel ten degrees hotter.
"Dispose of her?" Thorn mused, his voice dropping an octave. "What a waste of such delicate porcelain. She looks like she would shatter if I breathed on her too hard. I find that... intriguing." He stood up and snapped his fingers at the guards. "Let them in. They are my guests."
The guard looked up, stunned. "But Commander, the Sovereign's decree—"
"I am the decree while the Lord is in his meditation," Thorn snapped, his eyes flashing with a terrifying red light. "Open the gates. Now."
The massive, bone-white doors groaned as they swung inward. Robert drove the car forward with trembling hands, pulling into the shadow of the city walls. Thorn followed them, his cloak billowing behind him. As soon as the car stopped, he opened the passenger door himself, offering a hand to Hannah.
"Welcome to Voidmore, little bird," Thorn said, his eyes never leaving her body. "I am Thorn. And you are a very long way from home."
Hannah let him take her hand, her fingers small and cold against his massive, warm palm. She let out a small, scripted cough, leaning into his strength as she stepped out of the car. "Thank you... Lord Thorn. We were... so afraid."
"You have no reason to fear me," Thorn said smoothly, his thumb grazing her wrist, feeling the pulse she had intentionally slowed with her serum. "Unless, of course, you give me a reason." He turned his amber gaze to Robert, his expression instantly turning cold. "Now, explain. What are two humans doing in the heart of the Void on a day when my brothers are looking for blood to spill?"
Robert stepped forward, bowing as low as his dignity would allow. "Lord Commander, please forgive our intrusion. This is Hannah. She... she is an orphan. She has no parents, no kin, and no home left in the human sectors. Because of her fragile health, no one will hire her. They say she is a liability. I brought her here because I heard the demons value strength—and I hoped that maybe someone here would see the strength it takes for her to simply keep breathing."
Robert took a breath, his voice shaking. "I thought... perhaps she could find work. Even as the lowest servant. Just to have a roof and a scrap of food."
Thorn looked back at Hannah, his eyes traveling from her trembling lips down to her toes and back up again. He looked like a man who had just found a new toy he couldn't wait to break.
"A servant?" Thorn chuckled, the sound deep and resonant. "A girl this beautiful shouldn't be scrubbing floors, but I suppose everyone must start somewhere. It just so happens I am in need of a new personal attendant. My last one... lacked the stamina to keep up with my demands."
He stepped closer to Hannah, his shadow completely enveloping her. "I will hire her. She will come to my estate, and I will see if she is as fragile as she looks."
Robert's eyes went wide. The thought of Hannah in the hands of a man like Thorn—a man known for his carnal cruelty—was too much. "Wait! My Lord, perhaps a general kitchen position would be better? She is very sickly—"
"Are you denying me, human?" Thorn's voice turned dangerously quiet.
Hannah quickly reached out and caught Robert's sleeve, giving it a sharp, secret tug. She looked up at Thorn, a shy, submissive smile playing on her lips. "I would be honored, Lord Thorn. I am a hard worker, despite my body's failings. I will do whatever is asked of me."
Thorn's grin widened, his eyes darkening with a promise of the seduction—and the danger—to come. "I'm sure you will, little bird. I'm very sure you will."
Robert stood frozen, watching as the Commander of the Demon Army led his boss toward the dark heart of the city, knowing that Hannah McKay had just stepped out of the frying pan and directly into a very, very hungry fire.