Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
SOLSTON, PRESENT DAY
Wylder
Kerak appeared in the empty doorway of Derek’s office at the Hellhound Compound. “What’s going on, Wylder, is that you’re going to help me open the door to the Fae realm and stop your mother from killing my mate.”
Wylder’s ears started to ring.
His mother was alive?
As Kerak spoke, telling them his side of the story of sealing the door, Wylder could barely hear his words.
His mother was alive.
It was an endless mantra in his head.
“You’re sure?” he said suddenly, uncaring that he interrupted Kerak’s story.
Kerak fixed his dark gaze on Wylder, and for a moment, all Wylder could see was how awful Kerak looked. The demon king didn’t age and wouldn’t die a human death, but right now, he looked…pale. Fraught. Like a man balanced on a knife’s edge.
“I’m sure.” Kerak let out a breath. “Your mother is the only witch with the power to reach across realms like this. That’s why she was able to close the door.”
“But…” Wylder huffed, running a hand through his hair. “If she could do that, why hasn’t she? Why wouldn’t she have contacted us?”
Silva redoubled his grip on Wylder’s hand.
Wylder was grateful for the anchoring touch.
“I don’t know,” Kerak said. “Let’s open the door and find out.”
Kerak
“Are you out of your mind?” Silva stepped in front of Wylder again, squaring up with Kerak. “After everything we went through to keep the Hunt out of this realm, you’re willing to just invite them in?”
Kerak gritted his teeth. “You would be wise, Fae, to never question what I’m willing to do for Reid.
I’d burn this world to ash myself if it’d save him!
” He took a deep breath, attempting to pull the rage back under his control.
He lowered his voice and did his best to keep it even.
“I held the Hunt back once. I can do it again. Long enough to stop Maren’s spell. ”
“Why would my mother do this to your mate?”
Kerak shook his head. “I don’t know. There was never any bad blood between your mother and I. Nor was she the kind of person to hurt another without provocation. It stands to reason someone is forcing her hand.”
Silva narrowed his eyes. “Who?”
At this rate, his teeth were going to be powder in his head. Ignoring Silva, Kerak met Wylder’s gaze. “Will you come with me?”
Wylder hesitated for only a moment. “Yes.”
Surging forward, faster than he knew even Silva could track, Kerak gripped Wylder’s shoulder.
Keeping the fact that Wylder was half-human in mind, Kerak poured his power out, knocking Silva back at the same time he pulled Wylder forward and out of the office.
He threw Wylder over his shoulder and sped out of the building and up into the sky, bending gravity to his will.
Within moments, they’d reached their destination.
“What the fuck,” Wylder said, dropping to his knees to retch in the grass. He sucked in several shuddering breaths before looking around. “Where are we?”
“Cabot Park.”
“A car would have worked, you know.”
Kerak growled and stepped toward their destination. The door didn’t look like much—faded turquoise paint and a single security light, gently flickering in its holder.
Once Wylder was on his feet, he stepped up next to Kerak. “Wait…is this it? This is a maintenance shed.”
So it was. The shed was built into one of the sloping hills at the back of the park. From the front of the hill, it looked like every other one—covered in grass and dotted with wildflowers—but, from this side, the lone steel door set it apart.
Wylder turned to face Kerak. “This is the door to the Fae realm?”
“It is.”
Beside him, Wylder’s breath was still heaving.
Kerak watched him stare at the door. So much of Wylder’s short human life had been turned upside down because of this door when he’d only been a baby, and then again when he’d learned of its existence and his singular ability to open it.
Kerak wanted to give him a moment, but time truly was of the essence.
“Wylder. We need to open this door. Now.”
Wylder nodded and swallowed, turning his head to meet Kerak’s gaze. “You really can hold back the Hunt?”
“I can, and I will.” Kerak let out a breath. “I won’t lie, opening the door is dangerous. Silva and the others are right to be against it. But I…”
“You’ve got to save your mate.”
“Yes, and for me, no cost is too high to accomplish that goal.”
Wylder chuckled, but there was no humor in it.
“Silva’s going to be so pissed, but I get it.
If he was on the other side of this door, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to open it.
And knowing my mom is over there…” When he looked at Kerak again, the trepidation from before had vanished. “How do I open it?”
“Your blood. Just a drop. You’re the only half-human, half-fae in existence. You belong to both worlds, so this door is no barrier to you.”
Kerak lifted Wylder’s hand. He transformed the nail on the index finger of his other hand, letting it harden and lengthen into a smaller version of the talons of his demon body. Carefully, he made a small cut on the meatiest part of Wylder’s palm.
“Wylder! Don’t!” Silva’s voice rang out as he rounded the corner of the hill.
Kerak turned to face him, ready to intercept.
“I’m sorry, Silva.” Wylder glanced in Silva’s direction, then he reached for the doorknob with his bloodied hand.