Chapter 1
Villain Vibes
Iexpected a fight the second I arrived on location, but I wasn’t greeted with one. The decrepit house near a vast expanse of forest was empty. I searched the space for anything out of the ordinary, and just as I was about to give up, I sensed magic appearing out of nowhere.
My core panged in alert, and the dagger I brought to Kate’s like always was already lifted. It was special-made with three different metals: silver, gold, and iron. It was a great way to cover all my bases.
A weird dark portal split and shifted the colors in front of me, warping the area around it. Out of it came a woman I’d never seen before, but my Hunter instincts told me I didn’t want to attack this one just yet, not unless I wanted to die before saving my friend.
Major villain vibes.
“You’re…smaller than I expected,” the stranger said out of nowhere, towering over me with her model height, all legs and curves. Her glossy pale green hair was oddly perfect on her with her fiercely pink stare.
She definitely wasn’t of this world. Her pointed ears suggested some sort of Fae. A creature from another world—literally, if the portal was anything to go by. No surprise, this chick was also gorgeous. They all were, especially the dangerous ones.
She wasn’t dressed for a fight, but that didn’t mean much. I’d fought a tragically fashion-challenged villain wearing latex once. There wasn’t such a thing as dressing for a fight in this fantasy world unfolding around me every day after Phillip strutted his way into my life.
Shit, he’d be so pissed I’d gone out on my own and ditched my phone and tracing rings at Kate’s house. But what was a girl supposed to do when her best friend was in the clutches of an evil mistress who could possibly be a goddess of another realm?
She might not look the part of an evil villain, but magic didn’t require an outfit of choice, just a desire to kill, and I’d keep my special power close to my chest until it was worth exposing what I could do. I wasn’t sure what would or wouldn’t work on whoever and whatever this psycho hottie was.
I gave my body a little cursory sweep before smirking. “Not sure what that means, but thank you?”
My guard was all the way up when she stepped out of the portal and it stayed open. “Your chatty little pink-haired human pet is unharmed and well cared for. If anything, it’s because of me that she is. I just wanted to talk a bit and show you something.”
Because of her? What did that mean?
I didn’t move back when she took another step. I kept my cool despite the swirling thoughts about Kate. Guess Sloan, Phillip, and Jo were rubbing off on me.
Badass Hunter level unlocked.
“I don’t know who you are, lady, but I think you and I both are smart enough to know nothing good ever comes from someonesaying those words. It’s basically the start of every poorly scripted horror movie, ever.”
A smile ghosted across her mouth before she snapped her fingers and the black portal showed an image instead of oblivion. The visual moved like it was in motion, a camera on a track, until it stopped on Kate laid out on some sort of couch, though it wasn’t any furniture I’d ever seen before.
My human friend’s eyes were closed. She was in the usual band t-shirt and shorts with her messy hair in another haphazard bun. Her military boots were on the cushion as she curled up, chest visibly rising and falling to indicate life. A soft glow surrounded her, but otherwise she seemed untouched. No bruises or marks. No blood.
Kate was unharmed exactly like Psycho Hottie said.
I swallowed the debilitating emotion inching its way into my throat. It’d been my greatest fear to see her taken and in the middle of the dangerous part of the life I’d kept from her. It’d been selfish to keep in contact with her, but I couldn’t fathom letting Kate go. I didn’t want a life without her in it. Now I had to wonder if this was my punishment.
“Come collect your pet, and we’ll have our chat. It’s good you came alone. Negotiations would’ve broken down before they’d started had you not. I don’t want to hurt an innocent to make a point, but I will if given no other choice,” she warned, her head tilting slightly, the sunlight breaking through the window catching a pointed ear.
The threat was said with an air of someone powerful, and I didn’t doubt she’d make good on it. I’d need to be careful with what I said and did.
The second I entered that portal, I was on my own. Something told me it was a portal to another realm, and once I stepped through, unless she wanted me to come back, I wouldn’t. Nomatter how powerful my friends were, I didn’t think they’d find me wherever this doorway to Hell led.
“Who are you?”
“Exactly the person you’ve been looking for.”
“And who’s that?”
Her smile grew. She turned away from me and tossed her answer over her shoulder before disappearing into the portal without waiting for me to follow. “One.”
My heart pounded to life, and despite knowing it was a mistake, I followed her into the portal.
The once decrepit location morphed into what I could only describe as otherworldly architecture. Nothing made sense. Some parts of the walls levitated in place. Some were constructed by color and air, translucent yet solid. My eyes homed in on my unconscious friend before One, the Ancient Fae I’d been hunting on Lux’s payroll, got in the way.
