Through a haze of disorientation, my eyes focused as Darkness crushed the gremlin with righteous fury. With an earth-shaking stomp, he flattened the monster before brutally flinging it out of the front door.
“Burn them all!” Darkness commanded before slamming the front shut.
He scooped me out and carried me to the couch. Concern filled his glowing eyes.
“There is a hole,” I said, pressing my hand to my forehead. “It needs to be sealed.”
“It has been closed,” Darkness said, his words running together. “Are you hurt?”
Wincing, I slowly moved my head from side to side. “Not really. Are you? The others?”
“We’re all good,” Darkness said, his jaw stiff. “They’re just, um, cleaning up.”
“We’re not safe here, are we?” I asked.
Darkness exhaled a long breath as if he’d been holding it for too long. “To be honest, I am not sure. We need you to try on the artifacts to see if that stops all of this. Time is running out.”
“Okay,” I said, touching my throat. “Is there any water here?”
Darkness chuckled. “Of course. I will get you some water.”
“Thank you,” I said, clearing my throat.
As Darkness stood, the imps started shifting, opening their eyes and slowly getting to their unsteady feet. Darkness’s eyes shifted around the room as if taking it in for the first time. He frowned as his gaze landed on the dead imp only several feet away.
“I’m sorry,” I said, sitting up. “I tried—”
“It is not your fault,” Darkness said before turning down the hall.
He was only gone for a few minutes before returning with a small glass of water. Darkness rubbed my back as I took a sip, and the imps worked to clean up the mess in Darkness’s living room.
After they finished, they circled around the dead imp and picked it up, each one of them having a hand on the body. Darkness muttered something in another language before they headed down the hall.
“What will they do?” I asked.
“Bury him,” Darkness said, kissing the top of my head. “He was loyal. And will be missed.”
“Is it possible he will be reborn?” I asked, meeting Darkness’s eyes.
He looked down and exhaled. “It is not.”
The front door popped open, and Storm, Nightmare, and Honor stalked inside one by one. Nightmare closed the door and walked over to the window, peering out into the front yard.
“Is it done?” Darkness asked.
“It is done,” Nightmare replied without turning.
Honor rubbed his hands together before sliding the chest into the middle of the room. “It’s time.”
“Um,” I said, biting my cheek. “Didn’t you swallow the key?”
“That’s right,” Honor said, pressing his hand to his chest. “I did.”
Honor inhaled quick breaths repeatedly, taking in the musty air that was still humid from the gremlin. His eyes watered as his hands clenched into fists, and his body trembled. With a guttural gagging, he doubled over, his face contorting as he wiggled his upper body. A violent cough rocked his body, and his throat convulsed as he fought to move the key upward.
With a noisy retch, Honor heaved, and the key emerged, flipping into the palm of his hand. He straightened himself, pushing his shoulders back as he cleared his throat.
“I’ll unlock it for you,” he said calmly.
He lowered himself to one knee and slid the key inside the lock. The hinges creaked in protest as he opened the lid and, with a breath, he turned it toward me.
“Go on,” he said, sweeping his hand in front of all the ornate boxes.
“How are things out there?” Storm asked as she stepped up behind Nightmare.
Nightmare crossed his arms, his voice laced with an undercurrent of tension. “Quiet, at least for the moment.”
Storm gave him a nod before turning back to watch me open the first smaller box. Inside was the necklace I’d taken from Noah’s house. Storm’s eyes lit up as she watched me drop the chain around my neck.
“Beautiful,” she mumbled.
In the next box, I found a ring with a gemstone in the center. My fingers trembled as I slid it down my middle finger, where it fit perfectly.
The third box held a pair of plain earrings carved with an intricate design. I felt like a child playing dress-up as I clipped them to my ears.
I opened the next box and pulled out a beautiful brooch with an onyx stone in the center. Storm, Honor, and Darkness stared in awe as I fastened it to the front of my shirt.
Next was a unique hair clip with sparkly bits of a crystal-like stone, and last, an arm cuff that elegantly encircled my arm. Slowly, I stood and held out my arms as my eyes flicked between Storm, Honor, and Darkness.
