Page 234 of Dark Haven Omegaverse

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I pushed through them and walked straight to the flame. Helheim’s presence urged me toward it, and I would not ignore it. The realm hadn’t steered me wrong yet.

I didn’t stop walking until I had stepped out of the flames and into the familiar courtyard. As Dark Haven came into focus, my jaw dropped at what I saw.

Harlow

Dark Haven Institute

Dark Haven was a shell of its former self. The courtyard was barren and coated in embers and ash. The air was stale and smoldering as the blue fires licked the walls, not burning it but marking it as the connection to our new realm. A shining beacon to call the demons home, though they ignored the call.

“It’s too quiet,” Hiro said. His voice was low like he couldn’t help but whisper among the lack of noise in the air. Even beyond Dark Haven, I couldn’t hear sirens or traffic.

“Agreed,” I muttered as I wrapped my fingers even tighter around my spear. Unease settled in my gut, but I pushed myself forward regardless, stopping by the door to ensure the others had made it through.

When Monty was the last to step through, I pushed open the door to enter the first floor.

The space used to be brightly lit and buzzing with activity. Now it was devoid of any signs of life and covered in debris.

“What the hell happened?” I breathed out. “Kol, there are no gargoyles here?”

The demons all likely ran out of the walls, but the gargoyles should still be standing vigil.

Kol pulled out the horn I hadn’t realized he’d brought back to this side of the portal. He put it to his lips and blew.

There was a hiss down the hall, at least one demon here, but no strong beating of wings or rumble of heavy stone men rushing to our aide.

“They’re gone,” he confirmed in a somber tone. “I just don’t understand how.”

“Wait,” I said, suspicious. Pushing my way through them and outside again, I glanced up at the rooftops. My stomach sank at the sight of the piles of rubble that stood on top. “Could the demons have really done that?”

“Demons are their enemy and likely could, but why,” Monty said. “Not when freedom was this close. I have a feeling this was also Hel.”

“Then why haven’t they reformed?” I shot back. “Take me up there.”

My power and connection to Helheim still thrummed through my veins but it was muted. I’d rather save my energy for an actual battle.

Kol wrapped one arm around me and flew me to the top, setting me down among the debris.

Or body parts.

Even if they were stone, it was a pile of arms, wings, heads, legs, and torsos.

Someone had made swift work of ending them. It seemed impossible anyone, even low level demons, could harm a group of alpha gargoyles in one fell swoop.

“She likely attacked them through the portal,” Drake pointed out. “Their job wasn’t just to stop demons from escaping, it was to keepanythingfrom crossing the portal and out to the world. Like Hel herself.”

“Then we need to get them back to the portal,” I said, fighting off my empathy. Monty constantly told me I had to lose it, but I couldn’t… no, I didn’t want to.

My magic was weaker here but I tried to draw the power through the portal and wrap it around the stone. Sweat formed as I did what I could, but it wasn’t until an icy coldness spread around it and I glanced up to Monty’s shadows helping, that it actually worked. We were stronger together.

We worked with the gargoyles flying down as many pieces as they could carry. When the roof was cleared, I had Kol and Roman sweep the grounds for more, only moving on when they came back empty the last time.

I hoped the demons or gargoyles they stationed outside would give them space to heal.

“We need to move on,” I said, voice hard even though inside I was a mess. Every new and awful scene we uncovered had more hate forming for the awful Queen who caused it.

“The elevator likely won’t work,” Roman pointed out as we walked back inside. The electricity here was out altogether.

“This place has generators,” Drake said. “After we check the third floor we can head downstairs and check on them.”

---