Page 14 of To Hell and Back
A nightclub was located in the large atrium to the left of the main structure with a domed ceiling. The interior of the building could be altered into a concert hall or a ballroom for special events. It was only open on the weekends, and even though it was located in the middle of nowhere, it always seemed to be packed.
Overall, The Manor was its own magical kingdom.
The short drive up to the entrance only took a few minutes, yet it was still enough time to alert the owner of their presence. Arson Altera was waiting for them outside the entrance with his hands braced on his hips, completely unconcerned by the falling rain. His long bronze hair had been pulled back in a messy bun, and his usually glowing gold eyes were dimmed to a more appropriate amber.
Wearing an old, faded T-shirt for a metal band that had been popular in the 80s that looked like it had been washed about a thousand times, jeans, and a pair of flip-flops, he looked more like a college student who had just rolled out of bed than a powerful dark angel and successful business owner. However, he was well known for being an eccentric soul so his attire wasn’t that surprising.
Arson had once been one of Lucifer’s most trusted generals, but now the dark angel spent his days in a more leisurely manner as the owner of the private club. As a member of the Guardians, he kept a close watch over the entire Pacific Northwest. He used his club to monitor the supernatural community within the area in addition to extracting valuable information from the patrons who visited the club.
Because Arson and his crew usually had everything under control, Killian hadn’t had to visit this particular location in quite a while. He secretly admired how well the dark angel had acclimated to living in the Human Realm. It took a lot of work to blend into the human community as seamlessly as he had. Arson even pretended to inherit the property from himself every few decades just to keep the locals from asking too many questions.
When the vehicle pulled in front of the entrance, Dario said, “I’ll meet you inside after I park.”
Since he was a fanatic about their collection of vehicles, there was no way he would ever let a stranger drive one.
As the car rolled to a stop, Anika climbed out of the backseat and shot the eager valet who rushed forward an icy stare that made him freeze in place. Waving him away, she rounded the car and opened the door for Killian herself, standing like a sentry until he got out. It was amusing that they treated him as if he wasn’t capable of doing simple tasks like opening doors or driving himself around, but he allowed them to fuss over him without complaint.
Being the boss certainly had its perks.
Arson strode forward to meet them as Dario drove off toward the parking lot. In lieu of a proper greeting, he grumbled, “It must be really bad for you to drag your ass all the way out here. What the hell happened?”
As was his habit, Killian created a magical barrier around them so their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. The invisible safeguard also shielded them from the rain. “I was hoping you could tell me. There was a significant magic surge in this area not too long ago. I want to know who or what caused it.”
Arson frowned as he led them toward the entrance. “I was wondering what that was. Something woke me from a sound sleep, but I couldn’t figure out what happened. Wait. Weren’t you in Italy? How the hell did you—never mind.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to for a second. You reapers have all kinds of weird abilities I don’t know about.”
“Did anyone else sense anything?”
“I just started asking around before you arrived. So far, only the dark angels and a few of the more powerful demons on staff sensed something, but none of us could tell what it was or where it came from.”
“I’d like to speak to them.”
“Of course. I’ll arrange it.”
“Is Neely around?” Anika asked, cutting in. “I have a few fairy questions I want to ask her.”
“I just saw her a few minutes ago in the dining hall. I should warn you, she has been training some new kitchen staff, so she might be in a foul mood.”
“Noted.” She glanced back over at Killian, who gave a slight nod of permission for her to leave. “Would you like for me to arrange rooms for us?”
Killian would prefer to teleport home, but he didn’t want to leave until he figured out what had caused the influx of magic. “Might as well.”
She bowed her head before striding away.
“Do you want me to clear the club out?” Arson asked. “There are several humans currently on the premises.”
“There’s no point in interrupting your business until we know more.”
“Don’t worry about that. Not a lot of people are going to be venturing out in the rain today anyway. I’ll just have Celine spread the word that we are closing for a private event,” he said, mentioning the dark angel who had been his second-in-command since The Manor had opened. “It’s not often we have a dark god show up for a visit, so we might as well make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Let’s head up to my office, and I’ll arrange for the staff to come up and join us.”
As they strode through the private club, Killian took note of the people they passed. Everyone did their best to avoid glancing at him. He couldn’t blame them for that. He knew his presence made people uneasy, but that couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t personal. It was simply the power structure of the supernaturals. Even though he was concealing most of his powers since they were out in public, there was still no mistaking what he was.
Someone powerful enough that everyone naturally feared him.
Killian enjoyed leaning into his dark and mysterious reputation. In fact, he reveled in it. He found that people tended to be more honest when they were afraid. Even if they didn’t speak the truth, their body language could speak volumes. However, using fear wasn’t always the best option to get the information he required, especially when questioning the innocent. Because of that, he would allow Arson to do most of the talking.
They could have teleported directly to the office, but walking around the club was routine for Arson. Killian didn’t mind taking the long way. It gave him the chance to observe what had changed since his last visit to The Manor.
While the interior still had the aesthetics of an opulent private club, a lot of the décor had been updated, replacing some of the old-world elegance with a more modern style. The crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling looked like they belonged in an ancient cathedral, yet the art on the walls ranged from classic masterpieces to contemporary creations.
