Danox and I parted ways in the courtyard, but not before planning to meet up later that night. He didn't ask why I needed the portal, and I continued wondering why until I ran smack into my ex-roomie Ri.

Her pristine white blouse was ruffled and one of the lavender straps of her boots had come undone. Loose strands framed her face, wide-eyed and flushed, as she raised both hands in a gesture I didn't even know she was capable of.

"S-so sorry," she stammered, for once not looking perfectly controlled and collected. "I totally wasn't—" Her eyes landed on my face, and she dropped her hands. "Oh. It's you."

Still the same old Ri.

I arched a brow.

"You're like a rash." She shouldered past me. "Always show up when you're least wanted."

"And here I thought for a second your personality was deeper than a kiddie pool." I adjusted the shoulder strap of my backpack and started down the corridor leading to the library. "Have a good one, Richelle."

Whatever she called after me was drowned out by the sound of a door slamming up ahead. No loss there, although it was strange seeing her this disheveled.

I was almost at the library entrance when none other than Aidan himself disappeared down the far end of the hallway. Thankfully, he'd had his back turned to me.

My brief encounter with Queen B was enough unwanted interaction for today, thanks very much. Then again, Ri was probably more interested in the secluded hallway than the vast place of peace and, most importantly, knowledge I was headed to.

Much to my relief, the library was practically empty. Leyn sat at her desk, perpetual scowl aimed at a group of dryads conversing quietly at the table closest to the window front. One of them, a girl with short sand-colored branches peeking out of the designated branch holes in her sweater, kept glancing between the group and Leyn and fiddling with the pen in her hands.

I didn't recognize her at first, but when her amber eyes met mine and she gave me a curt nod, it dawned on me. She had been a part of the team we'd snatched the flag from toward the end of the tournament. The surprise must have been evident on my face, but I still managed to return her greeting with a small smile.

"You again," Leyn greeted me when I approached her desk. "Classes are out 'till next week, you know?"

"I'm aware," I said. "Just came by to check on my favorite librarian."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." She sighed, put her pen on the stack of library cards between us, and placed her hands on either side of it. "What do you want?"

Glad to see Leyn hadn't lost her edge.

"Remember when you spoke to me about those stolen books?" I asked tentatively.

Her eyes narrowed to slits, and I resisted the urge to take a couple of steps back.

"Well, I was just wondering if"—I swallowed—"uh, were the books ever returned?"

"Yes..."

That was...good. I felt myself nod as a tiny sliver of relief settled in.

Leyn clasped her hands together, sending her pen spinning off the stack in the process. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Just, uh, you know asking 'cause you were a little, up—uh, upset about someone stealing them," I rambled, staring into those stormy eyes of hers.

Please don't owl out on me.

Lips pressed into a thin line, she nodded slowly. "In that case, rest assured. All is well again."

Her face spoke a different story. Still...

"Do you...know who took them?" I asked hesitantly.

"No," she growled, "do you?"

"Nope"—I shook my head vigorously—"not a clue." Time to change the subject. "Anyway, do you happen to have anything on hellhounds?"

"Not much in the biology section." Her scowl softened somewhat. "You'll find more in the historical section. Got a few books on Pyrarcis."

"Pyrarcis?" I echoed.

She arched a brow. "They are the primary guards..."

Say what now?

"Oh," was all I managed.

Could it be—was Haze a former inmate? Had he escaped from the most notoriously well-guarded prison in all the realms? Was he a wanted criminal?

No, that was ridiculous.

Yet...he clearly wasn't who he seemed to be. No demon of sloth moved like that.

Maybe Susie had been guarding his cell and he'd somehow bribed or befriended her and she'd stuck with him ever since, helping him evade the authorities.

That was...a little less ridiculous.

"You know," Leyn continued, reminding me that I was still under her scrutiny, "I may know you come here asking out of genuine curiosity"—her silver-white eyes flashed as she lowered her voice—"but I'm not sure everyone would draw the same conclusion."

I swallowed. "Duly noted."

Not that that was going to stop me. If anything, it confirmed that I was on the right track. Someone had already tried to kill me. The only thing that could have been worse was if they'd succeeded.

After briefly browsing the biology section and only finding a single book on the wildlife of Infernis, I hit the historical section and piled an additional five books on my strained arms. With the topmost tome threatening to fall off the stack, I slid into my favorite spot.

I sorted the books by publication date and flipped open the oldest one.

Hand-drawn sketches of emaciated dog-like creatures with burning eyes, protruding spines, and jagged blades for teeth covered page after page.

It took me longer than I cared to admit to figure out that these weren't realistic depictions, but rather what various researchers who weren't able to see them had imagined. Invisible subjects were bound to be a little tricky. Even more so since apparently only high-ranking demons were even capable of seeing hellhounds.

The next book proved to be a little more helpful. Some of the images looked quite similar to my own—albeit somewhat discolored—observations of Susie earlier today.

Most of the sketches depicted hostile hounds ranging from sandy gray to flaming amber to midnight black with snarling snouts and laid-back ears. There was no mention of how friendly, devoted, and fluffy these beings could be.

Hell, Susie had practically stuffed her fluffy head right in my face to comfort me.

Seeing nothing related to Pyrarcis or the purposes and uses of hellhounds in general, I closed this tome too and reached for the next one. Unfortunately, it merely included all kinds of useless information on their natural environment, physical attributes, and how to feed your hellhound to keep it nice and happy so it wouldn't bite your face off. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw peanut butter was a favorite treat.

That explained so much.

Still nothing about what I really needed to know. Next was a chunky textbook on Pyrarcis itself, its location, foundation, and even the soil and rocks' mineral components. The architecture and layout were trickier to find. According to this text, only two years after the entire structure was finished, the main architect and construction crew mysteriously disappeared.

Disappeared...sure.

Once I was done with this book, I leaned back and stretched. A series of cracks and pops made me realize I'd been sitting here for quite a while—and still knew next to nothing. Okay, not entirely true. Susie could swim, thrived in temperatures of up to 140 degrees, and loved apples.

Speaking of snacks, I sure could use one.

Dusky sunlight streamed in through the large windows, drowning the entire entrance of the library in a fiery orange as I sauntered toward the main doors. How fitting. The dryads were gone and even Leyn's desk was empty, but she was undoubtedly not far.

The hallway just outside of the library was dark, the only source of light coming from the sole vending machine just off to the side. It flickered when I approached, making me fumble and drop the five-dollar bill right in front of it. The heavy fire escape door I knew to be right around the corner opened with a loud creak and the money escaped my grasp once more as the draft carried it down the hallway.

Seriously?

I finally snatched it up and, with a triumphant smile on my face, started back down the hallway.

"...renewed in a month," a deep voice spoke quietly. "It's not looking good."

I pressed my back against the wall and froze.

A muffled curse sounded.

"The fae'll be a problem," a gruff, yet distinctly feminine voice whispered. "They won't go along with the seelies if the humans offer them a better deal."

That voice... It was too quiet to make out, but no doubt, I knew that voice.

"And they will," the familiar voice continued. "At least the giants won't budge. Even after the demon incident."

"They won't," the deep voice confirmed. After a short pause, the speaker continued, "I'm visiting Pandaemonium in two days."

"For all our sakes, I hope your source is trustworthy."

Hearing the hostility in that voice, it dawned on me.

It was Leyn.

A part of me was tempted to peek around the corner, but it was a miracle she hadn't noticed my presence until now.

The door creaked again.

Shitshitshit.

As quietly as possible, I sneaked back past the vending machine and through the library doors. My snack would have to wait. If Leyn found out I'd been eavesdropping, an empty stomach would be the least of my problems.

In one semi-swift movement, I slid into my seat and grabbed the next book, opening it to a random page in the middle. A grainy picture of a charcoal structure set in black rock greeted me, but I was too busy listening to the sound of the library door opening to appreciate its distinction. Only when I heard the door shut again and the soft rustle of papers, did I let out a deep breath.

I was about to skip to the beginning of the book when my eyes landed on a single sentence at the bottom of the page. It read:

Originally, the hounds of Infernis were solely perimeter guards of Pyrarcis. Upon discovering their astounding hunting abilities in the field, a select few were trained as trusty companions of the Ember Knights.

Just like that, I was right back in full research mode. I flipped the page, looking for more. Of course, there was nothing, because that would have been too easy, right?

I slammed the book shut and got up. Time to find some information on these so-called Ember Knights.

***

At 10 p.m. sharp, I sat on the stone table closest to Tenebris Forest with a lukewarm pumpkin spice latte in my hand.

This day had been quite revealing in unexpected ways. Just goes to show that going to the library was never a bad idea. Now I would just have to figure out how to confront a certain demon with my newly acquired information.

And find out whatever the hell Leyn and that stranger had been talking about.

No biggie.

Casually sipping my drink, I watched Danox exit the supernatural dorm and make his way over to me. His face was calm, but his eyes kept darting around the courtyard until he stopped in front of me.

He nodded at my coffee and sighed. "That smells good."

I offered him the cup, but he shook his head.

"You look like you're gonna need that caffeine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, eyes narrowed.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, suddenly solemn.

I brought the cup to my lips again before replying, "Yes."

He nodded. "S'go. I'm sensing whatever you need the portal for ain't gonna take five minutes."

"Probably not."

He turned on his heel and I hopped off the table and followed him into the forest. We walked in silence for the most part. The path had to be the same as last time, but without binoculars and my trusty Swiftness, I stumbled a whole lot more and saw a whole lot less.

What I didn't miss, however, was the hulking shape sitting on a fallen tree trunk right in front of the portal.

"Hey, Cupcake."

Haze...

So much for a peaceful evening.