“I got us permission,” Jesper said, stepping onto the platform. “Not an official squad mission, but Sabine cleared us three to speak to the family on behalf of the Supernatural Council and to collect any intelligence they’re willing to share.”
“Good enough for me,” I said, moving to stand beside Rune. My shoulder brushed hers, and the matebond gave a content little hum in my chest at the contact.
We stepped onto the crystal, and teleportation magic flared to life under our feet, blue-white light spiraling upward like rushing water. My stomach dipped as the world blurred into streaks of color, and then we snapped into the Demon Capital.
Heat washed over me in a thick, dry wave. Golden sand stretched past the wayfaer portal, dunes shimmering in the distance under a blazing sun. The city itself was carved from sandstone, towering buildings that buzzed with enchantments.
The teleportation crystal was next to the Demon Capital’s HQ.
Bram waited near the steps, arms crossed over his chest, horns casting sharp shadows across his face.
A demon man stood beside him, hunched slightly, looking as if he hadn’t slept in days.
“Slater,” Bram called, lifting a hand. His gaze flickered to Rune and Jesper. “You all made it fast.”
“Told you thirty minutes,” I said. “I’m a demon of my word.”
He huffed. “Rune, Jesper, this is Cliff. He’s the one who filed the death report. The drude’s brother.”
Cliff looked between us with tired teal eyes, his dark hair tied back at the nape of his neck. His aura felt frayed, grief and anger and something like shame flickering beneath the surface.
“Thank you for reaching out,” he said. “I heard that one of you killed my brother.”
Rune’s lips curled in a humorless smile. “Yeah. That was me. He kept forcing me to relive some of the worst things that have ever happened to me. Over and over. In vivid detail. He watched the nightmares as if he enjoyed them. I killed him to make him stop.”
I watched Cliff carefully, ready to step in if he got pissed off.
He let out a long, bitter breath and dragged a hand down his face. “I don’t blame you. You were protecting yourself. That’s more mercy than he ever showed anyone.”
The tension in my shoulders loosened a notch at his reaction.
Cliff reached into his satchel and pulled out a thin folder and a folded, worn notebook.
“My brother and I weren’t close,” he muttered. “We used to be, back when we were kids. Then, he started feeding too much and hurting people. He crossed so many lines. We stopped talking, but our mother got sick a few months ago. I needed money. He did, too. And the humans…” His lip curled in disgust. “…offered him a lot.”
“How much is ‘a lot’?” Jesper asked.
Cliff handed over the folder. “These are his bank statements and IP addresses I copied from his terminal before the demon reps took it. Every large transfer for the past year came from accounts tied to the Human Territory.”
Jesper flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning fast. “These are routed through at least three different regions, but the name attached is unmistakable.”
“Whettlocks?” I asked.
Cliff nodded slowly. “I think that’s what he called them once on a call. He never told me their exact names. Just said they paid well and didn’t ask questions. They sent him target profiles and locations. People they wanted him to break. It was his whole thing.”
Rune shifted beside me, anger flooding the bond.
I wrapped my arm around her and tugged her closer.
“I found his journal after they took his body,” Cliff went on, lifting the second item. “He kept notes on his jobs. Names, fragments, and little details. It’s messy, but maybe it’ll help.”
Jesper accepted it. “We’ll go through it with our analysts. We appreciate you talking to us.”
“I’m happy to be of help,” Cliff whispered. “I couldn’t stop my brother from making bad choices, but maybe I can help stop the people who paid him to do horrible things.”
It was more than I’d expected.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
