There's an elevator behind the staircase and the guard pulls me inside. I hug up against the wall while the guard watches me, taser at the ready. Does Ehtab truly mean for me to watch this so-called ceremony or did he just say that to lure me into a false sense of security?

I've faced hundreds of monsters and slain every single one. But I'm at a loss at how to fight a demon.

The elevator rises six floors to the top of the building. Doctor Parrish-Abbott is waiting for us when the doors open with four red guards. She looks me up and down blandly. "Search her," she commands as the taser-wielding guard shoves me forward.

Rough hands dig into every fold, every pocket in my clothes and pull out all of my hidden knives, flash-bangs, and paperwork. They strip the boots off my feet while I have to lean on the wall to keep my balance. They even dump the contents of my pouch on the floor.

"A stuffed owl and a Little Critters book?" the doctor asks, genuinely befuddled as she reaches down to pick them up. "Why the hell are you carrying these?"

One of the guards throws a boot carelessly down in front of me. Scowling, I snag it with a dirty, sock-covered foot and stuff it back on. "Because I want to."

"Whatever," the doctor sighs. "You can have them back." She tosses them onto the floor with as much disdain as the guard did with my boot.

I bend down and scoop them into the pouch, clipping it onto my belt. The tightness in my chest eases somewhat now that I have them close by.

"This way," the doctor says, gesturing for me to follow. "Don't even try to rubberneck."

She doesn't know me very well, does she? I have very little curiosity. Being curious, as I told her daughter, only serves to get you killed.

We walk down a sterile hallway peppered here and there with light brown doors. I don't even attempt to read the plaques attached to the wall.

The doctor reaches a door near the end of the hall and pulls a key from her lab coat pocket. "In you go," she says, making a sweeping motion with one hand.

I step around her, slowly pulling off my gloves as enter the room. The doctor reaches around me to flick on the light switch. The room is suddenly lit up and I look around, just a little curious as to what will be my prison for the next few days (or coffin).

It's just an empty office with blacked-out windows overlooking the stable yard. A white desk rests against the right wall with an old desk top computer sitting unplugged atop it. Empty shelves line the wall closest to me and a short couch is positioned beneath the windows.

I turn around in a slow circle and come to a stop in front of the doctor.

She regards me mildly. "We'll have some blankets and pillows brought up for you, as well as some food." She pauses, then gestures to my pouch. "I'd offer you some books to read, but I'm sure they would be well above your reading level."

The skin between my eyes wrinkles, the only reaction I'll give the woman.

"Well, then." The doctor sighs dramatically and looks around the room. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. Just don't try to escape. Creatures like to roam the halls at night and you're without your toys."

Am I? But I say nothing as she closes the door behind her. I hear a click as a lock is turned, securing me in the room.

Standing away from the door, press my ear to the wall and listen to the sound of booted feet fade down the hall. For a brief moment, I consider building a ward around the room, but I have nothing to replenish my electrolytes. And there's always the chance that I'll need all of my strength. So I grab the only thing I can safely move without drawing any attention to myself—the desk chair.

I position it beneath the door handle and step back, hands on hips as I stare at this flimsy attempt at barricading myself in the room. It's good enough, I suppose.

Retreating to the couch, I sit down and pull off my boots and socks, letting my toes cool on the tile floor. Immediately, my thoughts swing back to Ehtab's throne room.

What was it the demon said? Which angel was her father?

I rub my face with both hands. That's not what I heard—is it? No, I sigh, there's no mistaking it. Ehtab just called her the child of an angel.

There's a word for what that is, isn't there? I purse my lips and wrack my brain for an answer. But there isn't much room in there for useless trivia—just different monsters and how to kill them.

God, I breathe, then start to chuckle softly to myself. If anyone's listening, not only will they think that I'm slow but insane, too.

It's plainly obvious that Ehtab is prepared to sacrifice the kid—or, at the very least, try to channel her abilities into opening more portals to Hell.

I've got to get her out of here. The daughter of an angel whom I willingly brought into a demon lord's den.

I nearly break out into laughter as the thought crosses my mind.

Who'd have thought it? Raine Barlow—dark, depressed Raine Barlow—has a conscience. Frustration gnaws at my chest and I lean back against the wall. I can't let Ehtab sacrifice her. Not because I care for the kid—I don't—but I can't allow this world to be overrun by any more demons.

Now, the only question that remains is: how do I get us both out of here without getting killed?

Certainly not with anything in this rather sterile room. My eyes drift around the tiny office; I suppose I could rip the shelves off the wall to use as batons, but they'll almost certainly hear me pry them off.

That's when my attention focuses on the computer. I frown, staring at it. There's no way that thing actually works, right? They wouldn't leave a prisoner in a room with the means to contact someone on the outside? But then again, the internet works just as well as TVs around here.

A frown creases my mouth as I study the computer from afar. I haven't used one in ten years and this one looks fairly similar to the ones in my parents' lab.

I look over my shoulder and out the window. The sun is starting to set. I won't attempt anything until nightfall, when they think I'm asleep. I have to make sure not to even look at the computer, lest they take it away.

------------

It's nearly nighttime when someone remembers that I'm in here. I've fallen asleep sitting up on the couch and awaken to a heavy hand pounding on the door.

"Coming!" I call out, moving swiftly across the floor and yanking the chair away. I quickly position it in front of the couch, as if I've used it to prop my feet up, and open the door.

The blonde receptionist with the demonic brand on her neck is standing there flanked by four red guards. Awr, that's sweet—they think I'm enough of a threat to warrant a small army.

"Here," the woman says, thrusting the blankets she's carrying in her arms at me.

Only my quick reflexes save the blankets and pillow from falling in a heap onto the floor. I grunt softly and turn to place them on the couch.

When I turn back around, the receptionist fairly shoves a cart into the room. "Your dinner," she sneers, taking the tray and putting it on the tile.

What am I? Some sort of dog?

"Are you going to make me eat it off the floor?" I ask, crossing my arms and glaring.

The woman sniffs. "I don't care where you eat it, Hunter. Just don't make a mess." She pivots in a cloud of cloying perfume and leaves, slamming the door behind her hard enough to make the empty shelves rattle. The lock clicks and I'm once again alone.

Bitch.

I bend down and pick up the tray. Well, would you look at that—they actually trust me with real cutlery.

Walking back to the couch, I set the tray on the chair and sit down, keeping the door in sight. Picking up the knife, I prick my pinky finger and whisper a small spell over the meal. It's a common enough one and doesn't require that much energy. I feel the magic settle over the tray and sweep my eyes over the steak covered in some sort of brown sauce, mashed potatoes, corn and mug of foamy beer. Nothing lights up red, which is a good sign—they're not trying to poison me.

Dabbing my pinky with the corner of the napkin, I pick up the fork and start eating. The food is good, but I don't have time to savor anything. I need to eat and try to get that computer to work.

The beer is awful, but they didn't give me any water, so I suck it up and chug the piss-colored alcohol.

Wiping my mouth on the napkin, I ball it up and toss it atop the cleaned plate. Setting the tray on the floor, I take the chair and carry it over to the computer.

There's a plug trailing down the back. Bending down, I see an electrical socket and plug it in. That part accomplished, I settle in the chair and look for the power button. Technology hasn't had any time to advance since the Turning, so it's where I remember it on my parents' consoles.

To my surprise, the computer boots up. I glance over my shoulder as the machine hums to life, but no one appears to be banging down my door.

The screen lights up with the Orcus Institute's logo over a plain blue background. There are several icons on the screen: a word program, spreadsheet program, an empty folder, the icon for an internet browser, and ... OI Employee Portal.

Something akin to a thrill shoots down my back. It can't be this easy, can it?

Glancing over my shoulder, I double-click on the portal icon. A grey rectangle pops up, requesting a username and password.

Shit.

Chewing on my right thumbnail, I stare at the screen. The last time I sat in front of an Orcus Institute computer was when I was a child and my mother would plop me down and let me play games to keep me occupied.

An idea hits me just then—a long shot, sure, but I might as well try it.

Username: AvalineGreene

Password: Grace0521

The cursor hovers over the "enter" tab on the portal as I stare at that jumble of letters and numbers that have begun to crumble and fade as the years have passed. I haven't whispered my parents' names in a decade to any living person or creature—not even Winston. Only Jae-Seong knows their identity—and my real name.

An unexpected lump forms in my throat. I haven't been Grace in a long time; that girl died when I was eight, a victim of the Orcus Institute's overzealous leadership. Raine Barlow was born from the wreckage and forged in desperation.

I click "enter" and a whole menu pops up.

Damn, it worked.