Chapter 207 Chapter 207
Nicholas Clarke’s brows furrowed. “No doubt about it. I have to notify the others. We won’t take any risks; this time we’re prepared for him.”
Maxwell nodded and stopped near the window, gazing outside at the bleak landscape. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes conveying sincere gratefulness that Nicholas Clarke had rarely seen on him. Surprised, he managed to nod.
“Leave it to me,” Nicholas Clarke said.
---
Mason had lingered on a nearby rooftop, watching the house burn. He smirked at the firefighters who tried to douse the flames—as if that would work. To scare these foolish humans, Mason made the flames rise higher, become hotter until they turned blue. He planned on watching the spectacle until it was over.
Only a minute ago, he had seen the demon storm inside the house, laughing at his stupidity. Maxwell wouldn’t stand a chance against him, no matter what he did. However, Mason became suspicious when he sensed the presence of a hell gate nearby—it had been opened inside the house, and that could only mean one thing.
They had escaped.
Reacting to his anger, the flames engulfed the roof, eating its wooden beams and making it collapse. He clenched his hands into fists, opening another hell gate for himself.
“I will find you,” he snarled and entered hell.
\---
Valerie awoke when she heard muffled voices and felt Maxwell’s overwhelming anger in the back of her mind. She groaned, rolling on her side and rubbing her eyes. As soon as her memories of the fire returned, she tensed up, looking around in the bedroom and searching for Maxwell. Unfortunately, he wasn’t here, but she had heard his voice just now, so he had to be nearby.
She pulled back the cover and got out of bed, running her hand through her hair to make it look a little less disheveled. Putting on her sneakers, she nearly stumbled over her own feet in her haste to get to him. Valerie ripped open the door and hurried to the living room, following the sound of the familiar voices.
When she entered the room, all eyes moved to her. The nine demons were here, scattered through Maxwell’s spacious living room. Some of them were standing, others sitting on the sofas, but they had one thing in common—their anger. The rage they felt was palpable, their demonic magic waiting to be set free.
“Valerie,” Nicholas Clarke said, breaking the silence that her arrival had caused. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m alright,” she answered with a weak smile before she joined Maxwell on the sofa, seeking his proximity. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in.
“Did something happen while I was asleep?” she asked.
“No,” Liam answered. “We arrived around an hour ago, and all we did was wait for that bastard to show up. But he is taking his time… and that isn’t a good sign to me.”
The fear in her stomach grew and was accompanied by nausea. “You think he’s planning something?” she breathed.
“Of course,” Xander nodded. His piercing eyes were shining with madness, and Valerie shuddered upon seeing the sinister emotions within his gaze. He wasn’t here to have fun—he was here for revenge like all of them.
“He won’t get close to you,” Maxwell said lowly, his tone dark and voice shaking with rage. “Not again.” He took her hand, squeezing it lightly, and she held on to it, the physical contact with him offering comfort to her.
“Valerie, do you want to tell us what exactly happened at your home?” Nicholas Clarke asked carefully, not sure whether she was ready to speak about it yet. To him, she looked rather pale and wasn’t in the best state.
“Um… well, Mason showed up while Maxwell was away. Of course I didn’t open the door nor did I let him in since I knew that something was off when I sensed his fire magic. But a locked door doesn’t keep a demon out,” she explained, her eyes resting on Maxwell’s and her linked hands. His thumb traced gentle patterns on the back of her hand while she spoke. He knew very well how unsettled she was, so he tried to calm her down.
“When he kicked the door in, I tried to run to the windows, but he blocked them with fire and trapped me. There was no way out, so I defended myself with my magic… but surprisingly, he never attacked me directly. All he did was set the entire apartment on fire. The furniture, the ceiling, everything. I think he… he wanted to drag it out.”
She swallowed hard as she relived these scary moments.
“But that’s not all. You should know that Mason wasn’t a stranger to me,” she continued with a lump in her throat. The demons stared at her in stunned silence, waiting for her to elaborate. “I met him briefly a few days ago. It happened in the mall. We ran into each other by accident, and after I apologized, he introduced himself as Jimmy.”
“You met that bastard when you were alone?” Maxwell snarled. His body emitted an eerie reddish light, and his sudden rage made her uncomfortable since it felt like an explosion of fire within her.
“Maxwell, calm down.” Nicholas Clarke interfered, glaring at him.
“I didn’t know it was him,” she said quietly. “He hid his magic somehow, and I had no idea that he was actually a demon.”
“Fuck,” Maxwell hissed. “That could have ended terribly! You could have died!”
“I know,” she breathed weakly. His shoulders heaved, and his eyes were filled with agitation, but once he realized how defeated and sad she looked, he reined himself in.
“I won’t leave you alone until he’s taken care of,” he said stubbornly and inched closer to her, intending to reassure her. He felt the fearful flutters of her heart in his own chest. Her apprehension was that strong. Maxwell didn’t want her to be scared anymore; he finally wanted her to be happy, and he longed to feel her joy return. It was his brightest light, and he refused to let go of it.
“When will that bastard finally show himself?” Xander snapped, glaring out the window, but of course, nobody could answer his question.
Unbeknownst to them, they were done waiting at this exact moment. The only warning Valerie received was a stinging in her wrist, and then they were plunged into chaos. The windows behind the sofas exploded. Razor-sharp shards of glass shot towards them. The demons were caught off guard, and Valerie sat in shock as the projectiles flew at her. Maxwell was the first to react, lunging at her and knocking her down. He kneeled above her and used his magic to shield them from the glass.