Jason wanted to forget about what happened to him, to write it up as a nightmare that he woke from. But mostly, he wanted to snuff out the flames of foreboding at what Alaric was about to do with his blood. The untold destruction his blood could unleash, could cripple the supernatural community and threaten their existence if the war Alaric planned spilled out into the public. And that would end up in a disaster.

"Demon blood?" Mallory asked with a confused expression. "Where would they get demon blood?"

Jason stared at his best friend, wondering if she wasn't pulling his tail at the moment. He stole a glance at Astrid, who stifled a chuckle. "From me, Mally. Do you think the tail and horns are Halloween props?"

"But that's impossible! You're not a demon."

"Am now."

"But how is that possible?" she whisper-yelled.

Jason noticed her shoulder muscles tense. Who wouldn't? It was a miracle that Mallory didn't kick off the passenger door and jump out of the speeding vehicle to get away from him.

Jason sighed while rubbing his neck. He avoided touching his forehead, still freaked out that he had horns. "Well, let me start from the beginning."

And so Jason did, recounting what happened to him the night Alaric took him and imprisoned him, then collared him like a dog. When he began recounting what happened with the demon, he broke out into a sweat. He still couldn't believe he faced a demon and lived to tell the tale. After that, he told them how Alaric drained him of his blood and the tale of revenge from the vampire's story collection. He finally ended his story with how he turned into a hellhound when the rogue bit him.

The SUV pulled up to a private jet. Ishmael killed the engine and unbuckled his seat belt. "Let's get moving. We'll continue this conversation when we're in the air."

He then climbed out, followed by Astrid, Mallory, and then Jason. A light drizzle soaked Jason's hoody as he made his way toward the jet. Where we they heading? He nodded to the air hostess as he climbed the steps and entered the plane. Jason hurried to the nearest seat and settled into it. He then swiveled the chair to Ishmael.

"Can you tell me where we're heading?" Jason asked while watching Ishmael sort through a bunch of documents.

Ishmael glanced up. "We're heading to the headquarters of the Collective. They'll want to hear about Alaric's clever plot of revenge."

"Will the news even bother them? They've never really cared to intervene when such plots came to light. Why would they pay attention to this one?"

It was true. The Collective never gave a shit when the supernatural community came under threat. Just look at the Hunters. They had free rein to kill off werewolf packs, witches' covens and vampire nests without suffering for it. The only ones who had ever taken any actions against the Hunters were the Blooded and Werewolf council. So Jason thought that approaching the Collective was a waste of time. Those arrogant bunch of warlocks would never help.

"They have no choice but to help us. If they don't, they'll end up dead. I believe that once Alaric accomplishes his goal of killing off the Blooded council and the Alpha king, he won't stop there. With the demon blood, he's a genuine threat."

"How does having one's blood make you dangerous?" Mallory asked, looking out the window.

"Demon blood is potent in its ability to amplify a supernatural's abilities. A vampire who consumes even a drop of his blood"—Ismael's eyes fell on Jason, making him squirm where he sat—"becomes twice as strong as they naturally would be and they become resistant to magic. Demons by nature are resilient to magic and they have incredible endurance and superhuman strength that easily outclass all other supernatural creatures."

Cyron chuckled all of a sudden and said, "They don't know half of what we're capable of."

"And I don't either," Jason said. "I never wanted to be a demon or a hellhound... So keep your evil ways and abilities to yourself."

The hellhound yawned, seemingly unfazed by his words. "We'll see how your holier-than-thou attitude lasts when your friends suffer from your pride. You can't get rid of me. We are one, so get used to me."

Jason shoved Cyron back into the recesses of his mind, not wanting to listen to the hellspawn. A slow throbbing pain spread across his forehead. Rejecting your other half was never a smart idea and led to a lot of health problems. The worst of it, mental degradation. But Jason couldn't give a damn. The idea of being a demon made him want to rip Cyron out of him with his bare hands. Nothing good could come from accepting him.

"Jason!" Mallory gasped. "You're bleeding!"

Jason wiped his nose. A black liquid coated his fingers. His blackened blood proved that he was turning into an abomination.

Cyron hissed, "Fuck off, you twit! Have I done anything to deserve such hatred?"

No. Was the first thought that popped into Jason's head.

"Then stop calling us an abomination!" Cyron clawed at Jason's metal barriers, causing a bolt of pain to flare up. "The moment I start ripping innocent people's heads off, then you can bitch about how evil I am, but until then... Shut. The. Fuck. Up!" Cyron clipped the connection between us and fell silent.

Guilt crept through Jason's scarred soul. Was he being too harsh? True, since Cyron awoke, he had no desire to kill anyone. Though he believed demons to be soulless killers, Cyron has never once fought with him for control over his body. Jason began to question if he was the dick for not accepting his other half. Cyron was right. He wasn't going anywhere. Eventually, Jason had to accept the hellhound for his own good. But at the same time, his eventual acceptance of what he has become terrified the crap out of him.

Twenty minutes later, the jet engines hissed awake. The plane started taxing off until they barreled down the runway. Jason's claws extended, clawing into the leather seat. He hated flying. His ass sunk deeper into his seat as the jet took off. Jason closed his eyes and prayed that the plane didn't crash into the ocean.

***

Four hours later, the plane touched down in Houston, Texas, and they quickly disembarked. Jason wanted to kiss the asphalt, but the snicker coming from Cyron told him it was a silly idea. He followed Ishmael and Astrid to the first black SUV while the four bodyguards took the second car. Soon they rode out of the private airport toward the Collective's headquarters.

Jason got nervous as they neared the entrance portal which would take them to their destination. He didn't know how the bunch of scroll sniffers were going to react to him. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't turn against him or kick him out without helping him first. He couldn't fall into the clutches of Alaric again. Jason shuddered at the thought of what the crazy vampire had in store for him.

From the sign they passed, they drove into Hermann Park. The SUVs parked in a parking lot a few yards away from the statue. As Jason clambered out of the car, a sudden harsh breeze ripped his hoody off his face, exposing his horns, which immediately attracted attention from those around him. He would have panicked if there were any other people around, but the park had closed hours ago. Jason yanked back the hoody over his head, wanting to disappear from the world.

"Don't mind them, hot stuff," said Astrid with a wink. "They're just jealous. Horns are hot." She licked her red lips before strutting off, earning a chuckle from Jason.

The park was eerily silent except for the rustle of leaves from the trees. Still with no shoes on, Jason's feet splashed through several puddles of water as they walked toward an impressive monument of a man on a horse. Dark streaks of water curtained the pale granite of the monument. At first glance, the statue appeared normal. Nothing about the structure screamed out that it was magical, but as they approached it, a magical symbol over the archway glowed and a watery mist descended.

Without breaking his stride, Ishmael walked through the mist-like waterfall and disappeared from view. So did Astrid and their guards. Only Mallory and Jason lingered in front of the archway with trepidation in their eyes.

"Well, let's get this over with," said Mallory, holding out her hand to Jason.

A smile crept across his face before he took her hand and they walked through the portal into the unknown.

***

Jason yelled when pitch-black darkness met them. The only light they had came from the magical bridge they stood on. The bridge shimmered gold and magical runes ran its length. Jason gripped Mallory's hand tighter, seeking her comfort. Ishmael could have warned them. Ass! A slight tug pulled Jason forward. They slowly made their way across the bridge, terrified that they might fall over it. There were no railings stopping them from plunging into the abyss.

"Mally," Jason called out to her, but she didn't respond. Even he couldn't hear his own voice.

"Don't bother, Jason. This is the void. She will never be able to hear you," Cyron told him.

What the hellhound said was true. It was dead silent. Jason couldn't even hear their footsteps on the bridge, he could only feel the slight hum that tingled his bare feet.

Jason stared out into the darkness. "What is this place? It's so cold."

"This is the void dimension. A purgatory dimension where all the guilty souls are condemned. Even Hades sends his demons to this place when they displease him."

The coldness of the place seeped into Jason's shoulder blades. Even his demon blood couldn't keep him warm. Jason picked up speed and passed Mallory, taking up the lead. The faster they got to the other side, the better he'd feel. He was gripped by a slight paranoia. What would happen to them if the witches destroyed the bridge?

Cyron replied, making Jason run.

He glanced back to see the bridge behind them disintegrating. Jason screamed again, but only silence remained. When Mallory glanced back, her face bleached.

"Move your asses!" Cyron yelled out inside Jason's head. "I'm not spending an eternity stumbling in the darkness."

A surge of adrenaline pushed Jason's body into action. In one swipe, he lifted Mallory in his arms and ran faster. Once he glimpsed the closing portal on the other side, his fear soared to the heavens.

"Use our gift, you ass!"

Begrudgingly, Jason tapped into his demonic side. They disappeared into a column of black smoke and burning cinders that pelted across the bridge. They burst through the closing portal just as it disintegrated. Jason fell forward with Mallory in his arms. They landed on the cold marbled floor.

"Take him!" boomed a voice that rippled through Jason's bones.

Before Jason could gather his breath, chains clamped around his wrists and a numbing pain spread across the back of his head. The world faded into darkness with the sounds of Mallory's screams.