Page 26 of Demon Unleashed

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After getting changed and getting rid of any trace of his subjects’ blood, Zoltan cast a vortex in an alley behind his condo building and descended into the Underworld. He was still seething from the events of less than an hour earlier. Somebody had sent the third demon and undermined his brilliant plan.

And the demon hadn’t been surprised to see him. As if he’d expected Zoltan. Had he been sent by the same person who’d sent an assassin after Zoltan only a few months earlier? Ever since then, Zoltan had been extra cautious about not announcing his movements to anybody, not even to his closest associates—not even to Vintoq, his right hand. Which meant somebody was tracking his movements. How, he wasn’t sure yet. None of his demons knew of the cell phone he used in the human world, and he never carried any other electronic devices with him when he left the Underworld.

Zoltan felt solid ground under his feet, stepped out of the vortex, and closed it behind him. He stood in the middle of one of the three vortex circles, the only places in the Underworld where a demon could cast a vortex. In the human world, there was no such restriction. As long as the demon had a visual of the place he was traveling to—either by having been there before, or by having seen it in a photo, such as on Google Street View—he could teleport anywhere he wanted. However, the place of arrival had to be directly connected to the ground—making it impossible for Zoltan to teleport directly from his twenty-fifth-floor condo to the Underworld or vice versa.

Richard, one of the vortex guards reporting to Yannick, greeted Zoltan. “Welcome home, oh Great One.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoltan said impatiently. “Where’s Yannick?”

“In his office, oh Great One.”

Without a thank you, Zoltan hurried down one of the seven corridors that originated from the vortex circle and into the direction of the cave Yannick had turned into his office. Recent improvements had made it possible to tap into the geothermal energy of the earth, and now many of the living quarters of the demons had electricity and were slowly joining the twenty-first century.

Zoltan didn’t knock and entered Yannick’s office without announcing himself. After all, this was his empire. Everything in the Underworld belonged to him. He didn’t see the need to ask permission for entry. Besides, he liked to keep his subjects on their toes. It was harder to plot against him when he could show up anywhere at any time he chose.

Yannick looked up from his computer. He’d recently computerized the comings and goings of the demon population, a suggestion Zoltan had made in order to have easy access when he needed to find out which demons had used the vortex circles and on what business.

“Oh, Great One,” Yannick said, and jumped up, bowing.

“Yannick.” Zoltan marched toward him. “I need information.”

“Of course. How may I help?”

“Get me a list of anybody who’s left the Underworld in the last two hours and hasn’t gotten back yet. I want to know what business they stated when they left.”

“No problem, oh Great One. I’ll bring the list to your study the moment I’ve compiled it.”

“I want it now.” Zoltan grunted and pointed to the computer. “The reason I had you computerize the records and sync them with the data terminals at each vortex circle was so I’d have instant access to the information.” He hovered over Yannick’s desk. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all, oh Great One. I’ll do it right away.”

“Good. I’ll wait here.” Zoltan crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance while he watched Yannick stare at the monitor, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Due to the fact that there was no Wi-Fi or internet in the Underworld, Zoltan didn’t have his own computer to receive such information electronically. The data terminals that the guards used at the vortex circles were hardwired along the tunnels to connect to the computer in Yannick’s office. It was archaic, but the only way to transmit data from the vortex circles to the computer for Yannick to compile the information.

“What’s taking so long?” Zoltan asked.

“Just another minute, oh Great One. I have to set the correct parameters so the data you’ll receive is exactly what you’re asking for.”

“Hmm.”

It seemed to take forever until the printer next to Yannick’s computer began to sputter. Moments later, it spat out one printed sheet. Zoltan snatched it from the tray and turned on his heel.

“Is there anything else I can assist you with, oh Great One?” Yannick called out after him.

“No.”

Zoltan opened the door and exited. He didn’t look at the sheet until he reached his study and shut the door behind him. At his desk, he switched on a lamp and perused the piece of paper. Martin and James, the two demons he’d sent up top to attack Enya, were on the list. Next to their names, their business was stated: supply run for the Great One. The description was innocuous and would raise no suspicion. Zoltan often sent demons up top to run errands. He crossed the two names out.

There were about a dozen more. Several of them he knew and could cross out too, since he hadn’t recognized the third demon who’d attacked Enya tonight. Only one name remained on the list, one demon whose face Zoltan wasn’t familiar with: Phillip. He had to be the third demon, the one who’d attacked Enya. The one who’d been sent by somebody other than Zoltan. He looked in the column reserved for the reason to use the vortex. Authorized by Vintoq, it said.

Vintoq. Zoltan’s right hand had sent the demon?

Zoltan slouched back in his chair. Vintoq had been with him ever since he’d become the Great One. He’d been his most trusted adviser, a man loyal to him above else. But also a man with ambitions, a man with a superior intellect. Could Vintoq be the man plotting against him, the traitor who wanted the throne to himself, the one who’d sent an assassin after Zoltan a few months earlier?

He needed certainty. Zoltan returned to Yannick’s office, once more entering without knocking. Yannick was busy taking a stack of papers out of a box and placing it on the desk.