Chapter 32 – Finding the missing link

The air in the small living room crackled with tension. Rose was pacing, her arms crossed tight across her chest as she glared at Billy. He stood near the door, his face unreadable but his knuckles white as they gripped the edge of the chair. Anastasia sat awkwardly on the couch, her gaze darting between the two. This was not how she thought the night would go.

"You can't stop me, Billy!" Rose's voice was sharp, cutting through the thick silence. "I need to do this. I need to find him. Dylan was my brother, and no one remembers him but me. I can't—" Her voice cracked, and she looked away, but not before Anastasia caught the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes.

"And you think it's smart to go out there alone?" Billy's voice was low, dangerous. "Into demon territory, Rose? With everything that's going on? This isn't just some walk in the park. You're putting yourself—and Anastasia—at risk."

Rose whirled on him. "I'm not alone! Ana's coming with me. She understands. You just don't get it, Billy. You've never lost someone like this."

Billy's eyes darkened, and Anastasia felt her stomach tighten. She'd never seen him this angry. His voice, when he spoke, was icy calm. "Don't you dare, Rose. Don't you dare say I don't understand loss. You think I don't care about Dylan? Or you? That's why I'm trying to keep you alive!"

"I don't need you to protect me!" Rose shouted back. "I've been surviving life long before you came into my life. You don't get to control what I do or who I care about!"

"That's not what this is about!" Billy snapped, his composure finally cracking. "This is about you running headfirst into danger without thinking about the consequences. If something happens to you out there..."

His voice trailed off, and for the first time, Anastasia saw something else in his eyes: fear. Real, raw fear. Rose must have seen it too because her posture softened slightly. She opened her mouth, but Billy cut her off.

"If you're going," he said quietly, "then I can't stop you. But don't expect me to sit here and watch you destroy yourself."

He stepped forward, brushing past her, and for a moment, Anastasia thought he was going to leave without another word. But then he stopped in front of Rose, his hand reaching up to gently cradle the back of her head. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Come back to me," he whispered, so quietly Anastasia almost didn't hear it. Then he turned and walked out, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

The room was silent for a long moment before Rose turned to Anastasia, her face pale. "Let's go," she said, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands.

The next fight wasn't much better. Wyatt and Matt weren't exactly thrilled when Anastasia announced her plan.

"Absolutely not," Wyatt said firmly, crossing his arms. "You're not walking into a demon hideaway without backup."

"Wyatt, I'm not asking for your permission," Anastasia shot back. She was already packing her weapons, shoving daggers into their holsters and slipping her blessed gun into its strap.

"And I'm telling you, you're not going," Matt added, stepping beside Wyatt. "This is suicide, Ana. We don't even know if this lead is legit."

"I can handle myself," she said, her voice rising. "You two need to stay here and keep an eye on things. If this lead pans out, it could be huge. But if something happens while we're gone, we need you here to hold the fort."

Wyatt's jaw tightened. "And what happens if you don't come back? You're risking everything."

Anastasia stopped, turning to face them both. "This isn't just about Rose. This is about all of us and how someone managed to erase his entire existence. What if that happens to anyone here? What happens if someone else knows how to go through time? If there's even a chance that we can get answers, we have to take it. You know I'm right."

Matt sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible," he muttered.

"Maybe," she said with a small, humorless smile. "But you love me anyway."

Wyatt shook his head. "Be careful," he said finally. "And don't do anything stupid."

"When have I ever done anything stupid?" Anastasia asked, grinning as she headed for the door.

Matt groaned. "Do you want a list?"

************************************************

The club was a pulsing, chaotic mess of lights and noise. The bass from the music thrummed through Anastasia's chest as she and Rose weaved through the crowd, their outfits strategically chosen to blend in with the throngs of people.

They approached the bouncers at the entrance to the VIP section, two hulking demons with glowing eyes and auras that made Anastasia's skin crawl.

"I need to see Rhino," Anastasia said firmly, stepping forward.

The larger of the two bouncers snorted. "Get lost, lady. This isn't your playground."

Anastasia's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the bouncer said, crossing his arms.

Before anyone could react, Anastasia's hand shot out, grabbing the demon by the neck and lifting him off the ground. The other bouncer tried to intervene, when Anastasia flipped her free backhand in his face with such force, it caused him to drop on the floor temporarily.

"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" she hissed, her voice dangerously calm. "Do you even know who I am? Or whose daughter I am?"

The bouncer's eyes widened, and he clawed at her hand, choking out, "Alright! Alright! I'll get him!"

Anastasia dropped him unceremoniously, dusting her hands off as he stumbled inside.

Rose leaned closer, whispering, "You really know how to make an entrance."

Anastasia smirked. "Sometimes you've gotta remind them who's in charge."

A few minutes later, they were ushered into a private room in the back of the club. Rhino, a hulking demon with a scar running down the side of his face, sat on a leather couch, his eyes narrowing as they entered.

"Well, well," he drawled, his voice a deep rumble. "If it isn't the little princess, daughter of the Legendary Demon Hunter. You know your daddy and I go way back. Sorry about your mom. Beautiful creature she was. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Anastasia stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "I need answers, Rhino. And you're going to give them to me."

Rhino leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Straight to business ey? You are exactly like your father. This should be interesting."