“There.” He pointed down the hallway. “That way.”

The house was as quiet as a tomb as we moved swiftly down the hall and the silence scared me more than anything else. As heavily guarded as this place was, there should be some noise, some sign of the inhabitants. Where was everyone? Where were Nikolas and Chris?

We reached the first closed door and pushed it open to find an empty library. The next door opened to reveal a game room with a massive pool table. Third time’s the charm, I thought as I cracked open the third door. A cool breeze touched my face. The cellar.

“Down there,” Remy whispered behind me. It was all the confirmation I needed and I started down the stairs with him close behind me. At the bottom, we found ourselves in a rectangular room with stone walls and floor and an arched doorway on either end. I listened for guards but more silence greeted us. This is too easy, I thought nervously. If Remy’s cousins were down here, this cellar should be crawling with security.

I turned to the doorway on my right but stopped when I heard clicking sounds from the other direction. I shot Remy a fearful look as the clicking grew louder and faster, mixed with strange snuffling noises. The first thought that came to my mind was crocotta and I froze at the terror those images created.

Remy yanked me toward him as two massive black bodies burst snarling into the room. My troll friend bared his own teeth and let out a growl that brought the beasts skidding to a stop. I had never seen dogs like this. Their bodies were muscled and stocky and I might have thought they were Rottweilers if they weren’t the size of small horses with frightening red eyes. Their snouts were longer and wider than a normal dog’s and I could see long top and bottom fangs protruding from their snapping jaws. Their coats were coarse and black and I couldn’t help but think they were beautiful in a monstrous kind of way. I would have appreciated them more if they weren’t looking at me like I was on the menu.

“What are they?” I whispered to Remy as the huge dogs paced back and forth looking for an opening to get past the equally menacing creature in their way.

“Fell beasts,” he replied calmly, his eyes never leaving them. One of the dogs tilted its head eerily as if it understood Remy’s words.

“What?” I croaked. “You mean hellhounds!” Vampires and now hellhounds? Who on earth were we dealing with here?

I looked at the bloody knife in my hands and wondered if silver even worked on hellhounds. I took a deep breath. I had never harmed an animal in my life but the pair of hellhounds looked ready to rip us to shreds. They stood between us and the trolls and I’d fight them if I had to.

“No,” Remy said softly, laying his hand over mine that held the knife as if he’d read my mind. “You talk to them.”

“Are you crazy?” I asked out of one side of my mouth, afraid to take my eyes off the beasts. “These are hellhounds Remy. You know – beasts from hell.”

A small shrug was his only reply.

Great. I was in the bowels of a mansion crawling with vampires and God only knows what else. I had no idea if my friends were okay and I was facing down two of hell’s own. And all Remy could say was “talk to them”?

“Okay, but if we get eaten, don’t blame me.”

I eased down to a cross-legged position on the cold floor with my back against the wall and my knife on the floor beside me. The hounds watched me intently but neither of them made a move for me. I was pretty sure that had more to do with their uncertainly about Remy than anything else.

“I guess you guys are wondering what I’m doing huh?” I said in my calmest tone, not looking either of them directly in the eye. Words don’t mean anything to animals; it’s your voice and your movements they respond to. I really hoped that applied to hellhounds.

The closest hound lowered his head and let out a long low growl.

“Alright, so you’re a little pissed that we invaded your turf. I get that. But is all this snarling and foaming at the mouth really necessary?”

Both dogs bared their glistening fangs. This was going about as well as I’d expected.

Reaching inside, I unlocked my power, letting its golden warmth flow through me. I opened my wall and let a stream of energy seep into the air around me.

One of the hounds stopped growling to sniff the air then took a step back, his hackles up. I let more power escape. The second hound made a small whining sound then resumed growling.

“I’ve never met a hellhound before,” I continued softly as a gentle flow of power moved outward from me in waves. “I gotta say you’ve got the scary image down but I don’t think you’re as bad as everyone says. And if you gave me a chance you’d see that I’m actually a nice person.” And I don’t taste good at all.

The growling petered out as one dog then the other lay on the floor, whining and still watching me warily.

“I always wanted a dog, a big one like a Great Dane or German Shepherd. I never imagined one as big as you though.” I let myself imagine one of these beasts living in our apartment and laughed softly. “I’d like to see Nate’s face if I brought home something like you.”

One of the great black bodies shuffled forward a few inches. I looked down at my lap, pretending to ignore them. I focused my power and it filled my voice. “I wish you understood that we only want to find our little friends and take them home. I know you’re just doing what you were taught to do but you don’t have to hurt anyone anymore.”