Princes of the Underworld

by Olivia Ash

  Not wanting to let her pursuer know she was aware of his presence, if it even was a he, she kept her pace steady. She bit her cheek against the throb in her leg as her hand griped the knife in her pocket a little tighter.

  She wondered what her stalker wanted and who they were. It could be Mara. The woman was beyond pissed when Blair draped the necklace around Sadie’s neck. If she wasn’t hellbent on killing Sadie before, she certainly was now. But why wait on attacking? If Mara truly followed her, she didn’t want to know what that meant for her sister. She could be dead. She could be barely clinging to life, crawling from Sadie’s burning apartment. Hell, Blair could be the one following.

  Sadie wanted to risk a glance behind her, but that was a serious no-no. The last thing she wanted was to alert her stalker and provoke an attack. Blair or not. Mara or not. Sadie’s best bet was to stay the course. If she turned and the person following her turned out not to be Blair, Sadie would have to fight again.

  A small gas station was just a mere two blocks away from her. She would clean up in the bathroom then use the phone to call in a favor from one of her cop buddies.

  A small warmth pooled in her chest, filling her with renewed energy. The pain in her leg ebbed. Her mind cleared.

  She glanced at the amulet in her chest. Dim, red light emanated from the ruby. She smiled, feeling stronger. Powerful.

  Though she wouldn’t dare risk a look over her shoulder, she could duck around a corner and wait. She’d catch her stalker in the act. Find out who followed her and why.

  Taking the first right she could, she ducked behind a dumpster. She plugged her nose to keep from breathing in the sickening, sweet and sour scent of decaying garbage. A few rats scurried away from her, squeaking in their flight from danger.

  The awareness of her follower’s presence centered between her shoulder blades. The sensation chilled her spine. She could feel him drawing closer. Her deadly predator.

  But Sadie wasn’t prey.

  She pulled out the dead man’s knife from the pocket of her “borrowed” coat. Footsteps shuffled closer.

  A shadow appeared from behind the dumpster, and the figure of a handsome man came into view. He stopped and turned his head toward her, calmly taking her in. God, he was gorgeous. But he could also be dangerous.

  Not taking any chances, Sadie jumped up, dagger held out. She lunged toward him. He shifted out of the way effortlessly.

  “Who are you? Why are you following me?” she asked.

  She shook her head. Weapon raised and left leg shifting back, she readied herself for another fight. He put his hands inside his pockets, adding to Sadie’s confusion. He remained collected, quietly observing her.

  “Answer me, dammit.” Sadie jutted her chin forward. She didn’t lower the knife, waiting for him to make a move.

  “You need to come with me,” he said, unfazed by the dagger in her hand. He stepped closer, removing his hood, revealing soft, tousled brown hair.

  Her arm wavered slightly as she felt the strong urge to run her hands through his locks. She tightened her grip on the knife’s handle. “And why would I do that? You do realize how creepy that sounded, you asking me to come with you?” She looked around before settling her gaze back on him. “We’re even in a dark alley.”

  “I know that,” he said, voice remaining calm and unaffected. “But it’s not safe for you here.”

  She snorted. No shit, it’s not safe. “Thanks for the offer, but I can handle myself.”

  “You can, to a point,” he said, lips quirked. “You have quite a skill, taking down a demon hunter as beautifully as you did.”

  She kept her features even and remained in her fighting stance, trying not to show her surprise.

  So that was a demon hunter.

  He must have been a human who had been after creatures like Mara. She wondered why he had attacked her. She wasn’t a demon. But then this man knew she had gotten into the fight. He was there—he saw it happen.

  “You were there?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “And you just stood there? How chivalrous of you.” She had half a mind to stab him in the heart just for that. But she still needed answers. “Who are you?” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you?”

  He chuckled.

  She scoffed and was about to ask what was so funny when he moved in the blink of an eye. He effortlessly grabbed the knife she held and pinned her to the wall, pressing her back against cold, wet stone. She winced from the impact. Strong hands restrained her arms behind her tailbone. His fingers grazed her hips as he used her body weight against her.

  The unnatural speed and grace he had used to disarm her should have answered her question. But she was too consumed by his touch that stimulated her skin. Strong, electric sensations tingled throughout her body. Her injuries stung again, but with the way his lean, powerful body pressed against hers, she liked it.

  He wrinkled his nose, toying with her coat's collar with one hand as his other arm kept her pinned to the wall. “This kind of stinks, doesn’t it?”

  She cleared her throat and said, “It’s a creep repellant. I wonder why it’s not working.”

  He laughed and looked at her in a way that made her toes curl. “Allow me to do something about that, shall I?” Without waiting for an answer, he snapped his fingers.

  She tried to wiggle free, but he held her firm. She could have been pushing a mountain for all the progress she made. A sensation overcame her, stilling her movements as she realized the smell of beer and vinegar disappeared.

  She looked down at her coat and saw that it was now bordered by some sort of thin mist. A silver film shimmered on top of the fabric. It moved and shifted, mesmerizing her. She wished her arms weren’t ensnared, so she could touch it.

  “Magic…” she whispered softly, hypnotized by the wondrousness of it. The sight distracted her for a moment. She met the man’s intense gaze, his hazel eyes rooting her in place. The close proximity of this stranger turned her on. But she couldn’t let him know that.

  Snapping out of her wonder, she clenched her jaw. You can shove it, traitorous body. Shaking herself from this handsome man’s effect on her, she refocused on getting answers.

  “Cool trick. Now, tell me, who the hell are you and why are you following me?”

  She bent her knee to kick him in the groin, but he released her arms and jumped away with unnatural speed. He still had her knife, giving him the upper hand.

  “Tell me what you are.” She stepped away from the wall and took a step toward him.

  In answer, he tossed the knife to the ground. It clanked against the stone of the alley and flipped end over end, landing inches in front of her feet. She glared at the man, questioning the point of his action, wondering if it was a trick. She prepared herself for another fight as she knelt down, keeping her eyes on him, and picked up the knife.

  “Tell you what,” he said, putting his hands back in his pockets. “If you can nick me with that sorry excuse of a knife, I’ll answer your questions.”

  She didn’t budge. “I don’t have time for games. Tell me now.”

  The man stepped closer and then extended one hand to grab the knife just as he did earlier. She swiped with the knife, throwing her fist in an uppercut. He swerved to the side and, in a heartbeat, stood behind her, stealing the knife from her again. His arms wrapped around her torso, pressing his chest against her back, his legs on both sides of her. Her skin prickled in excitement. Adrenaline surged through her veins.

  He leaned his head closer, and his lips brushed her ear as he said, “Surely you can do better than that.”

  She heard the smile in his voice and shivered as ripples of desire ran through her core. Rolling her eyes, she refocused herself again.

  She clumsily wiggled herself free, whirling around and facing her pursuer with a fighting stance. His eyes sparkled, and the corners of his lips twitched upward as he handed her the knife, hilt first. She yanked it from his grasp then immediately advanced,
swinging her blade in ferocious strikes. Once she bested him, she would get the answers she needed.

  Hands once again tucked in his pockets, he ducked when she slashed at his head. She jabbed at his chest. He sidestepped, dodging the attack. She swung again, frustrated. Again, and again. Every time, she sliced only the cool, night air. He was incredibly fast and annoyingly relaxed.

  She realized he was playing a game with her, but she had run out of patience to play along. Dropping her armed hand to her side, she glared at her ridiculously handsome and frustrating stalker. She didn’t have time for games. She needed answers, and if he wasn’t going to give them to her, then she would find someone else.

  “Have you had your fun?” she asked. “Because I have more important shit to do.”

  She slipped the knife back into her pocket. The handsome man continued to observe her, a gleam of humor in his eyes.

  “So, if you’re gonna fight me to the death, I suggest you do it now,” she said, tilting her chin defiantly. “Otherwise, I’m done with this game.”

  He didn’t answer. He didn’t move. He only stared, eyes intense and lips betraying a hint of a smile. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She bit the inside of her cheek. They stood in silence for a few moments that trickled by like hours. Having lost patience, she said, “Suit yourself.”

  She side-stepped, turning her back to him. “I highly suggest you stop wasting my time, stop following me, and leave me the hell alone.”

  Her voice echoed into the alley that remained as silent as death as she continued toward the only convenience store she knew of on this side of Seattle. She ducked her head again, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the light cast by the streetlamps.

  As she moved, she touched the film of mist that coated her stolen garment and kept its reek at bay. It felt cold, and when she slightly pressed on it, it left a shallow indentation on the mist’s surface, shimmering like foil. She smiled. How amusing.

  She played with it as she walked, somehow knowing the farther she got from her strange stalker, the magical mist would disappear and leave her with a smelly coat once again. But as she passed more buildings, and the lit streetlights grew more abundant, the thin film of mist lingered on her coat. Even when she emerged from a street and came across a huge, empty field covered in withering, brown grass that she recognized as South Park Playground, the magical mist remained just as strong.

  She rolled her eyes. That could only mean one thing. That man still followed her.

  “I told you to stop following me and leave me alone.” Her voice carried behind her and she knew the man backed off, because the sensation of his eyes on her back subsided.

  That man is so…

  Obstinate didn’t seem to fit. There were a few stronger words Sadie could think of, but she abandoned those thoughts as the convenience store finally came into view. Not far from here was a friend’s house—a cop—and he owed her a particularly huge favor. Now she just needed to get cleaned up and give her friend a call.

  Sadie picked up the pace a little and continued to play with the mist bordering her coat. She didn’t think the magic could possibly be permanent. With the sensation of being followed gone, she wondered how much longer the effect would last.

  She reached the corner of the convenience store then stopped to scan the area. She didn’t see anything, but that sneaking sensation of being followed pressed on her shoulders again.

  Of course, he wouldn’t obey my command. She sighed, knowing she would have to confront him again. Maybe she’d be forced to fight him. Hopefully, not kill him. But, like the man at the abandoned house, the one her little stalker referred to as a demon hunter, she would do whatever it took to keep breathing.

  Chapter Seven

  Sadie

  The cashier in the convenience store eyed her suspiciously as she stepped through the entrance. She must have been quite the sight, covered with blood, dirt, and who knew what else. Nevertheless, she didn’t let that stop her from following through with her plan.

  She immediately went into the bathroom to clean up a little, taking care of the blood, dirt, and soot on her face and hands. Though she really couldn’t do much about the condition of her clothing, she felt better.

  As she cleaned, she once again took in the amulet embedded in her chest. The lines of ink swirling in flame-like patterns reached across her entire chest. The amulet pulsed with a dark red glow as she gently rubbed a finger over the surface. Warmth spread throughout her body, and her nerves hummed with joy.

  “Magic,” she whispered and smiled. She loved the way the energy that pulsed through her felt.

  After tossing the used paper towels into the trash, she returned to the cashier to borrow a phone.

  The cashier stared at her from behind his counter as she approached. His eyebrows knitted together. “A-are you all right? Do you need any help?”

  “A phone would be great.” She waited as he walked to pick up a cordless phone and brought it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said and turned, nearly bumping into a cop with a large cup of coffee. She started to mumble an apology when she recognized the squared jaw and broad shoulders. “Carlos?”

  “Sadie?” His eyebrows shot near to his hairline, and his eyes scanned her briefly, as if he hadn’t recognized her at first.

  Sadie had met Carlos six months ago on the asphalt, and her first words to him were something along the lines of “Don’t die on me.” He had been shot in the back and was close to death, but she’d been able to keep him alive on the way to the hospital and visited him often out of pity, if she were being honest with herself. His prognosis hadn’t been good. His career was over. He would never walk again. Never fight crime in the streets of Seattle.

  All because of a response call gone downhill.

  But Carlos was a fighter, and he’d proved the doctors wrong—all of them. Her pity had become pride, and she was beyond impressed with her friend.

  Now, he stood in front of her as if that injury never happened. And he never stopped thanking her for that. He gave her the credit when, really, it was all him. Sure, she saved his life. She’d do that for anyone who needed her help. That was why she had become a paramedic.

  His expression shifted from surprised to concerned. “What are you doing here of all places—and at this time at night?” He squinted and scanned her again, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Christ, girl, what the hell happened to you?”

  “That is a long story.”

  “Well, I guess you’re in luck. I just got off duty and have no life, so I have nothing but time. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Though Carlos wasn’t the first on her list of cop buddies to call, he was on there, nevertheless, and was definitely available. He didn’t owe her any favors, but he had always been good to her.

  She could trust him… even though she wasn’t sure how he’d respond to the rampaging demons part of her night.

  Sadie smiled. “Thanks. I’ll owe you one for this.”

  “Nonsense. Go grab yourself some coffee. I have a feeling this is going to be a long story and an even longer night.”

  “You have no idea,” she said.

  After Carlos paid for both coffees, he escorted her to his squad car. “I’ll have you back home in no time, then we can figure this out.”

  “No. I can’t go home.”

  He seemed a bit taken aback by that. “All right, then.”

  Sadie sat in the passenger seat and buckled in as Carlos walked around the front of the squad car and climbed into his seat with a small grunt. He stared at her for a moment and shook his head. He placed his key into the ignition, giving it a twist, and the car roared to life. “Where to?”

  “Anywhere I can get a change of clothes and maybe a bite to eat,” she said and blew into the tiny hole of her cup before taking a small sip. Hazelnut creamer danced along her tongue, and she smiled at the small comfort the taste brought her.

  “I have some stuff at my place that may fit you. Mi
ght be a little big on you, but certainly much more comfortable and cleaner than that coat has to be.”

  Sadie chuckled. “Yeah, I grabbed the first thing I could find. The smell is starting to grow on me.”

  Carlos laughed. “Only you, Sadie. Only you.”

  He put the car in gear and backed out of the parking spot.

  Meanwhile, Sadie couldn’t get over how well Carlos looked. No hint of his previous near-death experience showed. He was happy. Energetic. Not a trace of the mind-numbing pain that had almost crippled him.

  “I’m proud of you,” she said. “You didn’t let your injury get the best of you. You beat it.”

  “Yeah, it’s great what tenacity and a bit of luck can do for you.”

  She smiled. “I don’t think luck had anything to do with it. Still, you look good. I’m surprised at how well you are getting around.”

  “I still have you to thank for that.” He smiled at her and returned his gaze to the road. They spent the rest of the trip to his place in relative silence. Only small talk. Sadie was grateful for that. She wasn’t prepared to share the details of the night with him just yet. She needed to collect her thoughts first and find the most reasonable way to explain things.

  After all, if it were someone explaining everything to her, she’d probably find the nearest psychiatric ward and admit the poor soul. Then again, maybe that’s what she needed.

  SADIE

  After unlocking the door and turning on some lights, Carlos told Sadie to have a seat on the living room sofa. He gave her a glass of water and went for a first aid kit to clean her wounds.

  Not long after, he arrived with bandages, antiseptics, and gauze. He watched silently as she patched herself up. She winced at the antiseptic’s sting while she gently worked to clean the cuts and scrapes.

  Carlos, frowning, leaned forward and attempted to take the gauze from her. “Let me do it.”