Princes of the Underworld

by Olivia Ash

  “That’s the easy part,” Hobson said.

  Sadie frowned. That was easy? “How so?”

  “Observe.” He approached a pomegranate tree beside a four-tiered, limestone fountain and picked up a fallen branch. He walked back to her side and extended the branch to her. “Cut this with your weapon.”

  “All right.” Sadie raised the sword. She swiped downward, intending to cut the branch in two, but the sword had only passed through it. She pressed her lips together, focusing harder and trying again. The branch remained intact. Growing frustrated, she swung several more times, but it was no use.

  “Concentrate, Your Highness.”

  “I’m trying. I just—” With a growl, she swung the blade once more, and again it only passed through.

  The sword dissolved, shattering into white mist before fading into the atmosphere. Her mouth fell open. She looked at Hobson who shrugged.

  “You’ll get it eventually, my queen. Let’s just go back to casting fire,” he said. “We need to improve your concentration.”

  “I would rather do that while practicing my warmups.”

  Hobson nodded. “As you wish.”

  She moved through different poses while keeping her palms open and maintaining a small flame in both. Hobson held a wooden staff in his hands and tried to strike her with it. Her task was to parry and dodge his attacks while keeping the flames alive.

  Hobson struck her calf, her knee hit the ground, and her casting faltered. Her shirt grew damp from sweat. Watery beads dripped from her hairline in near-constant streams. She stood back up, breathing heavily, and ignited two small flames in her palms again.

  She dodged an overhead swipe of the staff and jumped back when Hobson jabbed at her. Hobson swung again, hitting her forearm. She winced. The flames flickered but remained alive. She sighed in relief.

  Behind the shadows on the castle’s façade, she caught silhouettes shifting. Sadie grimaced. The princes observed her training. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? She supposed she was going to have to set some ground rules before they get it in their heads she’s to be disobeyed.

  Earlier, when she and Hobson headed out to the courtyard, they had run into Steele closing his bedroom door as he stepped out of his chambers.

  “Where are you going?” the prince asked.

  “None of your business,” Hobson said, looking down his nose at Steele. The butler walked past him in the hallway, Sadie following behind, both of them ignoring Steele’s questions. Still, she had felt the demon prince trail them. She had rolled her eyes.

  Upon reaching the hedge-decorated courtyard, they had stopped short to see Damien already there. Steele emerged from the hallway and stood next to Damien. Seconds later, Kaiser appeared beside her, seemingly out of nowhere.

  She faced the princes, hands on her hips. “I’m going to train, and I don’t want you watching me. You should all go back to your rooms.”

  But they didn’t. And it distracted her. Stubborn princes.

  Now, as she tried to focus and fight the distraction of the princes, she didn’t see Hobson’s strike that smacked her lower back, sending her crashing to the ground. She yelped.

  Damn those men. She would have to find a more private place to practice.

  She stood, rubbing her backside. She had enough training for the day. She brushed off her pants and walked out of the courtyard, ignoring the glances she knew the three princes gave her.

  She made her way up the stairs from the throne room to the hallways that would lead to her chamber. Clam-shaped sconces along the walls lit her way, seemingly growing brighter as she neared them. As she turned a corner, an explosion of pitch-black shadows filled the room, swallowing her in darkness. Her pendant warmed in warning and she stiffened, hands buzzing with magic.

  She kept her ears alert, listening for the faintest sounds.

  Without warning, rough, strong hands grabbed her arms and spun her, smacking her back against the wall.

  Though tired, Sadie had a better grip on her magic now. Her palms ignited in fire, and she aimed them toward her attacker and kneed him in the abdomen.

  Just as fast as her assailant ambushed her, he jumped back, her hands and knees only hitting the air. The fire in her hands pitched the hallway in soft light, and she saw a broad-shouldered, handsome man staring at her. His lips twisted in a smirk behind his neatly trimmed beard. Sadie strengthened the flames in her palms and saw that he had silver horns with dark green wings and tail.

  Great, another demon.

  “How did you get inside my walls?” she asked.

  He just stood there and smiled expectantly.

  She needed to burn off more steam. Between the princes and now this intruder, her patience had run thin.

  Sadie charged, gathering all the momentum she could muster to pin his massive body against the wall. Her proverbial hackles rose, and she stood ready to kill whoever dared enter her home uninvited.

  He raised his arms in surrender and gave a smug smile. “I just wanted to see if you were as good as they claimed.”

  “Oh, for the love of—” Sadie backed off, stepping away from the stranger. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Mordecai,” he said.

  “That means what to me?”

  “You’ll see. Soon enough.” He leaned against the stone wall and crossed his arms over his well-toned chest.

  Her chin jutted forward. “Why are you here?”

  “Why, to be your ally, my queen.” His canines glinted against the fire light.

  “I don’t have time or room for anymore demons knocking on my door wanting my allegiance. Especially you, who can’t seem to answer a direct question of how the hell you got in my home.”

  Despite Hobson’s crash course earlier, she was still new at this magic thing, and he was clearly experienced. She wasn’t foolish enough to trust him. She didn’t know if he really wanted to be her ally or if he had more sinister intentions that demons tended to have when dominating humans or whatever it was they did. Though, he did back off when she came at him. It seemed more like a game than to merely see if she was “as good as they claimed.”

  Who the hell are “they?”

  She was going to speak to Hobson about this. Her impenetrable home had just been invaded by a demon. She knew there were going to be drawbacks to being queen, but three demons showing up at her home in one day was a bit much. She should be worried, but deep inside she couldn’t help but admire how Mordecai managed to do it. She seemed to be more drawn to danger ever since she had fused with the pendant. And she wasn’t entirely sure if that was going to be fun or bite her in the ass.

  Just as she was about to call for Hobson, the sound of footsteps materialized from the other end of the hallway. Hobson, speak of the devil, and the three princes ran into view. The shadows dissipated around Sadie and Mordecai. Sadie eased the magic still burning in her palms.

  Her butler and her guests reached her, panting.

  “What the hell are you doing, Mordecai?” Damien asked, glaring at the intruder.

  Mordecai shrugged, still leaning against the wall in all of his nonchalant attitude. “Whatever I want, Brother.”

  Brother. Sadie lifted her eyebrows. There’s another brother?

  “Exactly how many of you are there?” she asked Kaiser, voice full of accusation.

  “Four,” he said when Steele stood in the background saying, “Five.”

  “Well, which is it? Four or Five?” she asked.

  Damien sighed and held up his hands in surrender. “There was five of us. But now, we are four.”

  “My spies told me you were dead,” Kaiser said, stepping closer to Mordecai.

  “Mine say you’ve retreated top-side, that you’re a doctor or something. Rumor is you work as a stripper in your free time,” Steele said, grinning like he was proud of his brother.

  Sadie’s eyes darted between them as she listened, one eyebrow lifted, and arms crossed in front of her chest. Hobson stood beside her, si
lently observing.

  Damien repeated his question. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Mordecai stood silent, not giving away any answers.

  “Oh man, you were running away from the bet you lost to me, weren’t you?” Steele stepped in front of Mordecai, pointing a finger at his brother’s chest. “You sore loser. You owe me a yacht.”

  Mordecai finally spoke up, grumbling, “I did not lose that bet…”

  Eventually, Sadie’s mind wandered, remembering what Kaiser told her that morning about their father threatening to kill his heirs. She wouldn’t claim to know what each of them really wanted—justice, vengeance, a kingdom—but she was sure of one thing: she needed allies. If Mara had her sister stashed away, it was only a matter of time before she trotted her out as bait. And, if the demon king was willing to destroy his own sons, he undoubtedly would be a threat to her.

  Hobson was great, but there was too much to this world that she didn’t understand, so many answers her butler didn’t have because he had been cooped up, waiting for her all this time. She needed someone who had been out in the demon realms, who knew this world, even her world above.

  “But you cheated!” Steele cried. “Everyone knows turtles live in water and tortoises dwell on land. And—"

  “I will pick an ally after all,” she said, ending the bickering.

  “Are you sure?” Kaiser asked as Steele asked “Who?” and Mordecai muttered, “I hope you make the right decision.”

  Sadie ignored that last one and held one hand up. “But just one of you. Over the next few days, I’ll decide who I’m going to pick. I’m still not sure who to trust, so you had better impress me.”

  She wanted to leave it at that and go back to her room to get some rest but knowing how stubborn these princes could be from the small period they had been her guests, she had to state some rules. She placed her hands on her hips.

  “No one comes to my room,” she said, looking pointedly at Kaiser. “You will give me peace and quiet. Anyone who watches me train will be instantly disqualified, and—” she paused, deciding whether to add more or not. But the eyes of four handsome, strong demons staring at her made her mind empty.

  She shook her head. “I just might add more later. Good night.”

  She was about to turn when Steele said, “But you’re hot when you train.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes.

  “Sadie,” Damien said, “Isn’t it only fair that we see you fight and know what your abilities are? You say you still don’t know if you can trust us, but we can say the same about you. It’s only fair if we are to have an alliance.”

  Sadie tapped a finger on the side of her chin. Damien had a good point. But nope. “I hold the cards here, don’t I? Take it or leave it,” she said. She looked at Damien. “Do you intend to join my little contest? If not, you can leave. I won’t stop you. I’m sure you can find your own way out.”

  She met all of their eyes. They begrudgingly nodded, shooting dirty looks at each other. Sadie didn’t consider Mordecai a real contender, but she needed him around long enough to learn how the hell he had gotten in.

  She approached Mordecai and pointedly looked up at him, slightly craning her neck. His unwavering gaze shot an electric sensation through the base of her spine. She kept her breathing steady, ignoring his effect on her. “Because of the way you introduced yourself, you get to have a room in the dungeons.”

  The other princes laughed.

  “I just may do that for the rest of you,” she added, facing each of them in turn.

  They stood more serious, finally taking the hint that she was in control here.

  She turned to Hobson who had been silently standing beside her the whole time, patiently waiting until he was addressed. Pointing at Mordecai, she said, “See to it that he has the appropriate accommodations for the night.”

  Hobson bobbed his head up and down. His eyes lit up in excitement. Sadie wondered if she had inadvertently said the wrong thing, but then again, Mordecai did break into her fortress. A little punishment wouldn’t hurt him.

  “Come with me, young man.” The butler grabbed Mordecai’s wrist, dragging him to the other end of the hallway. Hobson’s steps bounced lightly on the floor as he walked headfirst to the dungeons, as if he couldn’t wait to get there. The prince had no option but to follow.

  Sadie smiled. It seemed Hobson really enjoyed throwing people in the dungeons.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sadie

  Sadie gazed out over the underworld from her fortress’s tallest tower, observing the now black sky and the scattered, shimmering crystals that acted as stars. In her opinion, they were better than stars. She barely got to see them in the business of the Seattle ghettos, working as a paramedic. She barely had time to see them from her apartment on her off nights and during the rare chance the sky wasn’t covered in cloud and smog.

  The tower was high enough that she could reach a stalactite jutting down just outside her window. She plucked one of the shimmering blue crystals and it pulsed brighter in her hand. She threw it out the window, watching it twinkle briefly in the darkness and wink out as it disappeared.

  She sipped on her tea, savoring the taste of jasmine, milk, and honey.

  Through her connection with the fortress, she called for Hobson. He appeared not long after, puffing out short breaths while he climbed up the tower stairs. It was so weird how she could summon him like that, no matter where he was in the fortress.

  Insta-butler. She smiled. So cool!

  “Your Majesty.” The gargoyle bowed low.

  “Oh, Hobson. Call me Sadie from now on, will you? I appreciate the formalities. I’m just not used to it.”

  “I—”

  “Please?”

  His eyes widened in shock, mouth forming a silent oh. “Of course, your—uh—Sadie.”

  The corner of her lips twitched. She placed the half-empty tea cup on the windowsill and faced him. “If my fortress is impenetrable, and no one can enter without my permission, how do you suppose Mordecai got in?”

  He shook his head and sighed. “I have been working tirelessly to figure that out, S-sadie, but I still don’t know how.” He inhaled. “But I will, don’t you worry.”

  “Thank you. That is all I ask.”

  Something about Mordecai seemed deadly and dangerous, and she wondered what he would do if she refused his offer to be his ally. He seemed like a dangerous enemy to have, but an equally dangerous ally. There was no telling what his motives were, especially with his entrance into her fortress in the first place. It wasn’t a good first impression to make.

  She continued to sip her tea. She noticed Hobson curiously watching her.

  “Would you like some tea?” she asked.

  The butler’s scaly cheeks seemed to blush, though Sadie didn’t understand how that was possible if he was made of stone. “Oh, no, thank you, Your Majesty. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”

  “All right. Well, don’t let me keep you.”

  As the butler left, Sadie returned to her observation through the opened window again and continued drinking her tea, placing one hand on the windowsill.

  A few minutes later, footsteps echoed from the stairs behind her. Whoever it was walked steadily, his paces seemed confident. He came to a stop beside her, not talking.

  Damien.

  She didn’t speak for a while, resisting the urge to berate him about interrupting her peace. But it wasn’t her room, and she could use the chance to ask about him about his brother, but she also wanted to get to know him a little more. Questions shifted through her mind. She couldn’t pick out one to start with.

  “I’m surprised you’re drinking tea and not blood,” he said.

  She almost spit out her drink. “What kind of society do you have down here?”

  He laughed, and she smiled. After drinking the rest of her tea, she placed it back on the windowsill.

  “Do you?” he asked.

  She narrowed her
eyes on him. “Do I what?”

  “Drink blood.” His question came out with a child-like curiosity, but there was a serious undertone to his words as well.

  She snorted. “No.”

  Silence fell between them. She took a moment to narrow down a short list of questions she wanted to ask him while she had him alone. She leaned on the windowsill. “What do you really want, Damien?”

  “I already told you, Your Majesty,” he said.

  Sadie nodded. “Yes, that you want an alliance, but not why you want it.”

  He stepped closer. “Isn’t it obvious, Sadie? You’re smart, you’re clever. You think through a situation instead of reacting impulsively. I admire that.”

  She scoffed. “You’ve known me for less than a day!”

  He didn’t smile. The corners of his eyes didn’t crinkle. His face remained stoic as he kept his eyes locked on hers. “I recognize power and strength when I see it. Call it a gift.”

  The weight of his stare made her uneasy, vulnerable. Like he could see everything about her. She cleared her throat and pulled her attention back toward the view out her window.

  “I can see it when cogs turn in your brain, you know,” he said.

  “Really, now?” She chuckled, looking at him again. “How?”

  Damien stepped closer to her. Too close. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to back away or give in to the strange erratic behaviors her body seemed to fall victim to each time any of the demon princes were near.

  “There’s a small crease that forms here, for one.” He touched the patch of skin between her eyebrows. The spot tingled. Everywhere else tingled, too.

  “I see.” Her voice came out breathless and light. Her mind and body played a game of tug-of-war. Her mind wanted to remain logical and clear, but her body seemed to want to move closer to him, close the gap between them. She pulled away from the windowsill, and at the last moment, her brain won the game as she stepped away and cleared her throat.