Before I’m fully able to catch my next breath, everything goes black.
13
The world comes rushing back a second later and I’m thrown off Brotus’ shoulder. I hit the ground hard, but definitely not as hard as Brotus does. Natalia’s body barely survives the fall, with the hand he kept over her despite his sudden weakness.
I jump to my feet, then fall to my knees a second later. “What the … hell did you do?”
Brotus gently pushes Natalia aside then sits up, panting hard. He puts his back against the wide wall behind him. The room he brought us to is large, though not as large as Lucifer’s throne room. It looks like a bedroom, with a massive bed to the side covered in purple sheets and expensive furniture littered around it. My fingers dig into the softest carpet I’ve ever felt.
Brotus’ face is drenched in sweat and he’s breathing so hard, I think he’s about to begin coughing. “We teleported.”
“Why?”
“Lucifer’s orders.”
I struggle to my feet then fall again. My stomach churns, but it doesn’t stop me from giving Brotus the nastiest glare I can conjure. Who is he to touch me like that? “Take me back.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You had no right to do that. I do not run from a fight.”
His face doesn’t move, though he begins to wheeze. Clearly, teleporting two bodies takes much more of a toll on their bodies than they were letting on. “Lucifer wants you to stay here.”
“I don’t give a fuck about what Lucifer wants!” I scramble to my feet and fall. “What the fuck did you do to me?”
“Teleporting twice in such a short time has taken a toll on your body. Don’t try to move. You’ll only make it worse for yourself.”
I ignore what he says and try to get to my feet again. The same thing happens, except this time, my stomach feels as if it’s about to escape out my bellybutton.
Brotus watches me steadily. “Deep breaths. It helps.”
“What? Were you forcefully kidnapped like this before? You should know better than to do it someone else then.”
“No,” he says calmly. Either he doesn’t realize my sarcasm or he’s ignoring it. “But teleporting someone is as taxing as being teleported. Especially when the load is heavy.”
“Did you just call me fat?”
“No. I said heavy. Not fat.”
“One implies the other, but whatever.” I finally give up trying to get up and scoot over to the bed, resting my head on cool wood. “You need to take me back.”
“I can’t do that, Melody,” he says, hooking his hands under my arm and lifting me atop the bed. Despite my struggle, he doesn’t keep his hands to himself, which only makes matters worse. It’s not just the fact that a demon – the very thing I am proud of despising – is touching me. It’s the fact that as simple and as innocent as his touch is, I feel it in places I’m not meant to.
We’ve all read or at least heard the quotes about how tempting the devil is, how easily one can jump headfirst into his trap. But what they forgot to mention was that his men are pretty much the same. Perhaps that’s one of the real differences between them and a simply ‘high ranked’ demon. Lucifer and his men have the power to spark interest even in the most uninterested.
“I don’t need you guys taking care of anything for me. I can handle my own problems,” I say through gritted teeth, this time avoiding his gaze altogether. Pushing my hands down on the bed, I shuffle my way toward the middle, as though that will get me further away from him.
“Sure you can,” he says bluntly. “I saw you fight back there, I’d be a fool to think you didn’t know what you were doing.” This catches my attention and I lift my eyes to meet his, almost certain this is the part where he says he’ll let me go. “Still, they’ll handle it.”
I grit my teeth. It’s like talking to a robot. “Where the hell did you even take me?”
“Guest room.”
“So, we’re still in the fucking castle? Wise move, Brotus.” These demons really know how to waste energy – teleporting to places within walking distance.
Brotus hardly blinks, though I do notice his breathing has gotten a lot better. “No. Offshore place. They won’t find us here, don’t worry.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay, Melody.”
“So, what do you expect me to do here?”
“Wait.”
“Until they take out hundreds of demons? They’ll get themselves killed.”
“I will help.”
My brows raise. “You’re going back. And leaving me here?”
He nods, his face leaving no room for argument. It’ll be like talking to a brick wall. My frustration mounts. “This isn’t right.”
Brotus only looks at me for a while. Then he lumbers to his feet. “Right and wrong have different homes.”
What the fuck does that even mean?
His meaty fingers point to a metal pot in the corner of the room. “The pot’s right there. You can use that.”
I glance at it then back at him. “For what?”
I don’t get an answer. He only winks out of view. A few seconds later, I barely make it to the pot before my insides shoot up my throat.
14
Fuck, my head is killing me.
What the fuck is making all that noise? Is there construction going on outside again? Fuck, I thought Luna took care of those money hungry loons looking to put that high-rise building by ours. We don’t need the extra pair of eyes that’ll follow such a construction and I definitely don’t need my precious sleep to be taken from me like this.
I sit up, frowning against the headache that increases tenfold at the slight movement. I palm my forehead, squinting into the darkness to see what time it is. My roommates probably haven’t noticed I’m awake yet. Normally once they do, they clam up, and the chatter in the room is far from its usual hushed state.
“Oh, look at that,” I hear a slow droll voice say. “The human is finally awake.”
That’s a voice I don’t recognize as someone from the guild. I sit up further, hand creeping towards my sword as I wait for my eyes to adjust.
“She’s still sick,” comes another voice, much deeper and much more controlled. My eyes dart through the darkness at the sound. I can see shapes now, outlines, but nothing solid yet.
“I’m not surprised,” comes the first voice. “They’re made out of such weak stuff. It’s a wonder their species ever made it this far.”
Oh. I know who that fucker is. My body instantly rushes with heat and I still my hand, scowling at the lithe body leaning against one of the posts of the bed. “I’m surprised no one has cut your tongue out already.”
A smile creeps over Merlidon’s face. “Many have tried. All have failed. And I’ll have you know, this tongue is more of a blessing than a sin. Pity you won’t ever find out just how true that is.” Darting his tongue out, he licks his plump pink lips, eyes still trained on me.
I should cringe. Really and truly, I should. The fact that I don’t, is proof enough that something is really damn wrong with me.
“Pervert,” I mutter. Keep going and I’ll do to that tongue what all who have tried have failed.”
“Oh, she’s sick but she still has that spunk.” I hear the condescending laughter in his voice and I glare. “What a lovely human.”
“She has a name, Merlidon.”
I look over at Lucifer, surprise overshadowing my irritation. He’s sitting in one of the chairs, legs stretched out before him and arms on each armrest. His hair is a bit disheveled now and he discarded his jacket, leaving his shirt open wide at the collar and exposing his bare flesh. My face flushes with heat again and I deepen my scowl, mostly directed at myself, of course. It’s hard enough controlling my body’s reaction to him when he was dressed up. It’ll be even harder to stop my mouth from going dry when he looks like … this.
No sweat forms on his brow, no panting, but I know he’s just expended a lot of energy. I
can feel it in the weight of his power, pulsating slightly as if wounded. I can see it in his eyes as well, the way he stares at me, that previous eternal amusement gone. The open shirt, the leaned back posture. This is a man who just released the warrior, the animal caged within. A man in his element.
Damn it, Melody. A demon. He’s a demon.
My common sense doesn’t seem to be convincing me very much because all I can see right now is a very attractive man who’s making my breathing labored. I definitely don’t like that. So, I focus on the only other thing I’m good at besides fighting.
Being angry.
I get to my feet, ignoring the wave of nausea that comes over me and charge after him. He watches me come, with no mirth this time, but soberly. I stop before him. “You got some fucking nerve.”
“It had to be done, Melody,” he tells me, his voice so smooth and cool, I grit my teeth. “There was no way you would have been able to stand up to so many demons. Especially not as crazed as they were.”
“I can hold my own. Fighting demons is what I do. It’s the only thing I fucking do. And you had no right to dictate what actions I should and shouldn’t take.”
“I know,” he shrugs. “Which is why I took the action for you. You wouldn’t have left if I asked you nicely.”
His words only make me angrier and he knows it. He knows it, and he continues to taunt me. Because he’s a demon, Melody. Don’t forget that. “I am not under your rule like these two bozos over here. Next time, I want you out of my way. Either that or you’re on your own with this.”
He raises his hand, probably to ward of Merlidon. My statement breeds the perfect opportunity for him to say something but I don’t face him. I only have eyes for Lucifer.
And he only has eyes for me. They run along the length of me, nearly appraisingly, before he says, “Whatever it is you desire, Melody.”
Not what I’m expecting. But isn’t that the recurring spiel here. And it’s not just Lucifer, but all three of them. High commanders in the very place my people wish to eradicate shouldn’t be the least bit appealing or intriguing or anything of the kind. Yet I keep being handed surprise after surprise. Something deep down tells me to be careful. Something even deeper down tells me to be cautious. As much of a risk taker as I am, I’m also usually both of those things.
The devil is a conniving bastard – THE CONNIVING BASTARD OF ALL CONNIVING BASTARDS to be exact. And I know that I have to remember to hold my ground, to stay strong and to stay true to who I am and what I need. Right now, I need to know what the fuck is going on and I need to know what the hell happened to Natalia’s body- or rather, what Natalia has become. Lucifer doesn’t have the answer to that question. We’re on pretty even grounds here.
“Words don’t mean shit to me, Lucifer,” I snap, despite the fact that those words made my heartbeat spike. “You don’t know more than me when it comes to this, you don’t have all the answers. Neither do you have a box of clues to pull the answers from. You need me. So, act like it. And stop making decisions for me.”
At that, the side of his lip quirks. The sight gives me more pleasure than it should have. “Don’t you want to know how we fared?”
“You aren’t dead, so I know you’re fine.”
“Not exactly.” He moves, sitting up straighter, slow and painfully. “But we did make it out alive, so I suppose there isn’t anything more to say than that. That wasn’t what I was talking about, though. Your friend. She’s awake.”
Eyes wide, I finally look around the room, ignoring Merlidon and Brotus’ watchful eyes. I didn’t even notice they took her. Damn it, get it together, Melody.
Lucifer’s smile widens. “She isn’t here. We took her to another room where we’ll be better able to get some answers as to who is behind this and why they’re after you.”
“It’s probably because I’m the Guild leader’s daughter.”
His gaze becomes pondering. “Somehow,” he says softly. “I doubt it’s that simple.”
Suddenly, Lucifer stands, forcing me to step back. I hadn’t even noticed I’m standing so close. At the movement, his power pulses then retreats, as if injured. I stare at him but he doesn’t give anything away, only looks at his high commanders. “Is she ready?”
“Yes,” Merlidon says. “And quite angry, I might add.”
“I don’t think she’ll be the only one. Let’s go.” His eyes find me. “Are you okay to walk?”
“Don’t worry about me,” I snap.
“Once you tell me you’re fine, I’ll stop.”
My eyes widened. Lucifer still isn’t giving anything away, but words like those, he can’t mean them lightly, can he?
He’s a demon, Melody. They’re artists of trickery. He’s just trying to throw you off.
I cross my arms and meet his black eyes. “Let’s just get a move on, okay? Unless you want to take a nap first?”
My taunting jab does nothing but make him laugh, a sound that does nothing but instill things in me that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
“Very well. Let’s go.”
The three demons make their way to the doorway. At the sight of its tall black door, I falter a bit, not entirely sure what to expect. It’s hard to believe that the demon realm is so similar to the human realm, climate aside, but everything I’ve seen so far hasn’t been out of my element. Still, I flex my fingers, gearing up to make a grab for my sword if the need should arise. And around these three, I have a feeling it will.
It’ll be easy to just leave. Just demand that I be taken back to New York and let them deal with whatever it is out there. Lucifer, as evil as the tales prophet, will let me go. I don’t know why I’m so sure about that, but I am. He won’t even think twice about it.
But, I can’t. Not only for Natalia’s sake, but for mine. Whoever this person is threatens not only my existence, but the existence of the entire world. Natalia is proof of that. I can’t turn back now. Not when I’m as close to answers as I’m going to get. And as much as I can’t stand to be around my new untrustworthy partners, without them, I won’t get very far. They offer both protection and a means to answers. I can put my pride aside long enough to admit that much.
I can’t however push it aside long enough to admit I’m sticking with them for other reasons. Because that won’t make any sense.
The hallway we go down is as dark and gloomy as I should have expected. I’m standing next to Lucifer, my shoulder nearly bumping his arm though there is more than enough space to put some between us. I step away and bump into Brotus instead. A wave of dizziness comes over at me at the slight collision.
Brotus’ large hands steady me. “Do you want me to carry you?” he asks.
I look up into his face and again, I’m taken aback by how handsome he is. A silent warrior who exudes such strength and resilience, it takes everything in me not to lean into him. Worse yet, I nearly find myself asking him to just scoop me up and take me somewhere safe. Where I don’t have to worry about demons and Natalia and the end of the world anymore. Then, his hands tighten around my arms and the words are nearly out of my mouth.
Banishing the thought, I glare instead, “Does that sound like a sensible question to ask me?”
He only nods and steps back. “Right. I’ll be behind you.”
“There’s no need for that. I don’t need you being a crutch.”
“Not a crutch,” he says with all the seriousness in the world. “Support for when you need it.”
My heart comes to a standstill and I’m not sure how I manage to squeeze my next words out. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
I keep walking. And, of course, Brotus positions himself behind me. It takes everything in me not to turn around and punch him just so he can put some distance between us. The minute any of them get a whiff of the illogical thoughts that probe my mind, they’ll turn me into prey, I know it. But I don’t punch him. Probably because I know I’ll just end up with a broken hand. Not what I need right now.
Fu
ck, these demons are messing with my mind.
The hallway doesn’t ever seem to come to an end and we pass countless identical doors. “Where the hell is she?” I grumble.
“Not far from here,” Lucifer says, just as Merlidon replies with, “Impatient, little one, aren’t you?”
I choose to respond to Merlidon. Robbing me of my fight has me itching for another one. “Another one of you call me little and I’m going to start throwing punches.”
Merlidon scrunches his nose. “Is violence your answer to everything?”
“It usually gets my message across.”
“And what message is that?” Lucifer jumps in, his tone speculative.
“What the hell do you care?”
His curious gaze lands on me. “You’re very defensive, you know that?”
“Around demons? No doubt.”
“I doubt it’s around demons alone.”
This isn’t a conversation I want to have. “Are you just leading me in circles or do you actually plan on being of some use?”
Insults clearly don’t work on him. Lucifer smiles right as he stops in front of a door, the same as all the others. I have no clue how he knows this is the one. Maybe he counts them.
“No,” I hear him say. “In tune to my surroundings, remember? It didn’t only apply to my castle.”
I grit my teeth. “Is privacy not sacred to you demons?”
Amusement flickers over his face once more. “You’re the hunter. You tell me.”
At that, he opens the door, leaving me flaring with heat. Angry heat or otherwise, I don’t stop to think about. I just go in after him.
I see Natalia instantly. She’s sitting in the center of a bland, windowless room that only contains a chair and a light above her head. As soon as she spots me, she jumps against her binds, snapping, snarling, frothing at the mouth.
“What did you do to her?” I ask without thinking.
“Nothing,” Lucifer says, his voice soft. He allows me to walk past him, so I can’t see his expression. I can only see my old friend, pure hatred shining in the depths of her eyes. “This is how she was when she woke. She won’t speak to anyone but you.”
Hunting Darkness: Hunting her Lovers (Demon Hunter Book 1) Page 9
