by Leia Stone
After a slight pause, he did the same, and they clasped hands. A small burst of magic, like a tiny shockwave, spread outward when their palms touched, and it was done. A magically bound contract.
Brock then turned to me. “Draping ourselves like this might hurt the baby. Cho has offered to go with me—”
“My skin would never hurt an innocent child,” the naked selkie nearest me scolded Brock.
Her skin. She spoke about it like it truly was an extension of her soul.
Crazy.
“The baby will be fine,” I told him. “I have to go. I have to be the one to get Cass.”
Brock took one last lingering look at my belly and finally nodded, not bothering to hide his reluctance.
The selkie leader smiled. “It’s all set, then. We’ll lend you these two skins, and the moment you return from the underworld, you’ll have them sent back here.”
Brock nodded. “You have my word.”
The girl nearest me grabbed the edges of the skin and shook it out, like a cloak. “Ready?”
My eyes widened. “Oh. Now?”
The girl nodded. “My skin must know that you do this with my permission. Otherwise it will kill you.”
Brock made a strangled noise in his throat. “You said it wouldn’t hurt them.”
She snapped her head in his direction. “It won’t as long as we do it my way.”
“It’s fine,” I told them both, and bowed my head.
One second I was standing there, dry, and the next she tossed this heavy, wet skin over my shoulders and I felt like I was floating in seawater. Like fully submerged.
“Good girl.” The woman pet the skin, her fingers trailing along my back as if she were petting me. It’s like the skin and I were one and we were floating in the ocean. There was also something dark there, lurking at the edges, probably whatever made it demon in nature, but I chose not to focus on that. Cass was a demon and there wasn’t a dark bone in his body, so this could be okay too.
“Be good. I will see you soon,” the selkie cooed in my ear, and I tried not to shiver. The seal’s head was draped over my skull like a hood. I had no doubt it was terrifying to look at.
Glancing over, I saw that Brock was also wearing his selkie suit, a naked female stroking his back while she whispered in his ear.
Could this day get any stranger? We looked like we were about to start filming some weird porno.
“Now go, and don’t forget to bring the skins back,” the leader warned. “If you don’t show, we’ll pay a little visit to your pack.”
Brock nodded. “We’ll show. Thank you.”
One of the females pointed to the skins. “You can take them off and on now at will. They will behave. But leave them on the entire time you’re in the underworld unless you want to burn alive.”
Oh God. I had to fight three sirens with this thing on?
Great.
With that, Brock and I turned and started to walk to the helicopter.
“Are we seriously doing this? Going to the underworld looking like selkies?” Brock asked as the skins floated around us.
I stopped and faced him. “Look, I know you didn’t sign up for this level of crazy. I totally understand if you—” He cut me off with a kiss to the lips.
“It was a rhetorical question, my love. Where you go, I go.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as we headed home to walk through the gate to the underworld and save my best friend from psychotic sirens.
16 Die, demon scum!
The second the helicopter touched down in Eugene, Brock reached out through the pack link to bring Ray up to speed, and I whipped out my cell phone to call Tianna. By the time I disconnected the call, Brock was already directing an expectant look my way while he threw his waiting truck into drive. With the selkie seal skins in the back seat, he tore off the tarmac as if we had a date with the devil himself—which wasn’t all that far from the truth.
“They haven’t made much progress with Johnny’s spell,” I groaned, flinging my head against the seat-back in frustration. “There’s no way Tianna will be able to help us out. She’s freaking out about being stuck at Cottage Grove when Cass needs her.” I closed my eyes to process all the feels. If Brock were in trouble and I couldn’t get to him, I’d be losing my damn mind too.
“I’m sure she won’t stop trying until she breaks through Johnny’s spell,” Brock said. “Ray is gathering our strongest wolves. I’m going to station them around the gate.”
“Just in case another nasty creature tries to come out of it?”
“Basically, yeah. Besides, I’ll feel better knowing they’re there in case we need help.”
“We’re going into the fucking underworld, home of the Akuma and all sorts of other fun-loving demons. What could possibly go wrong?” I grimaced.
“We’ve got this,” he said. Though he had no way to know how things would go, I appreciated the sentiment. The odds were stacked so overwhelmingly against us that I didn’t want to stop to think about it. No matter what, I was going down there. I’d do anything for Cass.
“But if things get too dangerous down there, you come back here for help, and I’ll get Cass out,” he added.
I nodded, though I’d never leave him behind.
“We have to hurry. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re running out of time,” I said, and Brock pressed the pedal to the metal; the dense greenery of Oregon whizzed by.
By the time Brock barreled down the driveway to our house, a couple dozen werewolves, my dad, and Cho were outside waiting for us. We threw our doors open, grabbed our borrowed selkie skins, wrapping them around us, and leapt out.
Right away, Sabine was in front of me. “How are you feeling?” she asked, staring deep into my eyes as if she were a medical instrument, trying to take my emotional temperature.
“Like I’m gonna kill some siren bitches.”
“I see.” She blinked at me a few times, but she couldn’t quite keep the smile from showing on her face.
“The baby’s fine,” I told her, trying to hurry this up. “She’s kicking up a storm. And I feel well too.” I tried to move past her, but she stopped me with a gentle hand to the shoulder.
“You have to at least take a minute to drink and eat something. You’re heading into the underworld, there’s no telling what will happen once you enter.” Her eyes were serious as she pressed a bottle of water into my hand and slung a backpack, presumably full of snacks, over my shoulder.
Shit, she was right. I needed to at least hydrate. “Thanks, Sabine. I’ll do it while we move.”
She hesitated, her eyes clouded with worry, but finally conceded. “I’ve filled the bag with your prenatal vitamins, electrolyte water, beef jerky, and dried fruits.”
Chortling, I nodded. “Thank you.” I was hungry enough to eat a whole pizza. Hell, several pizzas.
Adjusting the bag around my Glock and katana, I started walking toward the gate when Cho jogged up to me. “Evie, wait.”
I turned to face her as she pressed Cass’ iridescent, sequined booty shorts into my hand. I looked down at them, tearing up. Damn pregnancy hormones. They were the shorts he wore when he wanted to impress.
“What are these for?” I whispered around my mess of emotions.
“I cast a spell on them. The shorts will lead you to their owner. Once you’re through the gate, just pay attention to their directions, and you’ll find Cass.”
Wow. I prayed I would one day be half the witch that these badass women in my life were. Between Cho, Tianna, and Willemena, I had some serious catching up to do.
I squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Cho. This will help a lot.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, squeezing back. “You’ll find him.”
I nodded a little too fervently, working to convince myself. Cass was family. I was getting him back. Without a doubt.
“I also don’t figure it’ll be all that easy for you and Brock to fight with those selkie skins h
anging off of you. I have a spell that should work to mold them to your own skin so they don’t slide off. We don’t want to risk the underworld figuring out you aren’t demons while you’re down there.”
No, we sure as hell didn’t.
“That’d be great, thanks. What do you need us to do?” I asked, arranging the seal skin to fit a bit better around my shoulders.
“Nothing. Just give me a few moments. Oh and I’ll remove the spell that keeps you from shifting. Just in case,” Cho said, bowing her head.
Man, what would I do without this amazing witch? It was a smart thing to do since I might need to be in my fox form down there.
I nodded, calling for Brock. He stood next to me while Cho did her miracle magic, chanting once more in rapid-fire Japanese. By the time she’d finished, even when I twirled the selkie skin didn’t budge. It had become lightweight like parachute material, and clung to me like a second skin.
I grinned. “Awesome, thanks.”
“You’re most welcome,” Cho said.
Once more, I reached for her hand and met her eyes. “Thanks for taking care of my dad as well.”
She turned to gaze at him and smiled. “It’s my pleasure. He and I have been through a lot together. He’s a good friend.”
“Ready?” Brock asked me, taking one proffered handgun after another from Ray and slipping them into holsters strapped across his chest, hips, back, and thighs.
“Yep,” I said, admiring his arsenal.
He looked up and grinned. “You’re jealous of my guns?”
“So jealous.”
“If you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll get you a few extra of your own.” His grin was pure sinful mischief.
I winked. “As long as I don’t have to behave too much.”
Brock finished strapping guns to himself and we took off for the gate. Continuing our flirty banter was the only thing keeping me sane right now.
A dozen werewolves, a powerful witch, and a former kitsune trailed in our wake. Even with all of them as backup, we were nowhere near ready for what might hit us once we entered the gate. Still, I couldn’t think about that now. All I could think of was Cass.
With the construction flag still in place marking the crack to the gate, Brock turned to me, taking both my hands. “You ready?” he asked.
To enter the underworld? The birthplace of all demons? Hell to the no.
“Yes,” I said with a deranged sort of smile.
“That’s my girl,” he laughed, then immediately turned somber. “Promise me, no matter what happens, you’ll take care of yourself and the baby first.”
“Of course,” I answered right away.
“Even if it means leaving me behind. Even if it means leaving Cass.” His amber eyes were dead serious, and my heart skipped a beat.
Uh, fuck no, I wasn’t leaving either of them behind.
“I mean it, Evie,” he pressed. “If it’s a choice between you and the baby, or Cass and me, you haul ass and get the two of you out.”
Yeah … no. But I couldn’t tell Brock that.
I didn’t want to lie so I just nodded.
As I turned toward the gate, he gently grabbed my arm and turned me back toward him. “Promise me. You and our baby mean more to me than my life.”
My heart thudded.
“I need to know that you’ll be safe no matter what happens,” he continued. “Promise me you’ll leave me behind if you have to. Please.”
Fuck, he knew me too well.
Staring into his eyes, I knew there was no way I’d ever be able to do that. He must have read it in my face.
“I need this, Evie. I need to know you’ll survive this.”
“Fine,” I snapped, and he sighed in relief, the stray strands of dark hair across his forehead wafting upward. I leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “But you’d better make sure your fine ass ends up back here with me. I plan on making you my husband.”
He smiled broadly, but concern clouded his usually brilliant eyes.
We clasped each other’s hands and offered our friends tight smiles that weren’t returned. Every single one of them were freaked the hell out that we were about to enter the underworld—voluntarily.
“We’re coming for you, Cass,” I declared, and dove feet-first into the opening of the gate.
17 No one fucks with my bestie and lives
As Brock and I stepped through the crack in the gate, a heavy, oppressive heat wafted up from the hard rock of the cliff we stood on, clamoring against my lungs. Resisting the urge to claw away the invasive heat, I tried to make sense of my surroundings, but didn’t manage to make out much. It was so dark!
Pivoting, I slipped and started to slide down. I caught myself on the ledge and pushed myself back up. With a groan, I turned in search of Brock. We were on a fucking cliff.
“Ah,” I yelped, when I found him right behind me.
“Are you all right?” he barked urgently, running his hands up and down the sides of my arms. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I said with a hand to my heart to steady its frantic thumping.
He continued running his hands along me. “You’re sure you’re okay? You almost fell!”
I did almost fall off a cliff in the underworld. That would have been bad.
“Totally.” I patted my gun and katana to make sure they were in place after the drop. I hadn’t bothered with my badge. It wasn’t like underworlders would respect my authority. Down here, power trumped all, and power was determined by physical and magical strength.
“Okay,” I said, looking around us in a circle. Though a faint orange glow illuminated our surroundings, it wasn’t clear in which direction we should head. Small campfires glowed in the faraway distance, and a magical-looking light red haze colored the sky, but that was it.
“Let’s make our way down this small cliff first,” I suggested.
Brock nodded, and after about two minutes of treading carefully across rough ground, we were standing on the sandy floor of the underworld.
“Don’t call out to Cass aloud,” Brock cautioned me, even though I already sensed that wouldn’t be a good idea. Though I couldn’t see anyone, I also couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, and I had no desire to draw attention to us.
‘Cass?’ I tried through our mental link, but even before silence drew out in reply, I knew he either couldn’t hear me or he couldn’t respond. Something was interfering with the telepathic connection Gran had set up between us.
Drawing Cass’ sequined, iridescent booty shorts from the back pocket of my jeans, where they barely fit, I squeezed them in one of my hands and closed my eyes, paying attention to whatever sign they’d give me.
There!
It was slight, but there was an undeniable draw pulling me straight ahead.
“That way,” I whispered to Brock, pointing with my head. I stuffed the booty shorts back in my pocket, swept my long hair into a ponytail, and steeled myself for whatever lay up ahead.
The landscape was the same in every direction: dark and bleak. Black lava stone surrounded us. A deep orange glow illuminated the rocks from below, suggesting that lava might actually run amid them. Sharp crags divided up the landscape, limiting our view in any one direction. Beyond the orange glow slashing macabre shadows, there was no other source of illumination.
“What a cheery landscape,” Brock mumbled under his breath.
“Let’s find Cass and get the hell out of here. I have a bad feeling about this place.”
“You’d be crazy if you didn’t.” He brought a gentle hand to the small of my back and urged me forward, bringing either hand in close proximity of a weapon.
He had to be feeling it too, like there were eyes in the great walls of rock.
A bead of sweat trickled down my back, and I picked up the pace, following the pulsing of Cass’ booty shorts forward. Dodging a few large boulders, I stopped to scout the area.
“Where is everyone?” I whispered to Brock. �
�This is home to every nasty creature of our nightmares. It shouldn’t be so quiet.”
“I know.” Brock didn’t meet my concerned gaze, and swept our surroundings without ceasing. “Something is definitely off. We should have run into something by now.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want to disappoint you,” a voice I knew all too well called down to us. Calista’s voice bounced and echoed across the hard surfaces, enveloping me in her energy.
Oh fuck.
I shook the sensation off and whirled, looking for her.
“If you want us to attack you, we’ll be happy to oblige,” another voice taunted. Similar to Calista’s, it had to belong to one of her sisters.
“Lots of us will be happy to oblige,” a third voice sang out. Eerily alike to the other two, it had to be the third triplet. “You’ve captured far too many of us, bounty hunter.” The siren spit out my title like it was as foul as this place.
Ah! There. I pinned my attention on the crest of a nearby ridge. Silhouetted by orange stood three identical women. Their kelp-colored hair appeared black, undulating around them as if it were alive, though heat waves probably caused the effect. With their mouths turned into identical snarls, they appeared appropriately ferocious.
But they didn’t scare me. I was going to kill all three of the bitches for taking my bestie.
Brock pressed his back against mine, watching the opposite direction so no one could sneak up on us.
“We’re here for Cass,” I shouted to the sirens. “Give him to us and we’ll leave. We’re not here to cause trouble.”
Though I sure as hell would cause a whole shit ton of it if they didn’t hand over Cass right this second.
“That’s not how kidnappings work. We’re the ones who ask for something, and you’re going to give it to us,” Calista declared, sounding all too fucking pleased with herself.
I growled, low and long. I was going to strangle Calista with her own stupid green hair, and then I was going to kill her sisters. Twice.
“Cass isn’t a bargaining chip,” I ground out, my voice deadly, wrapping the fingers of one hand around the hilt of my katana.
