“No, but they can see you. And Natalia’s body. That’ll raise more questions than you can answer.”
And no doubt get me in deep shit with Mr. Black. Not what I need on my plate right now. I nod. “Let’s get out of here then.”
At that, Brotus finally breaks position. He bends to pick up Natalia, oddly gentle despite the fact that he is a six-foot five giant demon who could have probably sucked her dry not given the circumstances. He rests her over his shoulder then gives Lucifer a nod.
Lucifer nods back, his mouth twitching. He looks like he wants to laugh and, for some reason, I wonder if it’s because of my thoughts. God knows, there is nothing else about this situation that is even remotely funny. Then again, I need to stop making assumptions about them. They’re demons. Incredibly high-ranked ones and the king himself. I need to stop assuming they’ll act like a normal human being would.
Lucifer turns to me, eyes alight with mirth and something else. I don’t even attempt to decipher that one. “You’re not going to like this.”
I eye him warily. “What are you going to do?”
“We can’t just walk out of here like this. We’ll have to teleport.”
That wariness sinks deep. “Teleport to where?”
“Hell.”
Oh goodie. I don’t know what else I expected.
“You’ll have to hold on to me,” Lucifer continues.
“Fuck no.”
“Either that or you find your way there yourself. As I recall, human attempts to create a portal to Hell haven’t fared very well.”
Merlidon snorts. “More like blew up right in their face.” His eyes are on my again. This time they travel down my body, stopping at my sex. I watch him. Watch him. Watch him. Watch him. And then cringe inwardly as he licks at his lips.
“Fucking pervert,” I grunt.
“Merlidon,” Lucifer snaps. But this does nothing to deter him from traveling his eyes back up my body.
I step away, headed in the opposite direction from that.
Through the corner of my eye, I can see Lucifer staring at me. “What do you think you’re doing?”
I know I’m being unreasonable, and wasting time but I don’t care. “I’m not letting you touch me.”
Lucifer quirks a brow at me. “Would you rather Merlidon do it?”
“Oh, hell no.”
“I share the same sentiment,” comes Merlidon’s voice.
“Brotus can’t,” Lucifer says. “He’s already transporting a body. I’m all you got.”
Oh, damn them. Damn them all to –
“Hell?” Laughter sparks in his voice and I grit my teeth at it.
“You’re enjoying this a little too much.”
“Hard not to when you keep making things so interesting. So, do you still plan to stay here?”
I don’t have much of a choice, now do I? I resist the urge to sigh and instead I glare. Lucifer, wisely, accepts that as a yes.
His arms band around me, washing me with a scent I can’t place but which I know is incredibly manly. Like the scent of untapped power. I nearly feel it rippling beneath his skin as he presses me close and I’m surprised to hear the low drum of a heartbeat when my ear is squashed against his chest. My own heart quickens in response and I tense, squeezing my eyes shut.
But even so, I know the exact moment everything goes black.
12
Pressure flattens my chest to a nearly nonexistent line and I’m very aware of the grip I have around Lucifer’s waist. As well as the grip he has on mine. In fact, I can feel his fingers against my skin, pressing closer than they should, but before I can fight the urge to say something, it lifts and I’m left blinking through a sudden haze over my eyes.
I don’t even know what I was going to say but it’s a good thing I don’t get the chance to. With his lingering touch still burning on my skin, even as he steps away, I know it wouldn’t have been something appropriate.
Geez, get a grip, Melody.
Hard to when that heat I’m running from comes in full force. I nearly sink to the ground with the strength of it but something grips my arm.
I look up to see Lucifer staring down at me, a twinge of something I can’t really name shimmering in his eyes for a split second before that immortal humor is back. I’m not very surprised, to be honest. “Easy,” he says, surprisingly gently. “It’ll take a while for your body to adjust to the surroundings. Take some deep breaths.”
My first instinct is to ignore what he says. My second is to wrench my arm away. I do neither and, instead, lean into his touch, taking slow breaths. At the very least, now I know the heat isn’t my own body betraying me. Not entirely, at least.
Sweat breaks out on my forehead and I swipe at it, a bit annoyed now, though I’m not sure why. “You really need to think about getting some air conditioning in here.”
At that, Lucifer’s smile widens. “We would, but it would be much too cold for us.”
“This is cold?”
“You must remember human bodies and demon bodies are different. We have much higher body heat. To us, this atmosphere is as normal as yours is to you.”
“So, what about when you guys go to the human realm? What happens then? I know you guys don’t fall down half-frozen…unfortunately.” I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips. And truthfully, I don’t try to.
Merlidon chooses that time to step forward, rolling his eyes. They fill with such disgust and, honestly, I can only imagine what a panting, sweating mess I look like. Even so, the look in his eyes bolsters the annoyance in me. “Try to use your brain, human,” he says. “In the same way humans can adjust to this climate, so can we to yours. It only takes us some time.”
I open my mouth to retort but Brotus steps in, much to my utter surprise. I forget he is even with us. Not good considering he has my friend’s limp body over his shoulder. “Lucifer,” he says. “Something’s wrong.”
We all straighten. It’s only then do I actually take my surroundings into consideration. I’m standing in the center of a room, shrouded in black and grey. Shadows loom in the corners and whispers seem to emanate from all around us. To the very north of the room is a mammoth size throne, made of what I can only assume from the distance are bones. It stands atop a dais so tall it’s almost the height of my body, but other than that and the smooth, polished floors, there’s nothing more to see.
Until I notice the massive black door opposite the throne. Chills race through me at the sight because I know, without having to ask, that countless demonic horrors are right behind those doors. My fingers itch to draw my sword.
For the first time since I’ve met him, Lucifer frowns. He grows still, as if waiting, sensing something. I can’t help but watch him, watch the way his black eyes deepen and become even darker with solemnity. Then, all of a sudden, the King of Demons is standing before me.
“Melody, step back.”
I tense, glancing towards the door. The whispers grow louder. “What’s off?”
His eyes snap to me, so intense I nearly do step back. “Get back. Now!”
Like hell. Something is obviously wrong here. Merlidon is flexing his neck, a wicked smile spreading across his face, like a man with no fears. Brotus’ face is unmoving, but he sets Natalia down gently, and comes to stand beside Lucifer. They are both preparing to fight. Like hell I’m about to step back and let them take care of it.
Lucifer clenches his fist, something twitching in his jaw but his eyes are on the door ahead of us. “Something breached my walls. Something that shouldn’t be here.”
I watch the door along with him, this time, placing a hand on the hilt of my sword. I can almost hear it begging to be released. Or maybe that’s just my own thirst for the fight. “How can you tell?”
He looks at me in a way that says ‘are you really asking me that’, but then obliges me regardless. “This is my castle. I’m tuned in to every inch of this place. If something sets foot on these grounds, I will know about it.” His
voice is serious, his face stern – the combination of both causes goosebumps to travel up and down my body. Whether the good or the bad kind, I’m not sure.
“And what exactly makes you think this particular thing shouldn’t be here.”
“Because,” he says, voice low. “I don’t recognize it. It’s neither human nor demon.”
A mixture of anticipation and dread tingle my skin. “Something like Natalia?”
“I’m beginning to think so. Melody, you need to get back now. There’s more than one of them.”
“Fighting is what I do. I’m staying.”
I know those black eyes are on me without having to look. “Demons. That’s what you are good at fighting. You have no experience with whatever these things are.” If I was naïve, I’d say the look that washes over his face is a protective one. But as much as the King of Demons teleported me to hell with not so much as a strand of hair out of place, I know better than to think protecting me is anywhere high up on his list.
I meet his eyes unblinkingly. “They aren’t that much different.”
He doesn’t break my gaze. Again, I see something flash in his eyes, and for a second, I swear it’s admiration. But that doesn’t make any sense.
“Fine,” he says finally. “I hope you can hold your own.”
“Worry about yourself, demon.” The words sound strong as they leave my lips, but something comes on even stronger. The pain in my leg pulses and I grit my teeth, not daring to let Lucifer even catch wind of the fact that I’m hurting. What a time for my injury to flare up. With all that’s been happening, I didn’t even remember Natalia damaged my leg until now.
The sides of Lucifer’s mouth twitch. “Merlidon, how far are they?”
“They entered from the east wing. They’re only a few minutes away.”
“My men?”
Merlidon pauses then says, grimly, “Incapacitated. I can’t tell if they’re dead or not.” He pauses again. Frowns. “Wait a second…”
“They are the ones coming, aren’t they?”
He nods. “I couldn’t sense them so I assumed they had been killed. But I think the person we’re looking for might have gotten to them.”
Oh, great. There really are hordes of demons right behind that door. As if in response to my thoughts, the whispers blaze louder.
“Melody,” comes Lucifer’s voice again. “You sure you can handle this?”
“Ask me that again and I just might prove to you what exactly I can do. Except you won’t be one of those left unscathed.” I draw my sword, the blade’s song nearly drowning out that growing trepidation roaring inside me. Like all the other times, I revel in the feel of her in my hand, her weight a comfort as I look Lucifer in the eye. This time, I know for certain that what I see is admiration, and maybe a bit of pride. But that makes zero sense.
“Alright,” Merlidon breaks through. “Because here they come.” When he looks at me, there’s a hint of what Lucifer has in his eyes. Which makes even less sense because I’m sure if it was left up to Merlidon, he’d have happily wiped his sword clean with my insides.
“Now!” As soon as that word is out of his mouth, the door bursts down.
The whispers become full-fledged cries right from the pit of Hell – fitting. My ears ring from the force of it, and I spread my feet apart, eyes zeroing in on the first demon that pushes past the others, face blank with mindless rage. It swipes its long claws out at me and I slash my sword at it, slicing it in two. Black blood spurts out at me as I rush towards the next.
The demons that come for us are a mixture of different ranks. I recognize the low-ranking ones, their scaly bodies changing shapes until they settle on a makeup of a lot of different things, like splatters of paint on a canvas. I duck beneath the elongated white arm of one, pulling it around with me and taking it down from over my shoulder. I twirl, swinging my sword through its body before it has a chance to kick out at me with one if its horse legs.
A human looking demon throws itself at me next, calculated in its movements despite the fact that it has lost all its senses. It fights like a human as well, and I instantly know it’s of a higher rank. The higher the rank, the more normal they look. It nearly throws me off, but I block its punch in time, taking care not to let any blows touch my leg. I grab at another punch, slamming my elbow into its neck and whirling my body to its back. My sword is at its throat the next second and black blood shoots from the wound, showering Brotus as he lumbers past.
I can see him in my peripherals. With his size, it’s impossible to miss him – especially considering he’s now wielding a gigantic mace he definitely didn’t have before.
The weapon bowls demons down, then they are finished off with a simple stomp of his heavy foot to their throats, or a swipe of his hand. Even so, he moves with a grace that nearly rivals Merlidon, like a man who knows his size and knows just how to use it. It’s clear he doesn’t rely on only strength but skill as well.
As my sword drives into the midsection of another demon, I feel a shadow of another tower over me. I swing out with a roundhouse kick, sending it to my left and its neck right into Brotus’s hand. He slams the demon down on top of another and bludgeons them with his mace.
“Nice one,” I shout at him, dodging the swift kicks of the next demon that attacks me.
He grunts in response. I take that as a thank you.
“Why don’t you stop talking and focus?” Merlidon slides into view, his elongated claws tearing the face of the demon before me, dodging its blood spray so that it showers me.
I grit my teeth. My sword is slick now, sliding into demons effortlessly. “Shove your claws up your ass, demon.”
“Watch it, human. You might want to pay attention before they take your other leg.”
“Just like when someone took your balls, huh? How sweet of you to care.” I duck beneath his arm, taking out the demon coming at him as he swipes at the one above me. We switch positions.
“How creative.” The dryness of his voice nearly makes me laugh.
Maybe I would have. Unfitting seeing that there seems to be a never-ending wave of demons charging straight towards me, but the feeling rises nonetheless. The only reason I don’t is because I spot Lucifer through the throng.
The way he moves is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I barely see his limbs, barely see any effort being put out. But demons fall all around him. And then, as if he knows I could see him, a blade appears in his hands, running down the length of his arm. In the blink of an eye, the blade takes down three demons, but its black shine remains unstained.
I’m captivated by the way he moves, by the sharp, precise way he does. The power I know he possesses rippling through the blade, drinking in the death of his enemies. My own sword hums in response as if wanting to be close. It seems almost alive, but I know that’s impossible.
Even so, I find myself inching closer, away from Merlidon and the rhythm we had built up, and toward the King of Demons, the man who rests on that throne in the distance. I’m drawn to him, to the man who has lorded over all these demons and more. To the devil.
He senses my approach, though he doesn’t turn towards me. “Stay close to me.”
I grip my sword tighter. The cold splash of blood dotting my cheek is oddly welcomed with my suddenly flushed face. “Why?”
“They’re coming for you. They want you.”
As if they heard him, Merlidon and Brotus come closer, though they definitely weren’t in earshot. “What do you mean?” Merlidon asks, his breath slightly labored.
“The demons.” I can’t help but notice Lucifer doesn’t sound affected at all by the fighting. “They’re coming for Melody. They’re trying to get through us to get to her.”
“How can you tell?” I can’t tell anything but bodies upon bodies of dead demons and barely alive demons crawling over them to get to us. To me, apparently.
“Natalia was doing the same. She came to the apartment for you and so are they. Men, stay close.”
&n
bsp; “Yes, sir,” they say in unison.
I want to say I don’t need the extra help, but I swallow the words. Instead, I ask, “How many demons do you have in this damn place?”
“Hundreds.”
“We can’t fight that many!”
“I know.”
I pause for only a split second. I manage to catch the look the three of them pass to each other before resuming the fight. I’m amazed by the amount of bodies that fall to the floor once they do.
A hand lands on my shoulder and I grab it before the claws can sink in. I wring the arm behind the demon and send my sword through it, impaling two others as I do. “Someone tell me what the plan is now or I’m going to start swinging this sword around.”
“Brotus,” Lucifer says.
“Yes, sir.”
I barely have any time to prepare before I’m hauled upwards and planted on Brotus’s wide shoulders. My heartbeat triples in beat and I grip his shoulders, nearly thrown by the odd reaction his touch has to my body. “What the –”
“I feel it too,” he says, matter-of-factly, but doesn’t emphasize. Holy mother of fire shitters, my entire body feels like it’s been set aflame.
“Hold on.” Brotus whispers and bends again, charging through grappling demons to pick up Natalia’s body, unminding feet dangerously close to trampling her. He throws her over his other shoulder and all inappropriate feelings die on the spot. I close my eyes as the memory of what happened to her, of what she had become, washes over me.
I’m not sure if we can fix her and that horrid truth causes a tightness in my chest that is so strangling I can barely breathe.
“You okay,” Lucifer asks. I put on the strongest face I can manage, but whatever smart ass words I usually have reserved at the tip of my tongue are no longer to be found. So I just look at him; at the concern that shouldn’t be on his face, at the apology that rests uncertain on his lips and I nod. Not saying a word.
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.
Hunting Darkness Page 8
