by A. K. Koonce
“I don’t really mind. I’m just as responsible for this as anyone. It’s my book that screwed all of this up.”
One of the dwellers looks back at us, and Nollix and Link stop talking long enough to meet the man’s gaze. The Demon passes the Warlock a look before straightening once more.
“What about your family. Won’t they be looking for you?” I met Cameron months ago. Too much time has passed. If we do make it out of all of this alive, his family will hate me. I’m sure of it.
… Not that I care.
“My grandmother died three months ago. It’s what triggered the raid. It’s what drew attention to the book of Severed Souls.” He keeps his attention on anything but me while he speaks. “She wanted to be buried with the book.”
Obviously, she wasn’t. I don’t mention that small remark.
“She almost was. I laid it across her chest at her funeral. It was all of her knowledge. Everything she’d ever created was in that book. She should have been buried with it.” When a heavy breath leaves his lips and he starts to shake his head, my fingers drift out, slowly tangling through his. He pauses, his attention coming to a halt on our hands held together in the space between us. “I couldn’t leave it with her though. People from all over came to pay their respects to The Elder Witch, Ebony Mary Crows. As she was lowered into the ground, there was so much heavy attention on that fucking book, I knew someone would destroy her grave—her peace—just to get the thing.”
“So you stole it?”
“Fuck yeah, I stole it.”
And then my father took it from him…
This is what fate feels like, huh?
It feels like shit.
“Weren’t you afraid it’d put your family in danger?”
Or yourself? Sometimes I can’t decide if Cameron’s a genius or an idiot. That brash decision in his life would hint at both, to be honest.
A beat passes, and only Nollix and Link’s whispers fill the quiet.
“She was the only family I had left. She raised me. When I stole the book, there wasn’t really anyone to worry about.”
“There was you.” The words blurt out of my mouth on a breath filled with too much emotion.
I want to scream at him to take care of himself. To worry about himself. His life matters.
It matters to me.
His fingers tighten around mine, pulling me closer to his side, and I can feel him staring at me. The attention he gives me warms my face even if I refuse to look at him. During the tense silence, Nollix and Link both look back at us. Their gazes match as they both peer down at how my fingers are interlocked with Cameron’s. They seem to feel the pressure within the quiet.
And, apparently, they’re not the only ones.
“We’re going to borrow a few critters for our journey.” Tantra looks back at me. There’s a slight accent in her voice that I’ve never heard before. It accentuates letters into heavy sounds that linger in my mind long after she’s spoken. “They’ll get us from point A to point B much faster.” Her words hold hidden meaning, and she smirks at me as she says it.
Perfect.
Underworld critters.
Just what I wanted.
Chapter Four
Realization
Nollix
My spine stiffens the closer we come to the Shadow Hills. The elements are stronger here closer to the Core. The ground here’s a haven of water. The dirt beneath my boots is no longer dry and dusty. The clay of the earth cakes to my soles with every step I take, and I know the creatures that linger here are not the playful kind.
This world is made up entirely of shit that can fucking kill you. Survival of the fittest is the very essence of this place. I’ve stopped trying to fill Link in on what to look out for. I’ve fallen back a little, and now I’m just walking slowly behind Violence. She peeks back at me from time to time, her fingers still held loosely in Cameron’s. My jaw grinds together every time my eyes wander down to their hands.
Every fucking day he becomes a more permanent part of our life.
Of her life.
There’s something within him that sets her at ease though. As much as I want to throw him in his place, I’m starting to think this is his place.
I’m half Demon, but I’m also half Fae, and Fae have this weird and amazing connection with the world; with nature, with humans, and with the very existence of time itself. There’s a tingling feeling deep inside me that knows he’s supposed to be here. All of this is as it should be.
Every terrible, shitty part of our surroundings is right on track.
And I can’t do a thing to stop us from progressing forward.
The dark soil of the hills ahead shakes, trembling from the inside out.
“That’s not a good sign.” Cameron halts but I nudge him forward.
That’s definitely not a good fucking sign, but we don’t show weakness or astonishment here. My sword is held tightly in my right hand as I walk with careful and calculating steps.
“Those are the Carcass Creatures,” Tantra whispers with manic excitement in her melodious voice.
Another crawling shake of the hills has Cameron’s fingers on his right hand arching toward his palm. A spark of red snaps through his hand, but he seems to contain his itching magic. The land ahead is my focus, but I can’t help but deter my gaze to check on Violence every three steps I take.
She’s always pulling at my attention. She’s distracting me and putting me in danger just because I can’t seem to concentrate on any fucking thing other than the beautiful Huntress lately.
Fuck.
For an instant, my breath halts. The trembling land and the terrible world falls away as realization hits me right in the face. I stop then, my gaze held on her back as they follow after the Demons.
She hesitates, her spine straightening to her full but petite height. It’s like she feels me the way I feel her presence without even trying to think about it. Whiskey colored eyes slowly look back at me, shining with confusion as I stand glued to my spot with more fear than I’ve felt the entire time we’ve been here.
Because I think I’m fucking in love with her.
Chapter Five
Carcass Creatures
Cameron
A Carcass Creature. Yeah, that’s what I wanted to hear.
Is everything here just total shit?
I can only hope we get to Vi’s sister before she actually enters the Core. I only ever hope I have to enter the Core when I’m dead and gone.
I mean, sure I want to go to … a better place. Really anything has to be better than this, right? But I hope my soul rests somewhere nice. A vacation of sorts; a tropical paradise where it never rains and everyone gets free drinks, but, let’s face it, it’s not likely. I’m not the most honorable person on the planet or even in the Underworld.
I steal. I used to steal to help my grandmother with her expenses, but, as time went on, it just became a habit. I lie. I lie a lot. I lie so much I can’t even look Vi in the eye lately. If I do, she’ll know. She’ll know what I haven’t been telling her.
And as much as I originally thought I wouldn’t care about what the Princess of Fallen thought of me, I do. I care so damn much it hurts.
The feeling in my chest tightens to an unbearable pain. It’s like the bond from my heart to hers is pulling at me. It distracts me.
Until the earth rips apart right under my feet. My palm wraps around her hip and Violence’s chest melds against mine. The warmth of her curves against my body seems to fuel the fire of my power. My palm rises as a beast with more bones than flesh leaps from the hole that’s sinking just a few feet from us.
Violence’s power shakes to life. I feel it twirl in the air, pressing at nature itself, but the animal seems to sense her. Its paws are massive, clawing at the soft ground as it climbs up from the literal bowels of hell to stand before her. I stare up at it as it stares down at us, its head tilts this way and that. Its sightless. No eyes fill the sockets of the thing’s hea
d. Worn spots along it’s body reveal the white bone and dry flesh beneath its leathery fur.
A humming noise like a cat reverberates through it and into the air. It’s a terrifyingly enormous sight to see.
And yet, it doesn’t attack. There’s no tension within its body. It seems almost confused by our presence.
Nollix takes a step closer, his palm outstretched. More and more of the Carcass Creatures start to crawl from the hole in the ground, leaving behind wide claw marks within the earth as they come up.
Tantra and the other three men stand watching as Nollix starts to push his palm along the twelve-foot beast’s tattered snout. It towers over us. Despite its height, it has the shape of a jaguar, but the majestic beauty has long faded away.
The smooth span of Violence’s stomach skims against my fingertips as she steps out of my embrace. She glances to Nollix before slowly raising her hand. The creature’s attention falls to her and my lips part as it lowers its head submissively, allowing her small fingers to stroke along the side of its face.
They’re … tame.
“You want to ride Allen or Allie?” Tantra tilts her head, looking around the massive treelike leg of the beast to see Violence.
Allen or Allie. They gave beasts from the Underworld human names. That’s … unsettling.
“Rark and Sev always like the bigger beasts.” She nods to the two Demons who are already climbing up on the two largest Carcass Creatures.
Rark and Sev, now those are Underworld beast names. Not that I’ll be mentioning that to my new Demon friends.
“Take Allie, she’s the gentlest. She’ll be sweet to you.” Tantra’s words hum into a low tone as she slowly walks toward Violence. There’s a sway in her hips that I hadn’t noticed before. My brows lower as her palm starts to push along the beast’s fur near Vi’s hand. Her fingers are too close and skim lightly against my friend’s wrist.
Is she … flirting with her?
Shit, she’s flirting with her.
Linkin takes a step closer, pushing himself between the two women until Tantra lowers her hand. It’s like he doesn’t like someone lingering that close to what’s ours.
I mean, his.
I roll my eyes at my stupid thoughts.
“I’ll ride with Vi on whichever one is Allie.”
“Obviously this one is Allie. Can you not tell a female from a male, my love?” Tantra tips her head up in a daring way to Link. They’re standing close and she has to look straight up to meet his hard gaze. “And Allie never allows a new person to guide her. I’ll take Violence on Allie. She likes me.”
I can’t tell if she means Allie or Violence, but the statement sets my entire body on edge.
Link’s jaw tics as he stares down on the Demon woman. “Violence can ride with Nollix then.”
“I’m just going to be honest, she’s not too fond of men.” Her eyes narrow on him. It’s odd seeing Link be aggressive, but it also looks normal. It’s as if he’s always this protective of Vi.
“Tantra, you’re with me.” Nollix doesn’t even look her way but her eyes light up the moment he says it.
“Oh, good idea.” Her bronzed hands clap together, with manic glee singing through her words.
Well, that settles that issue.
“Violence, Flint will guide you on Allie. They’re old friends, he took care of her when she was just a kitten.” Tantra’s beaming now with a pleasantness that rings through her tone.
A kitten? This beast is a rotting corpse. How fucking old is Flint?
The questions slip from my mind as the massive man with the scar slicing down his face steps closer. Link’s jaw is held so tightly together his chest is heaving for air.
I’ve never seen the gentle Fae look as furious as he is right now.
“Flint’s a good choice.” Nollix nods as his gaze shifts to the other two Demon men who are whispering between themselves, their attention locked hard on Violence.
“That leaves you and the pretty boy with Rark and Sev. They like pretty things.” Her dark eyes shift to me, and she adds an unnerving wink to the end of that statement.
What the fuck does that mean?
Chapter Six
Jealous
Nollix
Her humming grates on my nerves with every mile that treks by. The gentle sway of her body skims her arms against mine with every step the beast takes. I don’t remember the name she gave this one, Carl or Chris or fucking Cameron for all I know. We just need to get there already. And be done.
I left this place because nothing is as it seems. Everything is a deadly game. No one, including my childhood friend here, is as kind as they seem.
I hate it here.
The Demon side of me relishes the heat of the world. The Fae side of me starts to become this quiet and forgotten voice within my mind.
My gaze shifts to the stiff way Flint’s arms are held around Violence. He’s old. He’s old as shit, and I know he has zero interest in all of this let alone the pretty woman held between his arms.
This set up is best for everyone. My gaze skims to my other side to find Cameron awkwardly holding his arms against himself to avoid touching the big arms of the man wrapped around him. The Demon is pressed close, his chest against Cameron’s back. The Warlock tries to shift forward a little on the beast but the Demon presses his palm against Cameron’s stomach and settles him right back into place where he wants him.
A shitty smirk pulls at my lips when Cameron shifts uncomfortably once more. Link is somewhere behind me, riding with the man Tantra called Sev. None of them are particularly kind souls, but they know me. They know I wouldn’t ask for help if I didn’t need it.
And they live for the blood of newcomers. Usually, they’d make a game of hunting someone who wanders down here. And I know that’s what they’re doing with Vi’s sister and Jeriko.
Even if they won’t admit it.
I have to be careful because it’s probably what they’re doing to us too.
The ground rumbles beneath us, and Tantra’s hands grip mine as if she’s a frightened woman. My jaw clenches as I shove my hands away from hers and gather the creature’s dark mane in my hands again. Once more, a groan shakes beneath us, and her gaze skims along the land. My attention traces the curving hills as well before shifting back to Vi. Her eyes darken, holding low on the way my body’s wrapped around the woman in front of me. I swallow hard as she meets my gaze.
My chest is tight. I want to say something to her. I want her to know I put us all into this weird fucking position because I was jealous. I was jealous of the thought of Tantra touching her.
Hours pass and all I can do is let the guilt twisting my stomach consume me from the inside out.
Houses that lean against the strong winds with piles of sand creeping up their sides start to come into focus. The Core is something like a city. A tormented city. These houses out here are more like shelters for the dwellers making their way to and from the Core. The Core filters souls into a final ‘resting’ place. Demons relish in souls. It energizes us just from being near them. So we make a habit of visiting the Core often even if it is too insufferable to stay long.
“Let’s stop for the night over there. We’re getting too close to the Core, we don’t want to sleep without shelter out here.” Tantra points to a house. It’s dark of course. Black paint seems to seep right out of every square foot of the home, down to every single shingle lining the roof.
If her sister is within the dweller territory, she might have taken shelter in this area as well. With a gentle tug against the creature’s fur, I guide him toward the house Tantra pointed at. The slow steps of the beast bring us over to the steps.
Without warning, I leap down the moment we’re near. Tantra stares down at me, but I don’t look back at her as I make my way toward the Carcass Creature that the beautiful Huntress sits upon.
My gaze is unblinking as I stare up at her. A soft smile tilts her lips, as if she doesn’t want to smile at me but she can
’t help it.
She shifts, bringing her legs to one side and Flint steadies her by her elbow. Slowly she slides down the beast’s side, and my fingers dig into her hips the moment she’s near enough. I make slow work of pulling her body down against mine. Every single inch of her melds against me as her palms rest over my shoulders. The honey color of her eyes gleams with a crimson shade from the fiery skies reflecting within her gaze.
Her head leans in, her lips coming so close to mine I can’t seem to reach my breath. Just another small move and her mouth would be against mine.
“Don’t ever fucking touch her again.” My lips part and I have to force the traitorous smile from touching my features.
She’s jealous. Just like I am.
I hum a sound of a response. I’m so irrationally turned on by her jealousy that it’s just safer for me not to speak right now.
She pulls back from me and strides away, leaving me hard and staring after the confident sway of her hips.
Fuck, why do I love it when she’s mad?
I should say something to her. When I can think straight, I should say something to her. I don’t want her mad at me. But I know I need to give her a few minutes to calm down. I feel her anger. It shakes through me, colliding with my magic in a pushing and pulling way.
“We need to get inside.” Flint’s gaze shifts over the horizon as another low growl shakes the ground, clattering the rocks together around my feet.
Cameron and Link come to stand at my side as the others slide down from their beasts. The moment we’re off, the creatures drill holes fast into the ground. The sand and rock cover their disappearance, sifting rapidly over them as if they never existed at all.
Violence takes a few steps past the house and stares out at the land looking toward the city where it’s darker, shadowed by the magic of the Underworld. Her pretty gaze skims over every inch as if she knows what lies there. She knows. Even if she doesn’t realize she knows. You can feel it. It’s a pressing, eerie sensation that skims along your flesh, making the fine hairs stand on end.
