Demon Curse

by Linsey Hall

“Who’s your friend?” I whispered, so low that Wally had to twitch his ears to hear.

  Declan watched me.

  Don’t know his name. He’s a shadow sprite. Lives here.

  “Well, isn’t that handy?”

  The sprite glared at me. He didn’t have facial features in the way I thought of them, but I could feel his annoyance.

  “I don’t think he likes me,” I said.

  Wally turned his head to look at the sprite, then looked back at me. Nah, we’re old friends. He likes you fine.

  “Old friends? How old?”

  Ten minutes?

  No point in arguing with Wally about the definition of old friendships. “Can he tell us another way to get up into the prison?”

  Wally turned to the sprite. I couldn't hear him speak, but they did seem to be communicating. Finally, Wally turned back to me. You can go up through the well.

  I grimaced. That sounded miserable.

  “Saltwater well?” I pointed to the pond in the middle of the cave.

  Wally turned back to the sprite to translate. A moment later, he looked at me. Yes. That’s the way.

  I sighed. Of course it was. At least there was an entrance to the water that was away from the guards. If we held our breath long enough and swam hard, we had a chance. But just to be sure, I asked how far the well entrance was.

  Not far. Only a few meters. Just stay at the left edge where it is deep. There will be a dead-end, then you go up. It will be obvious.

  Oh, that sounded like a load of crazy crap.

  I translated for Declan.

  “Sounds insane.”

  “But we don’t have any other choice. Not unless we want to fight the guards and blow our cover.”

  “Agreed.”

  My heart thundered at the idea of swimming in that dark water, but I ignored it.

  “You trust that little shadow sprite?” Declan asked.

  “I trust Wally. And he’d probably eat the shadow sprite if he lied so…” I shrugged.

  Declan sighed. “Good enough for me.”

  I patted his shoulder. “Excellent.”

  Since the little pond was a weird shape that stretched over this way, we were able to sneak into the water under the cover of one of the rock outcroppings. It was cold and horrible—not to mention dark.

  Please don’t let there be monsters.

  It was deep like Wally had said it would be, and we were close to the edge where it disappeared under the vertical wall. The well should be in there, right behind the rock.

  My heart roared in my ears, and I looked at Wally.

  Wally met my gaze. I trust the sprite.

  “You better.” I gave him a wobbly smile, then sucked in a breath and ducked under the surface.

  It was pitch black, so I kept my eyes closed. With one hand running along the rock wall to my left, I guided myself through the dark water. I estimated that I was at the part of the pool where I’d be exposed to the guards if I popped my head up.

  I made sure not to kick too hard, just in case they looked over and spotted movement, and used my hand to drag myself along the rock wall. Prayers raced through my mind as I swam forward. I was swimming blind and I hated it.

  This was not my idea of a good time in the water.

  The scientific names of all the creepy things that could be in this water flashed in my mind.

  Neoclinus blanchardi.

  Idiacanthus atlanticus.

  Gymnothorax javanicus.

  I banished the thoughts of fishy fangs and fast swimmers.

  Finally, the wall to my left hit a dead end.

  Please work.

  I kicked upward, my hand above my head to feel for the well entrance. Something brushed my legs, and bubbles escaped my mouth on a scream. I snapped my mouth shut.

  Just Declan.

  It was just Declan.

  Not a monster.

  My hand hit a solid surface above me. Frantic, I patted around, searching for the hole that would lead me up into the well. My lungs burned. I was running out of time.

  Oh fates, this was bad.

  Finally, I found the entrance. I shot upward, praying that really was a well and not a dead end.

  Finally, my head broke through the surface and I gasped.

  Stale air filled my lungs.

  Best feeling ever.

  The well stretched up high above me, showing a slice of the moon.

  Declan surfaced next to me, gasping.

  I whispered, “Well, that sucked.”

  He chuckled low in his throat. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  I reached for the edge of a rough stone block that formed the edge of the well and began to climb. Hand over hand, I pulled myself out of the water until I could prop my feet on the wall. Then I shimmied up.

  Declan followed, and we reached the top in record time. Mostly, I just wanted to get the hell away from that dark and murky water.

  It’d give me nightmares, for sure. Hell, it had almost ruined swimming for me. When I reached the top, I carefully peeked the top half of my head out. Just enough to see.

  We were in the middle of an ancient, open-air courtyard. It was basically a hole cut into the middle of the castle, surrounded on all sides by sturdy walls and a massive stone staircase that led upward to the second and third levels.

  There wasn’t a soul in sight, thank fates, and I seriously doubted these prisoners got yard time. This didn’t strike me as a humane prison.

  No, this courtyard was a relic of the past. The cells would be built into the walls of the building that surrounded it.

  Quickly, I scrambled out and raced toward an alcove in the wall where I could hide. Declan followed, and we crouched in the shadows.

  I leaned my shoulder against his.

  “I’m not one for nightmares,” he said, “but swimming blindly under a cliff would be good inspiration for some.”

  A smile cracked across my face as I studied the courtyard. We sat in silence for several minutes, waiting to see what kind of guard activity might happen. It was ancient and empty, though, with not a bit of movement to be seen.

  Stone walls soared three stories tall on either side, with a few windows looking out onto the courtyard. Glass panes filled the windows instead of bars. Probably guards’ rooms or offices.

  “Ready to go exploring?” I asked. I had a feeling this whole place was an ancient maze. It’d take time to find what we were looking for. Especially since I didn’t know exactly what we were looking for besides a clue as to Acius’s whereabouts.

  Declan nodded. “Stairs first?”

  “That’s what I was thinking.” I raced out from behind the alcove and took the stairs two at a time, heading up to the second floor. The heavy wooden door at the top wasn’t locked, and I slipped inside a dark, stone-walled hallway.

  Declan was silent as he entered after me, and I pressed myself up against the wall as I moved toward the first door. I pressed an ear to it and heard nothing within, so I pushed at the ancient wood.

  It creaked as it opened, revealing an office cluttered with papers. A coffee mug sat in the middle of the desk, and I looked over to peer in. An inch of cold coffee sat at the bottom.

  “Admin office,” I murmured.

  Declan went to the ugly metal filing cabinets that lined the wall. “This place might be a supernatural prison, but they’ve still got admin. Maybe we can find prisoner records.”

  I nodded, liking how he was thinking. It was too dangerous to sneak around the prison without a goal in mind. Every second we walked the halls, we risked getting caught. Considering the fact that this place was meant to house the strongest and the worst, we’d have a hard time getting out if we were caught.

  Instead of inspecting the contents of the filing cabinet, Declan went for the ancient-looking books piled on top.

  “That painting made it look like he came here directly from headquarters, which was hundreds of years ago.” He picked up one of the leather books and handed it to
me, then took one for himself.

  I leaned against the desk and began to rifle though, searching for the name Acius.

  Though his name didn’t appear immediately, others did.

  Rictus the Devourer.

  Cortas, Slayer of Men.

  Diero the Putrid.

  Vlad the Impaler.

  I whistled low under my breath. “They’ve had quite the contingent of famous guests here.”

  “Including our guy.” Declan held his open book out in front of him so I could look at the page.

  I peered at the terrible, scratchy writing, my gaze finally landing on Acius the Fallen, Cell Block Z.

  12

  We’d found him.

  Or at least, the place that he used to be.

  I nodded and shut my book. “Good work.”

  We returned our leather-bound tomes to the top of the filing cabinet and made sure they looked just as they had when Declan had picked them up, then we slipped out into the corridor.

  “Now we just need to find Cell Block Z,” I murmured. We could have searched the office for a map, but nah. That was unlikely to exist for a prison as old as this one. And if you worked here, you knew where to go.

  We crept through the halls, finally leaving the administrative section and reaching an area that was a lot less comfortable. Considering that the admin hall had consisted of barren floors, stone walls, and flickering electric lights, that wasn’t saying much.

  But this part…

  It sucked.

  The admin hall gave way to a small room that was clearly a transitional room. It was barren and stone-walled, with a massive iron door on one side.

  It reeked of misery and rage, most of which seemed to be coming from beneath the door.

  The prisoners had to be on the other side.

  I shared a look with Declan. “Remind me not to break any major laws, because I don’t want to end up here.”

  He nodded, not mentioning that my very species—Dragon Blood—could lead me to a place like this if the government figured out what I was and thought I was misusing my gift to create too many dangerous powers.

  That is, if they didn’t want to use me for my power.

  In the toss-up of being turned into a weapon and being thrown in a place like this, I guessed even this was the better option.

  Man, my life is screwed up.

  I approached the heavy door. “I wonder how many guards are on staff? We haven’t seen a single one.”

  “Depends on how sturdy the cells are and if they ever let them out.”

  “My guess is very sturdy, and no, they never get out.” I rested a hand against the iron door, feeling for any kind of protective charm.

  Magic prickled my skin, feeling like tiny beestings. I yanked my hand away and debated. Declan was strong enough that he could probably break this door down, but I didn’t want to alert anyone to our presence.

  “I’ve got this.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the four keys I’d taken from the guard earlier.

  The third one worked, and the lock snicked open. I pulled the door open a few inches and peered inside. A long, stone-walled hallway stretched out in front of me. It was mostly dark, lit only with flickering electric lights that buzzed in a way that would drive me mad after only thirty seconds. Cell doors lined the space, each about fifteen feet apart. Some were solid iron, others made of iron grate.

  I shut the door and looked back at Declan. “Cells inside. I’m going to check it out while invisible. Can you wait here?”

  He frowned. “I don’t like it, but fine. Obviously.”

  I nodded and squeezed his shoulder, then flicked my hood up.

  Invisible, I opened the door and slipped into the hallway.

  Immediately, the cooped-up rage in the place hit me hard. My insides turned and my hair stood on end.

  These folks are pissed.

  The second feeling that hit me was one of helplessness. I blinked, taking a second to figure it out.

  My magic was dampened. That was it.

  Of course.

  A prison for supernaturals would need some serious nullifying magic to keep them under control.

  Silently, I crept down the hall. My heart thundered in my ears as I passed the first cells. Solid metal doors with one tiny window. I couldn’t see in unless I got right up close to the glass. But they could look out.

  I liked a good fight. I was damned skilled.

  But I counted at least twenty cell doors. If they opened for any reason…

  I couldn’t hold my own against twenty of the world’s most hardened criminal supernaturals. I’d be dead within a minute as they fought their way to escape.

  I shivered and kept going, searching for any sign of which cell block this was. There were no markings on the doors—no numbers, letters, or names.

  I passed the first cell that had metal bars instead of a solid door. A small demon lay asleep on a narrow bed. He looked harmless. Except for the purple aura that glowed around him.

  Death.

  That demon was walking death, and if his aura so much as touched you, that was it. Finito. Done.

  Even worse—he liked it. The aura wasn’t a defense mechanism. When the Deavalus demon got to earth, he ran around killing mindlessly and cackling with joy as he did so.

  Or so I’d heard.

  His kind had been a myth to me until now.

  Myth no longer.

  Yeah, I preferred enchanted animals and ancient gods in my myths.

  Would his magic even work in the prison? Or was he so strong that the dampening spell here couldn’t repress his power entirely?

  Yeah, I didn’t want to find out.

  I kept going, my footsteps silent as I passed demons, mages, and vampires.

  Some twitched as I passed, looking toward the hall with curious expressions.

  I was nearly to the end when the voice came.

  “I can smell you.”

  I stiffened, heart pounding.

  “You’re close, newcomer.”

  A shiver raced over my skin as I turned to see where the voice was coming from.

  To my left, a demon stood at the door of his cage. He was tall and slender, with skin the color of burnt orange and fiery red eyes. His horns were short and sawed off.

  “Why don’t you open this door?” he hissed.

  Yeah, no.

  I turned away to keep walking, but movement flashed out of the corner of my eye. I flinched, instinct propelling me away, but the demon managed to grab me.

  My heart leapt into my throat as he slammed me against his cell bars.

  He’d stretched his arms out six feet!

  How the hell had he done that?”

  “Nullifier!” His whispered voice sounded delighted.

  Oh, shit.

  My power must’ve been reacting in some weird way here, disengaging the protection charms or something. For whatever reason, my nullifying magic worked even though the rest of my magic didn’t.

  Mega shit.

  I yanked hard on his arm, nearly tearing it off so I could dart away. The demon yowled, then reached for me with another freakishly long limb. Claws glinted in the electric light as they neared my face.

  I swatted his arm away, panting.

  But it was too late. The other demons had started shouting, pounding at their cell doors. Declan entered a half second later, his panicked gaze searching for me.

  The guards showed up a moment later.

  Damn, they’re fast.

  And prepared.

  They hit Declan with a potion bomb as soon as he’d drawn a sword from the ether. I darted to the wall, pressing myself up against it and hoping no one could see me or hear me. I drew my sword, ready to fight my way out of this if necessary.

  The damned demon with the long arms pointed right at me. “The ghost is there!”

  I wasn’t about to correct the moron that I wasn’t a ghost.

  Two of the guards—burly mages wearing all black—turned toward me
. One wore a strange metal band around his big head, and he tapped it.

  As soon as he did, his eyes zeroed right in on me.

  Shit.

  That damned headband was something that allowed him to see through invisibility—I’d bet my car on it.

  I raised my hands. “We’re just here for information.”

  He didn’t bother responding. Or if he did, I didn’t hear him. Something hit me from the side, and I collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

  Pain thundered in my head. I groaned, rolling over on the hard floor and nearly vomiting.

  Normally, when I woke, there was a slight moment of confusion if I wasn’t in my own bed.

  Not now.

  At this moment, it was clear that I was screwed.

  I opened my eyes and blinked, my vision clearing to reveal a barren stone floor that led to stone wall.

  Prison.

  Aching, I dragged myself upright. Declan lay on the ground next to me, unconscious. I scrambled over to him and shook his shoulders.

  “Declan!” I whispered, frantic. “Come on. Be okay! Get up!”

  There was nothing, and for the briefest, most horrible moment, I thought he might be dead. Something inside me tore at the thought, and it hurt. Physically hurt.

  I pressed a hand to my chest to still the ache and leaned over him. “Come on. Get up.”

  He didn’t move.

  My heart felt like it was tearing out of my chest.

  Was this it? Would I lose Declan to a potion bomb I hadn’t even seen coming?

  No.

  I refused to accept it.

  Just as I refused to accept that we were trapped in a stone box in the most secure, dangerous prison in the world.

  This was not how I wanted to go out.

  I’d lived my whole life as wary as a feral cat. True, I had my reasons. Those I’d trusted—both my family and my first real friend in the outside world—had betrayed Mari and me. Betrayed us to the point that we’d ended up captives. Tools for evil.

  And we’d retreated. Not truly trusting anyone—not with our whole hearts—for fear that it could happen again.

  Well, this was the worst that could happen. Trapped in a stone box with Declan possibly dead. And I’d spent the whole time I’d known him pushing him away.

  I’d even used the nullification to push him away.