Red Blooded

by Amanda Carlson

  “No, this is not all on you.” Rourke’s voice was like steel. “I’ve been alive for centuries. I am one of the strongest supes on the planet. If anyone should’ve felt an enchantment spell, it was me. Lili duped us all. And the reason she was so successful was because we wanted to believe her. We needed an ally here and we chose not to scrutinize the only help we had too closely.” He rattled the door and pushed into it with his shoulder. Nothing. It didn’t even crack. “We have to assume all of our interactions with Lili starting from the Prince’s quarters were false. One of the reasons we might not have detected the spell is it may be a very subtle one. She may have guided us in small ways only.”

  I ran a hand through my hair and cursed. “Selene,” I asked, turning, “what does an enchantment spell do, specifically?”

  “The demoness has essentially created an alternate reality and made us all believe it. We have seen only what she wanted us to see and nothing more.”

  “That means she probably never called the Princess and the piece of paper that was key to making our decision was likely a blank sheet of paper.”

  Selene nodded. “Yes, and I agree with,” she nodded at Rourke, “him. It was a powerful spell, but a small one. Only our direct interactions with her were affected.”

  The voice decibel level had increased outside.

  Tyler rammed his weight against one wall, and Ray took the other. It had no effect. We were sealed in. “Thinking back to everything that’s happened,” I said, “Lili has been guiding us on a very well-orchestrated wild-goose chase. But what’s her angle?” I turned around, grabbing my head. I was so angry at myself for putting what little trust I had in Lili. She was the daughter of Lilith, for chrissake! I pressed my fingertips to my temples. “She obviously wanted the civil war to happen, so she must have something to gain. When we suggested we come back here, she’d been almost giddy. She must have needed us here, or someplace very public. Dammit! I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid.”

  Rourke leaned against the door and crossed his arms, fury was etched across his features. “This isn’t over. Whatever her end game is, she won’t win. We all lowered our guard and now we’re paying the price. But she’s not smarter than we are.”

  “Selene,” I said, turning to the goddess. “Can we create a witch’s circle here?”

  She shook her head. “Impossible. We would need all the right ingredients and the circle has to be dug into raw earth.”

  I glanced beneath us. The ground was covered in huge stones. It would take longer than we had to get to any soil—if there was even any under there.

  The crowd outside started to chant.

  “I think we’re in the middle of some kind of ceremony,” Tyler said, his hands running along the walls, searching for a way out. “This doesn’t sound like another trial, Jess. The demons out there are calling for something specific. Maybe they’re going to try and steal your power or magic?”

  The door burst open behind Rourke with no warning.

  Before he could react, five demon guards, these in full battle regalia, with breast plates covering their all silver jumpsuits, blasted him with huge ugly-looking guns. He flew forward in a shower of sparks and crashed into the wall, falling to the ground out cold.

  I knew he was alive, and that was all that mattered, but my rage was now full-blown.

  Demons swarmed the doorway, forcing us all to take a step backward in the cramped space. I morphed into my Lycan form, a red film of fury cascading over my eyes. We take them all down, I told my wolf. She growled her agreement, snapping her jaws furiously.

  Tyler and Ray sprang first, Tyler’s fist meeting the side of a demon guard’s face. The demon crumpled instantly. I lowered myself into a fighting stance just as I caught sight of Lili.

  I rose back up to a standing position slowly.

  “That’s right, take it in.” She laughed as her hair flowed out behind her. The guards in front of us parted so she could come forward. She was dressed in an incredibly detailed gold gown, decorated in demon glyphs that glittered as she moved. On top of her head sat a pure gold crown covered in gilded serpents. “You were so easy to manipulate.” She clapped her hands in glee. “But I already knew you’d be, based on your prior actions with the Prince, and your desperate need to save your dear brother. A soft-hearted female Lycan. What an embarrassment to your forebears. The last female Lycan was tough as nails. In fact, if you must know, she was the one who sent me here.” She spread her arms wide. “But enough chatter. Now it’s time for me to mete out my ultimate revenge, and by doing so I finally gain the power owed to me for these many years. It’s going to be a very good day.”

  I made a move to spring and she lifted up her palm. Her hand radiated so much power it looked like she was holding a pure ball of energy. Then she aimed it at Tyler’s heart.

  “One wrong move and I will kill your entire family,” she said. “Which I can do, because I’m powerful and dangerous. Just like I told you all along. If you cooperate, I might decide to let them live once I’m finished with you, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

  “Finished with what?” I asked, my vocal cords straining, my Lycan form making it tough to be clear. “Taking my blood? Killing me? Making me your slave?”

  She smiled like a shrew. “Oh, by all means I’m going to kill you. That’s what the ceremony calls for. It demands piles and piles of your blood. See, I’m going to make a clone. Something only I can do. I neglected to mention that the first time, didn’t I? And once I reanimate your clone, all your delicious power and magic will be mine to control. Then I will be crowned the new Queen of Hell. A title I’ve waited much too long for.”

  “Everything the Prince did to get me here and everything that has happened since my arrival was a ruse to make you Queen?” I asked.

  “Oh, no,” she answered dismissively. “The Prince acted of his own accord, but he was doing so to follow the altered Scriptures.” She leaned in like we were coconspirators and whispered, “I actually uncovered the real Scriptures a long time ago, but I changed them to my liking, and then pretended the ones I altered were the newly uncovered ones. The Prince has believed you to be the real threat, not me. The true Scriptures state that if the female wolf arrives in Hell a new reign shall begin. They think you are that reign, but of course, that’s not true—I am the new reign. You are here to ensure that I ascend to the throne, and of course, to give me your magic. It has all been fairly easy to orchestrate, but it’s taken much too long. I’ve been waiting for this day for hundreds of years, but now it’s finally here.”

  It was hard to battle someone who’d had plans for your demise in place for hundreds of years. Lili had been scheming for a long time to get me here. And if she’d really encountered another female wolf, like she’d told us, Lili was older than any other supernatural I’d ever known.

  And I had played right into her hands.

  She was a skilled actress, I’d give her that. “So to get the Prince to play along, the Scriptures you altered must state that if I come to Hell the Prince will keep his rule—or some such thing.”

  “It’s much more delicious than that,” Lili answered with obvious glee, moving methodically toward me. “They actually state that if the Prince himself leads you here, he will be the supreme ruler of Hell for all eternity. But, in order for this to work, you had to be a full Lycan. No swiping the Daughter of Cain before she shifted for the first time.” Her mouth spread wide into a grin. “And believe me, I celebrated your birth like that of none other before you.”

  Breath left my body.

  Lili had been behind the Cain Myth. She had wanted everyone to fear me, including the Prince of Hell, and it had worked incredibly well. She’d left me vulnerable within my Pack with very little backup.

  Anger filled me. She thought I was weak.

  My wolf urged us to attack, her eyes as feral as I’d ever seen them. But I had to negotiate for my family first. I didn’t believe for a second Lili would keep them alive once I
was dead. I glanced over at Selene and met her dead stare. Her face was void of any emotion. This news was bigger than any war between Selene and me. If we didn’t work together, we all lost. I turned back to Lili. “Spare my family and I will come willingly,” I grated. “But do not, and I will fight.”

  “I don’t care if you fight,” she scoffed. “Remember, demons love to play with their food. I prefer you kicking and screaming.”

  “I want in,” Selene interrupted as she took a step forward, “to whatever you’re going to do to her. In fact, I want be part of it. This mongrel has ruined my life, robbed me of my future, and sent me to this godforsaken plane.” She smirked at me. “I will take great pleasure in seeing her suffer.”

  Lili apprised Selene with a cool glance. “I don’t trust you. You have too much at stake here to betray her now.”

  Selene took another bold step forward. “I have nothing at stake. There is no life for me anywhere. I have no magic. I have no status. I am nothing but a shell of my former glory. The only joy left for me in this lifetime is to see her die”—she pointed a finger at me—“in the most a cruel and unusual way you can dream up.” She was gleeful. “Inflicting pain is what I have always loved the most. Have you not heard anything about me in all these years? All my cooperation up until now has just been a show, much like yours, and because of that I can appreciate your deception like no other. Death and destruction are what I truly crave. I always have. So where do I sign up to see the female wolf fry?”

  Ray spit in disgust. “I knew there weren’t any redeeming qualities left in you. You’re nothing but a useless coward! A shrew, a waste, and a burden. I hope you rot in the Hell forever.”

  “I never claimed there was anything redeeming about me,” Selene replied, unfazed. “Now”—she nodded to Lili—“how do you want me to show you I want nothing more than to see her suffer?” Selene waltzed up to me, my wolf snarling fiercely.

  Well, I guess it appears you were right about Selene too. From now on, I will not second-guess you. My wolf clacked her jaws.

  “How about this?” Selene reached up, cool as could be, and tried to rake her fingernails down my face.

  I batted her hand away so hard she spun, smashing face-first into the wall behind me, collapsing to the ground. It was lucky my mate was still down or he would’ve torn her head off for the second time. “Selene,” I growled. “Do not test me—”

  “Fine,” Lili chirped, my head snapping back to hers. “Selene, you can attend the ceremony, but one wrong twitch of your fingers and I’ll fry you in your seat. You may not die from my assault, but I’ll just kill you again. Your knowledge of witchcraft, once I become Queen of the Underworld, will be beneficial. If you aid me without error, you may find a welcome home in the Underworld after all.”

  Selene picked herself up off the floor and made a show of dusting herself off. “I’ve spent my entire life crafting unique torture spells. They are a particular favorite of mine. They are… absolute perfection. I would gladly share them in return for a safe haven in this wretched place. There is nothing for me on the human plane.”

  “I’ll find a place for you among my staff,” Lili replied. “And with good behavior, who knows, maybe I’d let you up to the surface for a little fun and chaos once in a while.” Selene’s face broke into a wide grin. She hadn’t looked that happy in a long time. She edged by Lili in the doorway, smiling a particularly evil smile back at me.

  A perfect match made in Hell.

  I placed an arm out toward my brother, halting his forward motion. Don’t attack Lili, I told him. Let me go, and once I’m gone, formulate the best plan you can. When Rourke wakes up he’s going to be in a rage, but don’t let him come after me until you make sure you have something solid that might actually free us from here.

  We can take them, Jess, Tyler insisted. The demons aren’t good fighters.

  No, if you haven’t noticed, Lili has been cloaking her power the entire time. I knew she was strong, but now I sense something else. Plus, by my best guess, there are several thousand demons already out there in the audience, and the guards she has now are skilled. I nodded once to Tyler so he knew I was serious and took a step forward. “What can I do to ensure the safety of my family?” I asked Lili. “I will do anything.”

  “Nothing,” the demoness replied in a flat tone. “Seize them all and bring them forward,” she barked to her guards as she met my gaze. “If anyone resists you shall see why they call me the Unforgiving here in Hell.”

  Demons streamed in around us in the cramped space. I nodded at Ray to comply. We were going to fight, there was no question, but we would fight to our advantage.

  Two demons took me by the arms, jostling me forward. “Lili, you certainly went to great lengths to make me believe that the only thing you wanted was a ticket back to my plane,” I said wryly. “I think you might deserve an Oscar for that performance.”

  “Oh, I am going back to your plane,” she gloated. “Once I am the most powerful supernatural the world has ever seen, I will have the freedom to punish those who have wronged me. I have waited for this for almost a thousand years. It will be the sweetest revenge. But I’ve never lied. I told you I could go back to your plane on my own, and once I’m the Queen of the Underworld, and ruler of all supernaturals, it will be my right to go as I choose.”

  We filed out of the small space into the back of the arena. I couldn’t see the crowd yet because the benches were still in the way.

  As we rounded the corner, I pulled up short, causing the demon guards to stumble beside me.

  The coliseum was packed.

  Three times as many demons were in attendance as last time. This time they varied in size and shape as well. Lili had called the entire Underworld in to see her spectacular rise to unmatched supernatural power. The unglamoured ones stuck out the most, appearing decidedly reptilian, with luminous skin, scaly but smooth, short hair, and beady eyes.

  The crowd quieted as it took me in for the first time.

  The demon guards firmly escorted me to the front, where I’d stood before during my short trial. The demonesses’ chairs had been cleared away and there was a lone chalk circle etched into the stone floor. To the right of the circle sat a table covered with paraphernalia—lots and lots of sharp-looking blades and some crude buckets, likely to gather my blood. “You’ve been a busy girl, Lili,” I said as the demons shoved me over the chalk line and centered me inside the circle.

  “I’ve had a millennium to plan this. When you’ve had that long, there’s really nothing left to orchestrate. Tie her up,” she commanded with a swish of her hand as she turned to address the large audience. “Behold! I have captured the female wolf! Justice will reign and a new demon order will begin!”

  The crowd went wild. Cheers, growls, snarls, cackles, and thundering applause came from every inch of the coliseum.

  “So where’s the Prince of Hell?” I asked over the din, knowing Lili could hear me no problem. “Surely you want your former lover to witness your crowning moment.” For the first time in my entire life I hoped the Prince of Hell would make an appearance and try to stop all this. But I knew she’d taken care of him. He hadn’t been busy with his Princess at all, like Lili had told us; he’d probably been captured and restrained.

  Rourke? Nothing. Tyler, can you hear me?

  Yes, Tyler replied. The demons are taking us back to some kind of holding cell. Your mate is coming around and he’s about to go apeshit crazy. And I, for one, can’t wait.

  Change of plans. You have to find the Prince of Hell and get him here.

  What?

  The Prince of Hell is the only one who can stop this and I know Lili’s stashed him someplace. You need to find him. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we need him.

  Got it. We’ll get free, but I’m not sure how long it will take.

  Lili turned to me as the audience excitement died down, her face flashing some emotion I couldn’t name. Exhilaration? Regret? “The Prince of H
ell will not be the ruler of Hell for much longer,” she hissed low under her breath. “He will bow to me when this is over. Or he will die.”

  She stalked to the table that held all the pointy implements, while the demon guards wrestled to chain me. I put up a struggle to give everyone a good show. That’s what Lili demanded, and if I was going to gain the upper hand, I needed to act like I was playing along with the program. The demon guards finally clasped me in chains, and once they were secure, a loud rumbling erupted under my feet.

  The guards leaped out of the circle as it began to lower into the ground, separating cleanly from the rest of the floor. After a few feet it came to a grinding halt.

  Lili paced to the lip and grinned down at me, then turned dramatically, her hands flying up in the air as she addressed her minions once again. “I give you the female Lycan! The vessel of my power! You will all stand witness to the undoing of Hell, and when I’m finished, a new reign shall begin. We will call it the Era of Splendor, a time when every demon will be free!” There was massive cheering. “No more glamour! No more separation! We will unite as the One True Underworld and all other worlds will cower under our will!”

  The applause was so loud, I almost missed the sound of my mate waking.

  Almost.

  23

  Jessica, where are you? Rourke roared in my mind. I could hear scuffling and knew he was already locked in a fight with his captors. I’m coming for you.

  Rourke! Wait a second. There’s a new plan. You have to find the Prince of Hell before you come here. Lili has him stowed somewhere and I think he may be the only one who can stop this. More grunting and scuffling. There’s no way the Prince would willingly give up his crown, and if nothing else, it will buy us some needed time.

  Got it. More fighting. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

  The applause quieted and the demoness sauntered back and forth across the floor, parading herself in front of the demons, clearly enjoying her time at center stage. She spoke in Demonish first, and then English. “The Underworld will never know such power! When I am ruler, we will control all supernatural races and humans will cower before us!”