by Milly Taiden
Finally he gave up and decided just to carry the damn thing. Since he didn’t have a better weapon, he’d keep it. He could practice his grip and swinging. No telling what he’d have to defend himself against. He wished he had a gun.
When he stepped, his foot kicked something. He looked down to see a handgun lying on the dirt. Where did that come from? He picked it up and checked the clip. Empty. Figured. He’d found his weapon, but with no ammo. He wished a full clip would’ve been included. Getting ready to toss the weapon, he glanced down and saw bullets shining in the sun. He couldn’t believe it. How did he not see them when he picked up the gun?
He loaded the gun and slipped it between his backside and waistband.
He looked around. “Should I go the desolate way”—he spun around—“or that barren, desolate way? How about the barren, desolate way?” He turned to face the sun. It looked like Earth’s sun. And it was fucking hotter than shit. He put the sun to his back and started his journey, as the witch doctor called it.
Then he remembered Sefu’s instructions: He gathered several rocks and made a pile large enough to see from a distance. Sefu told him he had to come to this very spot to get back to Earth’s side. With his sword, he drew a deep circle in the dirt indicating where to stand.
Breaking into a jog, sword still in hand, he focused on Melinda. He was here to save her or would die trying. He’d rather be dead if she wasn’t in his life.
After some time of not seeing anything but dirt and rocks, he questioned his choice of paths. Dammit. He wished he had a sign or something to guide him. That’d be nice.
He noticed movement far ahead of him. Far enough that it could’ve been a mirage tricking his eyes.
That dark mass ahead of him was getting closer, quickly. He stopped. His eyes and brain couldn’t make sense of what he saw. No mirage, that’s for sure.
With no warning, a shockwave of air almost pushed him to the ground. A black blob, floating six feet above the ground, headed directly toward him. Behind this mass was a solid line of the same creatures. Were those in the line chasing the first one? If it was a race, then one was definitely superior to the others. But that was not what his gut told him. His instincts told him to protect.
He leaned to the side to let the creature pass by without hitting him. It changed course to match his. That couldn’t be good. He took off running to the side and the blob followed. Okay, he would listen to his heart and brain, like Sefu said. He stood straight then closed his eyes when the monster was too close to his face to avoid a collision. Then he felt a hand grab on to his neck. He never expected to die by strangulation.
CHAPTER 30
Hamel stood his ground while he waited for the creature to choke him to death. He should’ve been more careful. Who would save Melinda now?
The hand twisted around his throat as whatever attached to it spun in a circle around his head, twice, before coming to a stop against his back.
“What the fuck?” He hopped in a circle, trying to see what was holding on to him. Of course, he couldn’t see much.
A tiny “Help me, please” rose to his ears.
Protect.
He snapped to attention and faced the oncoming horde, pulling his gun from his waistband. He fired shots, but he either missed or the bullets had no effect. He emptied the clip with no blob going down. As the mass was about to consume him, he wrapped both hands around the sword and slashed through the front line. Each mass popped and disappeared. His back swing took out the next line. Same result for them. Bodies popped and vanished.
From there, the blobs stopped their advance and floated motionlessly.
“Human, return our . . . friend to us.” One of the blobs spoke, but he couldn’t tell which one. They had no mouths or eyes. They looked like giant raisins the size of a tire.
Taking slower breaths and calming, he felt the blob on his back shiver. In fear?
Protect.
“No,” he said. “He’s with me now. I’ll take care of him. You all be on your way.” None of them moved. Hamel raised his sword.
The voice spoke again. “Who are you, human, to defy us demons?”
Ah, so that’s who they were. Interesting. He expected horns, pointed tails, and ugly faces.
“I’m not human.” The word Sefu always used to refer to him was “transformer.” Maybe that was what he should use, too. “I am a transformer.” Hamel swore he heard gasps, and the group did float away a few feet.
A faint “Uh-oh” sounded behind him. Slowly, the blobs retreated to leave only one. Hamel imagined if it had a face, it’d be pissed-off looking.
“We will meet again, transformer.”
Good god. That was what every bad guy said in the movies. They couldn’t be original even in demon land? He let it go and watched as the demon floated away. When the group was out of sight, he said, “It’s okay, uh . . .” What did he call this thing? “You can let go of me.”
The pressure released from the base of his neck. He turned to see the demon close-up. It did look exactly like a raisin—on steroids.
“Why were they chasing you? Did you do something wrong?”
A weak “No” came from the demon. “They like to pick on me and hurt me. I am the weakest of everyone. Did you mean what you said, me being with you now? I would like if you do not kill me.”
Great. What did he tell the little guy? No, and let him get beat up again, or yes, and who knew what?
The demon asked, “Why are you here?”
“I’m looking for someone brought here against her will.”
“You talk of the woman who arrived today. I can help you. I know where she is.” That came as a surprise. “Let me guide you.” What choice did he have?
“If you take me to the woman, I won’t kill you. How’s that?”
“I like very much.” The blob moved up, down, and around. If he had to guess, he’d say the thing was doing a happy dance. “This way. We go this way.”
The direction was quite different than what he’d chosen. He looked around at the rocky desert ground. This land would kill anyone lost in it. Anyone like him.
What had he gotten himself into? Following a demon? He must be losing his fucking mind.
“So. What’s your name, little guy?”
“Lamozierus.”
“Ha. Yeah, I’m not remembering that. In honor of a great movie, how about I call you Wilson.”
“Wil-son,” the demon repeated. “I like that. Easier to say. Wilson.”
Hamel squinted against the beating sun. “So, Wilson, I know nothing about this place. Tell me everything you can.”
“There is a lot to know . . . What is your name?”
Used to living under code name or altered identity, he wasn’t sure what name he should give. He’d used his real name with Melinda’s job because he was supposed to be purely background protection, not talking with possible informants and bad guys. But now he was.
“Call me Clint.” He recognized the name and jokingly mumbled, “Just Clint,” in case the demon knew Clint Eastwood, his childhood idol.
“Clint, there is much to learn if you want to understand our world,” the being said. The entity continued, “Perhaps it would be better if you asked specific questions.”
Yeah, Twenty Questions time, Hamel thought. “Why do they want my mate?”
“What is ‘mate’?” Wilson sounded confused.
He thought about that for a second. “A mate is the one person who can make you smile and laugh when you’re feeling sad. They are the first person you want to see in the morning, and the last at night. You would do anything, even give your life, to keep your mate safe and happy. They are the only person who makes your life complete.”
“That sounds like your word ‘love.’ Is that right, Clint?”
That was surprising. “You are correct, Wilson. How d
o you know English so well?”
“The demon king says it is important to learn and study the enemy. You cannot beat them if you do not understand them.”
Hamel stopped. “Hold on a second. You’re saying I’m your enemy?”
“Yes, that is correct,” he said assuredly.
Hamel frowned. This wasn’t going well. “Then why are you here with me? Should you run away, or at least attack me?”
The demon spun around, his eyes red dots drilled through him. Oh, shit. What did he just do?
CHAPTER 31
Melinda’s eyes opened. She stared at a nondescript white ceiling that covered plain white walls. She slowly sat up to see that she lay on a fancy cot on a gray concrete-like floor. Voices came from the other side of a door.
Quietly, she peeked out. Holy shit. A gaggle of women dressed in toga-like sheets lay around on beanbags and blankets. Food sat on trays mixed in among the bodies. The ladies laughed and talked like they were at the beach for the afternoon. No one looked threatening.
Melinda stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. One of the women saw her. “Look, the new one is awake.” All heads turned to her. She didn’t like being the center of attention. One of the ladies hopped up from her seat and pulled another bag into the group.
“Come sit by me, young one. We have lots of questions for you. As I’m sure you do for us.” The woman winked and smiled. Melinda put on a happy face, not wanting to appear threatening. Maybe she’d find out what was going on here. So far, so good. On her way to sit by the woman, a crashing sound on the other side of the room startled her. Four gorgeous men were gathered, one on the ground with a fallen table on him.
The woman who had called her waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about them. They’re just fighting to see who gets to try to impregnate you first.”
Melinda froze. “Excuse me? Impregnate me?”
Again, the woman waved her hand. “It’s nothing. Come sit with us. We’ll explain everything.” Melinda wasn’t sure she believed the nonchalance these women showed, but it did seem like no one cared about what the men were doing. She slid onto the cushy bag and looked around. Fruit sat on a tray next to her. It looked fresh and delicious, especially since she hadn’t had breakfast.
“Please, help yourself. The food here is really good.” Others paying attention agreed. She lifted a juicy slice and bit off the end. Wow, it really was good. Tasted like pineapple. She ate the slice then chose a different piece, which tasted like kiwi.
“So,” the main woman started, “I am Kim, the head harem ho.” The women laughed. “Not really a ho, but I’ve been here for a while and feel like the lady of the house when it comes to new recruits.”
“New recruits?” Melinda didn’t like the sound of that. “Recruits for what?”
Kim laughed. “Relax, dear. You’re so uptight. Here you’ll have nothing to do but sit back and enjoy life.”
“What do you mean by nothing to do?” Melinda asked.
Another lady spoke up. “Just that. We do whatever we want, whenever we want. No job to go to, no bills to pay, no cooking or cleaning, no spouses to piss you off. But you do have hot men.” The lady snapped her fingers in the air then pivoted her beanbag seat to put her back to them. One of the men came toward her, a smile on his face.
He bent over her, wrapped a hand around her neck aggressively, and kissed her. Going to his knees, he kissed down her neck and lower. Melinda couldn’t see what was happening after his head dipped lower than the bean seat, but the lady flopped her head back and arms to the sides. Part of the sheet once covering her body draped her bent knees, opening her to him. Her sensual moan brought a deep blush to Melinda’s cheeks.
Some of the others giggled. Kim leaned toward Melinda. “That’s Deb. She definitely uses the provided accommodations often. We’re guessing she had very little sex in her life before this. She can’t get enough.”
The women giggled again.
Kim sat up straight. “Now, tell us who you are and how you came to be with us in paradise.”
Paradise? Hardly. “My name is Melinda and I was kidnapped by some man. I need help getting back home, I guess.”
They all looked at one another.
“Why do you want to go back? You have everything here you could want. If not, just ask the king and he’ll get it for you,” a beautiful woman with long black hair said.
Whoa. King?
“What king would that be?” Melinda asked while Deb’s moans became louder.
Kim patted her hand. “No worries. Cuzork is a generous ruler. He gives us everything we want, but he can be hard on the help. He’s rather demanding and wants what he wants. Now. He likes material things. Seems the more he amasses, the happier he is. He’s been a bit tense this past week, though.”
Melinda wondered if that had anything to do with her and Hamel. “So this king, Cuzork, does he keep up with things in Uganda?” She assumed everyone here was from the area, too.
Kim’s brows scrunched. “Uganda? That’s in Earth’s dimension. I don’t know why anyone would want to pay attention to that plane. All us ladies want to stay here.”
A shocked and excited burst of adrenaline shot through her. “You mean we’re not on Earth? But a different dimension altogether?”
“That’s what one of the help told me one time. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but going by some of the things I’ve seen happen, I’d believe it.”
“Like what?” Melinda asked.
Kim leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. “I’ve seen things appear from thin air and disappear the same way. And a couple times when I was in forbidden areas, I’ve seen these ugly black blob-looking things floating around.”
“I see,” Melinda said with a nod. She had no doubt Kim was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Melinda would probably have to find a way to escape on her own.
With an annoying scream, Deb sounded like the man had finished her off. He sat back, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then grabbed her hips and turned her over the bag, stomach down. He crawled between her legs and slid an enormous cock into her.
Memories of last night with Hamel flashed in her brain. A tingle warmed her body. She had to find a way back to him. Life wouldn’t be worth having without him. Did she just really think that? Analyzing her feelings at that moment, she realized she cared for him. Like, deeply cared. He was perfect in all the ways she wanted. Caring, nice, strong, hot, incredible at sex, and he liked her.
Of course, she had thought those things about her previous boyfriend, until he betrayed her. Melinda’s stomach churned at the thought of what he’d done to her. She couldn’t risk that again. Not yet, right?
Kim clapped her hands.
“Okay, everyone, time to eat soon. Freshen up in your room and be back in shortly.” With the snap of her fingers, one of the men headed to them. He was a beautiful specimen, but nothing close to her Hamel. He offered a hand to help her up. “Please take her to the empty room next to Marian’s.”
He bowed. “With pleasure, Your Highness.” A warm hand settled on Melinda’s lower back and guided her toward the door. The hallway outside had the same plain white walls, ceiling, and floor that the other rooms did. No pictures, art, or decorations. Pretty bland.
After passing several doors, her guide opened the last door in the long aisle. She walked in and almost tripped over her own feet as a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her against the wall.
CHAPTER 32
Hamel stared into the demonic eyes of the raisin-like blob in front of his face. This was what he got for asking personal questions. His cat’s power filled his body, ready for fight or flight. His heart raced, muscles tightened. Shit, how much power did one of these things have?
Instead of attacking, the demon floated harmlessly. “I do not understand why you ask that question. You have given me no r
eason to run or hurt you, Clint. You are a nice transformer so far.”
Yeah, he wondered how long that would last. He resumed walking with the demon. “Then I’m not your enemy. Not really.”
Wilson seemed to ponder that. “I have to agree with you. Perhaps you are the demon king’s enemy, but not mine. Even though he says all of mankind are our enemies.”
“Who is this demon king?”
“He is the most powerful of us. Only he knows how to use the magic our home has.”
“Is he a nice person, too?”
Wilson dropped a few feet to waist height. “I do not wish to answer that, Clint.”
“Okay, by your reaction, I’m thinking he’s a douchebag.”
“I do not know the word—”
“Don’t worry about that one, Wilson.” He laughed. “Does this king have guards or demons that fight?”
“Yes, the King’s Guard is the group who watches over the palace and disciplines the lower classes.”
“Lower classes? What are those?”
“I am of such a class. I work in the palace to do as the king wants.” Again, Wilson floated lower. Did he sound dejected? Hamel needed to listen carefully for Wilson’s slight tone changes. The demon’s feelings were not easy to guess. Wait a second. Demons had feelings? Weren’t they just bad and wanting to kill everyone? Wilson wasn’t what he expected in this realm. Maybe if he had a face, and not only red beady eyes, Hamel could tell more easily.
“Can you do something about how you look?”
“What do you mean? Do you not like how I appear?”
Shit, could he have been any more tactless? “Sorry, Wilson. What I mean is I am used to seeing eyes and a nose and mouth on others. Even our animals have a face.”
“Would you like for me to have a face, Clint?”
“That would be nice, Wilson. Can you do that?”
