Demonheart Boxset 1: Book 1-3

by J. J. Egosi

“You’re lying,” he said.

  “No, we’re not,” Alexa shouted. “She’s going to make you her sex slave. Then, she drowns you to your death.”

  “She would never.” Michael turned his attention toward her smile. “Isn’t that right?”

  The mermaid didn’t nod or say a word. The smile across her face curled further as her singing loudened.

  “What pretty music. Sing another one.”

  The mermaid brushed her fingers across his hair with a slight tilt in her head as her claws ticked ever so heinously. She looked down at his friends gleefully, reveling in their contempt, before turning away and making her exit into the water with him.

  “We need to catch that whore before it’s too late!” Alexa said.

  The four of them nodded. Together, they submerged themselves, weaving past debris and dead sailors in search of her and Michael.

  “Do you see her?” Isabella asked. She struggled to see past all the remains.

  Julianna scanned the area. Amidst many broken ships, she could see his head of white hair.

  “This way!”

  The others quickly followed her through the underside of the cave until they were out and back in the trenches where they were forced to stop in the presence of further opposition—more merfolk blocking their path.

  “You must be fucking joking?” Alexa said.

  One of the two female figures in their paths had the lower half of a stingray and the other had the lower half of an orca. They looked into their eyes with their haunting white gazes and crooked grins. They were enveloped with malcontent, yearning to smother them before they could get any closer.

  “Shit. We don’t have time for them. Michael’s still in danger,” Alexa exclaimed.

  “I don’t think they’re giving us an option,” Ursula said. The approach of the creatures brought a shakiness in her.

  “In that case, we have to fight them,” Isabella said, bringing out her ax.

  “Yes, it appears so. Let’s just hope our weapons will work on them,” Julianna said as she summoned her sword.

  “Leave it all to me,” Ursula said with a smile.

  She summoned her trident and swung it toward them. From the three prongs came several icy beams that struck her targets with perfection. The two charging merfolk froze just before they could make contact with Ursula and her friends.

  “Very impressive,” Julianna said. “Your weapon comes in quite handy with these creatures, doesn’t it?”

  Ursula smiled and looked down at her trident. “Looks that way.”

  The two icicles faded into the dark depths of the sea. She nodded then tightened her grip on her trident.

  “To keep them from coming back, I’ll take a page out of Alexa’s book.”

  She pointed her trident toward the icicles, igniting her shadows onto the tips of each prong.

  “Shock of obedience!”

  She released a vicious surge of black magic energy down at them. The girls covered their faces from the intensity. They could hear explosions fading beneath. They looked down and saw the ice statues of the merfolk shattering to bits.

  “There. All finished.” Ursula smiled.

  “Well done.” Alexa nodded.” Let’s keep moving.”

  Ursula and the others nodded. Together, they moved forward through the darkened seas, hoping to find Michael before it was too late.

  It’ll take a little while to get used to fighting with a weapon, Ursula thought. But, this trident feels like a perfect match. I’m just so in sync, it seems. I don’t know why, but I certainly can’t complain.

  She looked down at her trident with fondness.

  With it, we’ll crush anything in our path and get Michael back. I’m sure of it. No merfolk or god or cult or stone can stop me.

  The four of them swam until they finally made their way out of the trenches and back into the open sea where they were found another set of merfolk riding grotesque beasts swimming toward them.

  “Not again!” Alexa sneered.

  The merfolk snarled back with raised weaponry of swords and spears. Their beasts were heavily armed and geared for battle. One of the creatures was a mega piranha and the other: a giant prehistoric fish with large flattened teeth.

  “A piranha and a dunkle,” Ursula said. “A bite from either of those could finish us in an instant!”

  “Do you think you could handle these guys, too?” Isabella asked.

  Ursula smiled. “No problem.”

  She pointed her trident at the enemies, harnessing her shadows once again. She struck them with blackened bolts which instantly incapacitated them.

  “Nicely done. You didn’t even freeze them this time,” Julianna said.

  “That’s right. Come on,” Alexa said.

  The others nodded as they continued their treacherous journey into the black abyss.

  We’re coming for you, Ursula thought with a stoic look on her face. Just hold on and don’t give in to her tempting ways.

  They swam further into the blacked seas where more sea creatures would accompany them in all directions.

  “We’ve encountered creatures like that before, haven’t we?”

  Julianna glanced over in the distance and saw a pack of giant red squids combated a long toothless sperm whale to the death.

  “That’s what happens when you move higher up. The lack of pressure makes the area more habitable, allowing for creatures like that to exist.”

  As they swam closer toward the sight of Michael’s hair in the distance, there came a mass of organic purple tendrils moving their way. Too focused on Michael, Isabella nearly swam into the mass.

  “Isabella watch out!”

  Alexa grabbed her by the arm and moved her out of the way.

  Isabella gasped as a colossal jellyfish—easily over two hundred feet from head to stinger’s tip—swam past them.

  “You don’t want to get stung by one of those,” Alexa said.

  Isabella nervously watched the electricity course through its body. She nodded and turned forward with the others.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” Alexa said. “Come on.”

  The four of them swam further toward the ocean’s surface where the light of the moon began to penetrate the area. Soon, they could see the floors beneath—the many layers of coral at the bottom and other creatures swimming away.

  “It looks like she’s taking him to shore,” Julianna said. “That must be where her feeding nest is located.”

  They all nodded with determination and carried on. They swam higher up until they could feel the pouring rain piercing through the seas. They looked up at the glowing reflection from the moon, seeing they were close.

  “Hey, I think I see that mermaid. Right up ahead!” Alexa said.

  They broke through the surface of the water, and the rain beat down on their face. The girls struggled to find the mermaid through the haziness caused by the torrents.

  “Where did you see her?” Julianna said.

  “I swear we were on her trail this whole time,” Alexa said.

  She and the others scanned the night waters with diligence. Through the darkened clouds, they finally saw the reflection of the crab-like woman against the water, breaking through endless ships and waves.

  “There she is!” Ursula said.

  They blindly swam toward the haziness.

  “Anyone happen to know a spell that helps improve our vision?” Isabella asked.

  “Not me,” Ursula said. Alexa and Julianna shook their heads no.

  “We’ll just have to make do with this storm,” Julianna said.

  “What a pain since the heavy rain also prevents us from flying,” Alexa said.

  “What’s worse is we’re in the midst of a storm.” Ursula listened in to the sound of thunder above. “One bolt of lightning and we’re finished.”

  They continued paddling through the seas with the fear of being cast down on the storm’s wrath in their back of their minds. They swam for wha
t felt like hours until they finally infiltrated the fog. After breaking through it, they found the mermaid holding an unconscious Michael. Her menacing claws slammed through every ship in sight.

  “Finally,” Alexa said. “Time to finish this and get our Michael back.”

  “On it!”

  Ursula pointed her trident toward the mermaid. She intended to aim for the face but was hardly able to see where she was pointing. Suddenly, something brushed across her leg.

  “Hey, which one of you did that?”

  “What?” Julianna asked.

  “It wasn’t me whatever it was,” Isabella said.

  Alexa shook her head and the other two girls mirrored her. They grew nervous as they tried to identify what she was referring to.

  The rain suddenly stopped and the fog cleared. Now, Ursula’s target had become clear and the waters were docile.

  “That’s strange. A calm after the storm?” a weary Ursula said.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Julianna said.

  In the distance, ships sailed onto the still treacherous waters where the mermaid dwelled.

  “Where do they keep coming from?” Ursula asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Isabella asked. “They’re being pulled in by the mermaid’s song.”

  “And she wants none of it unless it involves Michael,” Julianna said.

  The mermaid continued to sing with Michael in her hand, all the while, crushing every ship that came within her waters.

  “How lucky for him. Not so much for them,” Alexa said.

  “Those sailors need to get the fuck out of here!” Julianna said.

  The girls swam toward the ship to close the distance and waved them in another direction.

  “You have to stop. This water isn’t safe!” Ursula said.

  The sailors ignored their warning and moved along.

  “Damn. The song is too strong,” Isabella said.

  “Yes, and it seems she’s powerful enough to even bring in these bigger targets,” Alexa said.

  “That still doesn’t answer my question from before,” Ursula said, nervously.

  “What question?”

  “What did I feel scratching up against my leg?” She looked down into the water.

  The other girls looked around, feeling something moving through the water, as well. The dooming sensation of something near came to a sudden halt.

  “Do you think it’s gone?” Ursula asked.

  The girls breathed heavily, searching the water to find it. Suddenly, it surfaced in a violent splash.

  They screamed from the impact as a giant centipede shot out of the water. From what they could estimate, it was at least three hundred feet in length, with several legs and tendrils seeping from its jowls.

  “Unholy shit!”

  The four of them huddled up.

  “It’s just like the one we ran into back in the jungle,” Isabella said.

  “This is an adult, so it’s incredibly venomous,” Alexa said.

  “And it appears quite hungry,” Julianna added.

  The centipede hissed, swinging its many appendages against the wind as it arched its way down.

  “This would be a great time to use that trident of yours, Ursula,” Alexa said.

  “But, Michael”—

  Ursula was torn. She glanced over at Michael’s unconscious state in the distance and back at the centipede. She feared dealing with it for even a second could stop her from snatching him away from the mermaid before it was too late.

  She clenched her fists before taking a deep breath. She was ready to make a decision, but the decision was made for her.

  A serpentine dragon much larger than the centipede emerged from the water. It arched out the sea and bit down on the centipede’s neck. The centipede hissed as it tried to fight back, but was too weak and too late. Its neck snapped easily.

  The serpentine dragon groaned before diving back into the water, arching and flashing its dark striped fins for them to see.

  Alexa and the others watched in stunned silence. Even after the beast had varnished, they shook in terror.

  “What in the fuck was that?” Isabella shouted.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think it matters,” Julianna said. “The problem it posed is gone now. We can focus on getting Michael back.”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think it matters,” Julianna said. “It’s gone now, so we can focus on getting Michael back.”

  The four of them nodded as they continued to swim toward the mermaid and the ships sailing her way. As many of them came near, there was a swaying in the water—a flashing of webbed fins over the surface.

  “Is that?” Ursula’s eyes widened.

  The serpentine creature emerged from the seas again. Its teeth tore into the side of the ship and dragged it down.

  The ocean turned into a bloodbath of sailors jumping ship and attempting to harpoon the creature.

  They watched in horror as a tidal wave of total destruction took the life of all the men on that ship.

  “Unholy shit. Now, that’s a beast!” Isabella said, wide-eyed, as the creature quickly swam back down into the sea.

  “Is it over?” Ursula asked

  The seas appeared calm for just a fleeting moment. Shortly, the creature resurfaced to take down another ship.

  “Guess not,” Julianna said.

  “Feeding again, already? What an insatiable brute!” Alexa said.

  The mermaid watched the serpent devour all that came into contact with its jowls. She then nodded and then moved in its direction.

  “Wait, what is the mermaid doing now?” Isabella asked.

  “It’s following the serpent, but why?” Alexa added.

  “I fear the serpent will get in my way if I attack her from here.”

  “I have a feeling we’re in for much worse than just a serpent,” Isabella said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  The girls looked over at the serpent feeding on the ship when they saw a second fin rise from the water. Mortified and bewildered, another serpent jumped out of the water, biting into another ship.

  “There’s two of them?!” Julianna said.

  “Make that three.” Isabella pointed at a third serpent surfacing not far away as it fed.

  Alexa gasped at the sight of it. “What the hell is going on? Is she calling them here?”

  “That wouldn’t bode well for us or Michael.” Julianna gulped.

  “I’m afraid it doesn’t stop there.” Ursula pointed at a fourth serpent rising from the depths, joining the others in their frenzy.

  “That’s it,” Alexa said. “I’m sure she brought them here.”

  The mermaid swam in the very center with Michael safely in her grasp as the serpents fed around her.

  “But, what does she want? Why do this when she already has Michael?” Isabella asked.

  “Unless she wants something else.” Julianna gulped.

  “These creatures,” Ursula said. “They’re not like the merfolk. Their aura is different. Much stronger and more ancient.”

  “What should we do?” Isabella glanced with unnerving intrigue. “The distance is wide enough. Perhaps we could attack.”

  “I suggest we watch and see what they do next,” Julianna suggested. “Given that aura, a brash decision could prove lethal.”

  The four of them nodded. They maintained their position in the sea, bobbing on the waves and never letting their eyes off the beasts.

  The serpents’ feeding came to a sudden end. They submerged back into the sea, leaving the remaining ships unharmed.

  “They left. Why doesn’t this feel like a good thing?” Isabella asked.

  “I think that’ll prove to be an understatement,” said Ursula.

  Again, the waves crashed violently as another beast broke from the depths.

  “What just happened? I can’t see!” Alexa shouted.

  She and the others covered their faces as water and seaweed rained d
own from high over their heads with its arrival.

  “It’s coming!” Isabella screamed.

  The beast slowly rose: a denizen of the deep larger than any that proceeded it, swiftly taking every ship down with it.

  “But, what?”

  Ursula attempted to squint through the walls of water in hopes of seeing its face. She saw the silhouette of a man of sorts. His immense size made her mistake him for a shadow cast down from the heavens.

  “It can’t be.”

  She and the others trembled at the sight of it. The waves it made, alone, nearly pulled them asunder. He was a humanoid creature with a beard of tentacles and crab claws. His head touched the dark clouds and his lower half was made up of the four serpents they encountered before. His chest was clad in fins and the exterior of a crab. He looked menacingly at them, with a massive ship in one hand and his trident in the other.

  “That’s him,” Ursula said. The image of the centermost being in the cave drawings flashed into her mind.

  “Who?” Alexa asked.

  Ursula gulped as she nervously shook before its haunting gaze. “The fifth and final Blackwater deity.”

  The girls stared in silence; pale and horror-stricken as he roared with such fury, lightning plagued the sky.

  They noticed out of the corner of their eyes their possessions floating away.

  “Our infinity bags!” Isabella shouted.

  Alexa’s eyes widened. “Quick. After them!”

  They all paddled toward their bags being pulled into the current his arrival formed. Before any of them could reach them, a smaller merfolk surfaced from the water, grabbing them all with its webbed fingers.

  “Hey, Get back here!” Isabella swam toward the bags with a furious gaze.

  “Wait, that could be a trap!” Julianna said.

  “She’s right. A merfolk like that could be”—

  Alexa’s words were stopped short when its cavalry—a gaping whale larger than even the greatest ship—emerged from the sea. Its massive head and sharp teeth could have been nightmarish for even the bravest of sailors.

  “Whoa. It’s even bigger than the one we saw before!” Ursula said, watching as it fully surfaced.

  All across, giant red squids would dive out of the water before jumping in. As if paying respects to its irrefutable size.

  “Ignore the whale. We have even bigger problems now,” Julianna said.