by G. K. DeRosa
We’d failed. Now we were back to square one. Worst even because now I knew how little my father actually valued my life and how easily he was willing to turn me over.
I whirled around to face my poor excuse for a father, releasing Ryder’s hand. “How could you?”
His light brow arched. “How could I what?”
“How could you even consider exchanging me for the stability of your stupid presidency?”
“Oh, stop that. I wasn’t actually going to agree to Lucifer’s request. I only wanted to see how far he would go.”
I wanted to believe him, but what did it say about our relationship that I really didn’t?
“Whatever,” I mumbled. “So now what?”
“Now, we hope Lucifer has a change of heart.”
“And what would make you think that could happen?” Cillian asked.
“I’ll assert some pressure through the Assembly. A seat at the table is what the dark prince has always wanted after all. He’s just being greedy now. Let’s give him a few days to reconsider.”
I sighed as we approached a light at the end of the tunnel of darkness. The Underworld might be shrouded in permanent ash and haze, but compared to this dungeon, it was like a brilliant summer’s day.
As soon as we emerged from the fortress, my father said his goodbyes. “I’ll be in contact soon.” He reached for my shoulder, but I recoiled from his touch. I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.
When the whirling winds of his portal vanished, I turned to Ryder and Cillian, the only ones I could really trust. “We’re going to have to go after her on our own again, aren’t we?”
Cillian’s lips pressed into a grim line. “It seems the only way.”
A gust of wind blew blonde hair across my face, and I spun around expecting my father to reappear from his portal. Instead, an arm clamped around my neck, and inky darkness smothered my vision.
Ryder’s panicked shouts were the last thing I heard before I was consumed by the black.
Chapter 21
A sharp pain in my neck snapped my eyes open. A hard stone floor dug into my spine as I attempted to sit up. Which was hard since my hands were bound by those damned mystical handcuffs again. Only this time, they seemed reinforced. Stupid Nicodemus. Not a flicker of magic remained, and the eight cords around my heart had vanished too.
I mumbled a curse as I scanned the dark cell. A tiny sliver of light shone through a grate in the ceiling. Judging by the pungent odor of sulfur and ash that seeped in, I guessed I was still in the Underworld. Luxora’s dungeon, most likely.
A pang of fear swirled in my gut, but I shoved it down. Ryder would find me, even without the cord that tethered us together. There was only one warlord that wanted me dead after all. He and Cillian were probably already beating down the doors to her castle.
The shuffle of footsteps on stone drew my attention to the metal bars that lined my cell. I leapt up and wrapped my hands around the iron rods to peer around the dark corner.
Flowing deep purple robes appeared around the bend, heralding the arrival of the wicked sorcerer. Nicodemus’s dark brows waggled in delight as he took me in. “Not so brave without your magic, half-blood?”
I snarled at him, sticking my head as far between the bars as it fit without decapitating myself. “You know, it’s actually sad. A great sorcerer like you and a warlord of the Underworld scared of a little human half-blood?”
He snorted and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ve been around for long enough to never underestimate the power of the oracle.” He ticked his head down the corridor. “Celine, come here, please.”
The young seer appeared around the corner, her deep auburn hair pulled into two tight braids. If it weren’t for her freaky milky-white eyes, she’d look like any other normal thirteen-year-old girl. That and the supernatural gold rock she kept tight against her chest.
Celine glanced up at me, and a creepy smile split her light pink lips. “I knew I’d see you again.”
“Well, I guess you wouldn’t be a very good seer if you hadn’t,” I deadpanned.
An eerie little giggle tumbled out. She turned back to Nicodemus. “Now?”
He slowly nodded and before I could pull my head out from between the bars, the little girl’s hands clamped on my temples.
I pushed back with all my strength, but damn, the girl was freakishly strong for a child. A blinding flash of light streaked through my mind, and searing pain thundered across my head. I stopped struggling, my body going limp beneath her touch.
And then the visions nearly ripped open my skull.
Screams rang out as a full-on battlefield appeared before my eyes. Men, women, even children, humans and supernaturals alike battled it out on a grassy plain. Rivers of blood ran through the patchy earth, soaking into the soil. The clang of swords and shots fired mixed with the sorrowful wails of the injured and dying. It was hell on earth.
Winged-creatures shot through the sky carrying out their own mid-air battle. The flap of radiant white wings filled me with momentary hope before a demon swooped down and cut the beautiful angel down. More Underworlders filled the dark blue as plumes of smoke billowed from below.
Fire swept over the field, mowing down hundreds in its path. The horrible cries of the dying resonated in my mind as fire consumed their flesh. I slapped my hands over my ears, but it did nothing to block out the suffering. My heart slammed against my ribs in a chaotic rhythm of ragged beats.
The roar of a dragon zipping across the sky sent my gaze upward. The beast’s gleaming emerald scales seemed familiar. Another dragon whizzed by, this one a brilliant golden hue. I was sure of it now: it was Fenix and his twin, Flare.
A portal opened just over them, and a horde of unipegs spilled out. Mounted atop the winged-unicorns were human-like forms. I couldn’t be sure from this distance but something about their lithe figures and elegant postures marked them as Fae.
All at once, arrows shot across the sky as the Fae turned into bow-wielding savages. They trained their weapons not only on the demons, but also the dragons and the angels.
What in the effing hell?
An arrow streaked across the sky and plunged into the emerald dragon, easily piercing the massive reptile’s thick, plated skin. I gasped as Dragon-Flare plummeted to the earth.
I raced to where he’d landed to find Kimmie-Jayne kneeling beside his giant crumpled form.
“Kimmie-Jayne?” I cried.
She didn’t even look up to acknowledge my presence. Tears streamed down her face as she ran her hand over the dragon’s bloodied form. The metal arrow protruding from his chest looked like one of the mystical ones we’d practiced with. No wonder it had been able to penetrate the dragon’s thick hide.
My heart constricted as the rise and fall of Dragon-Flare’s chest slowed to an almost imperceptible rate. Across the way, a body fell from the sky. It hit a nearby tree before dropping through the branches and hitting the dusky ground with a crash.
Kimmie-Jayne jumped up and I followed her, calling her name as she ran, but it was no use. I might as well have been invisible. I probably was.
She sank to the ground beside a familiar blonde head. Drake? My heart stopped. Platinum wisps of hair streaked across a pale face, a trickle of blood dripping from his nose and another staining his pallid lips. Elrian.
My sister buried her head in the Fae king’s chest as she sobbed, her slim shoulders shuddering.
I blinked rapidly, willing myself to wake from this horrible nightmare. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I didn’t want to see who would be the next to fall from the sky.
Kimmie-Jayne and Elrian disappeared, and I was back in a scorched field. The horrific sounds of battle surrounded me, the sharp tang of blood and charred flesh thickening the air. Human soldiers fought against demons, shifters and other supernatural creatures. Shots continued to ring out, and dense smoke squeezed my lungs.
Snapping my eyes shut, I willed the scenery to change, digging the heels
of my palms into my eyelids. I wanted to go home. I didn’t want to see any of this anymore.
The oppressive air dissipated, and I hazarded a peek through slitted lids. I was no longer in the field; four pristine white walls surrounded me, and the scent of sandalwood tinged the air.
Ryder?
I took a few steps forward, scanning the quiet living room I’d magically appeared in. Two forms were cuddled together on a leather couch in front of a roaring fireplace. No matter how many years had passed, I would never not recognize the male. The broad shoulders and muscled back belonged to the man I loved. And the woman curled into his side was a slightly older version of me…
My heart sputtered. It was like skinwalking only ten times weirder. I couldn’t stop staring at my future self. At least not until the cry of a baby whirled my head to the pink cradle I hadn’t noticed a few feet from the hearth.
Future-me jumped up, and future-Ryder trailed right behind. They hovered over the crib, cooing and gushing at the rosy-cheeked infant. I stepped closer, and a flash of citrine streaked across the baby’s bright blue irises.
Muffling a gasp, I staggered back, nearly hitting the stone mantle.
A tendril of dark energy swirled around the newborn as she giggled happily. And all at once I understood. Not only was this our child, but she was a warlock like me and a demon like Ryder.
A blinding light streamed across my vision, and the scene went hazy. My head swam and my knees trembled, until I couldn’t focus on anything anymore. A stabbing pain cracked my skull, and everything went dark once again.
A pair of inky bottomless pits greeted me when my consciousness swam back to the surface. I groaned and pressed my fingers to my temples as I pushed myself off the hard ground and sat up. Which was no easy feat since my wrists were still bound by the magic-blocking cuffs. “What the hell was that?”
The dark lord herself perched on a stone ledge inside my cell, peering down at me. Some sort of metal lined her brown leather bodice and skirt, marking her the fearsome warlord she was. Her snake coiled around her slim shoulders, weaving in between her cascading raven locks. “I asked Celine to show you a little snippet of what she’d seen.”
A flurry of images flashed through my mind, the odor of blood and battle fresh in my nostrils. “What does any of that have to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you.”
The snake, Malis, if I remembered correctly lifted his head and hissed. Ryder’s words flickered through my thoughts—that creepy reptile could be the source of Luxora’s power. I tucked that juicy bit of knowledge into the back of my mind for now. “Are you going to explain or should I guess?”
“If you continue on your current path, I will be forced to continue on mine. You think the destruction of your precious humans has been bad so far? This is merely the tip of the iceberg. And it’s not only the Underworlders you’ll have to contend with. The inhabitants of the other houses of Azar are equally displeased with their unfair treatment in relation to the humans. I will continue to sow strife until there is no peace in either realm. What you saw is only a tiny shred of the destruction that will rain down on both our worlds.”
“And what’s the alternative?”
“Simple. You remain here in the Underworld with me where I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t cause me any trouble. You speak to your father about granting me a seat on the Etrian Assembly so that the Underworlders will have equal representation in Azar as well as freedom to come and go in the human realm. I will deal with my father, Lucifer. It won’t be hard to convince him to give up the throne.”
“Even if I agreed to stay here with you, and somehow managed to convince Garrix to grant your request, there’s no way your blood-thirsty demons can be allowed to roam freely among the humans.” Was this lady nuts?
“What if I can guarantee they’ll behave?”
I scoffed. “Not even Lucifer could guarantee that, what makes you think you could?”
A sinister gleam flashed across her fathomless dark irises. “Because my people actually respect me. Haven’t you seen how devoted they are to me? Willing to give their lives at my simple behest? Once I’m positioned as Queen of the Underworld, they will all follow me with the same blind devotion.”
She bent down and offered me her hand. “Don’t you see? It’s the best option to ensure our survival. Do you really wish our worlds to descend into the chaos Celine envisioned?”
I took her hand and let her help me onto the ledge beside her. My head spun at the sudden movement, a dull ache still lingering behind my eyes. “Of course, I don’t,” I mumbled. “But how can I trust what you say is true? What if I agree to stay and you renege on your word? Once you get what you want, there’s nothing to prevent your Underworlders from running rampant all over Azar and the human realm.”
“You are familiar with Lucifer and his renowned deals, correct?”
I nodded.
“What do you think makes them so binding?”
“No idea.”
“A blood pact. I can offer you the same if my word is not enough.”
Hmm… I didn’t know much about blood pacts, but they sounded pretty binding. “Can I have some time to think about it?”
She stood, and the snake coiled further down her chest and wound its way around her waist. “Certainly.”
“Wait.” My eyes flickered from the snake to her and back. “Is he friendly?”
Her dark brows knitted as the serpent danced over her body. “Malis?”
I nodded. “I love snakes. You think I could pet him?” If I touched him I should at least get a glimpse at his power.
“He’s not friendly.” She took a step back, and the snake coiled up her shoulders. Hmm… interesting. She glanced around the dark cell, and her nostrils flared. “I can even offer you an upgrade to your accommodations to help you decide.” Luxora waved her hand, and the iron bars separated. “Nicodemus!” she shouted down the dark corridor.
The sorcerer appeared in a thick purple mist. “My lord?” He bowed, his beady little eyes cast down to the floor.
“Take Ms. Hallows to the guest wing.”
The old man’s wild brows arched. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She shot him a narrowed glare that put Ryder’s to shame. “Unless you fear your magic will not stand up to hers?”
I wriggled my wrists against the mystical handcuffs. Still as tight as ever. Scanning my core, I searched for my magic once again, but not even a tiny spark remained.
“It will, dark lord.”
“Then do as I asked.”
He dipped his head and marched into my cell. Curling his wrinkly fingers around my arm, he ushered me through the space Luxora had created between the bars.
As we passed by the warlord, she turned her dark gaze on me. “I will give you until tomorrow to make a decision.” Malis stuck his tongue out, nearly grazing my shoulder.
“What if my answer is no?”
She caught hold of my face, her long nails digging into my cheeks. “Let’s hope that your answer is yes. I believe we’d do better as allies than enemies, Luna Hallows.”
Well, she didn’t threaten to kill me so that was something. Nicodemus dragged me forward, and we left the dark lord in the dungeon.
As we traversed the long corridors, the sorcerer muttered under his breath. While I couldn’t make out the exact words, he was definitely not pleased. Well, screw him because being a prisoner was no picnic either.
Once we made it up to the second floor, the dense, damp air gave way to a slightly less dingy hallway I recognized from last time we’d come to the warlord’s castle.
A few small, barred windows shed some light into the dark space, and the air was not quite as suffocating. Nicodemus finally stopped in front of a thick oak door. Retrieving a key ring from the folds of his robes, he inserted it into the lock. With a groaning click, the door heaved open.
I stepped inside and scanned my new temporary home. Like the cor
ridors, a couple small windows lined the upper portions of the rough stone walls. Iron bars crisscrossed the openings making escape impossible. Without magic anyway. A massive four-poster oak bed sat in the middle of the vast chamber along with a matching armoire and desk. It was nothing crazy fancy like Lucifer’s, but nice nonetheless.
Nicodemus pointed at a door at the far corner of the room. “You’ll find the bathroom over there.”
“Great. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to piddle in the corner and dirty the lovely rug.”
The sorcerer sneered before turning toward the door. “Someone will be by with food before the night is out. I don’t know why Luxora insists on lavishing you with niceties after all the problems you’ve caused.”
“Neither do I,” I mumbled under my breath. Maybe she really was trying to win me over. I hadn’t had a second to really consider her proposition. A part of me knew I couldn’t just dismiss it, not with so much at stake. But I still couldn’t understand how I could ever be the cause of so much death and destruction.
The slam of the door behind Nicodemus drew me from my dark musings. I raced across the room and wiggled the antique knob. Locked. Figures. I pressed my ear to the door and muffled breaths seeped through. Gorabora demon guards, no doubt.
The only way I’d get out of here was with my magic back. I hopped on the bed and concentrated on the center of my chest, the spot where the flicker of magic generally resided.
Nothing.
I turned my attention to the cords around my heart. If I focused really hard, I could still feel a shadow of the tethers. They were faint, like the flimsy strands of a spider’s web. I could barely differentiate their colors. Drake’s bright lilac and Ryder’s deep onyx were generally the strongest, but now they were all dull and gray.
I huffed out a breath, vowing to try again later and stood to check out the bathroom. A lavish claw-footed tub sat in the center highlighted by the trickle of light seeping in from the window near the ceiling. I turned the faucet, and hot water poured out.
