by G. K. DeRosa
“And while we’re in there, if you can coax some of your kickass magic out, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.” He threw me a smirk over his shoulder.
Sure, easy-peasy. I glanced at the purple symbol on my arm. You got that, magic? Now I was talking to myself—I was really losing it.
We turned the corner, the door looming just a few feet away. Muffled sounds of battle emanated through the thick timber. Dallas mouthed, “Ready?”
My heart jackhammered against my ribcage, but I dipped my head anyway. He moved forward but an iron torch caught my eye, perched on the opposite wall. “Wait!” I tugged on Dallas’s jumpsuit and stopped him before he reached the door.
I darted forward and pried the heavy wrought iron stand free from the holder. A girl’s gotta have a weapon at least, right? “Now I’m ready.”
He smirked and flashed me his sharp incisors. Lifting his hand, he counted down from three. When his hand clenched into a fist, he charged.
The door flung open, sending shards of wood and metal hinges flying in every direction. Two demons closest to the entryway spun toward us. Their bright citrine eyes narrowed as they flashed rows of razor-sharp teeth. Narkin demons—typical low-level foot soldiers, with tusks and ears like an elephant but the maw of a crocodile and the agility of a ninja. I tightened my hold on the iron rod as my heart smacked out an erratic staccato. Before the first one could move, Dallas lunged. I watched, frozen in terror, as he ripped into the demon’s throat and tore his massive head right off.
Holy vampires!
The second creature took one look at Dallas and darted in the opposite direction. At least a dozen narkins filled the immense chamber, their shrieks and growls filling the air. My eyes immediately shot to the large form crumpled on the floor.
Talon.
My legs sprinted to him before I could stop them. I barely registered Dallas’s shouts from behind me.
I shot past Hayden who stood in the middle of the fray with a gleaming fiery sword slashing the air. Whoa, where did that come from? Glorious black wings spread out behind his massive shoulders, his onyx feathers covered in blood and demon sludge. I refocused my attention on Talon and the dark pool of blood beneath his unmoving form.
From the corner of my eye, a shadowed blur whizzed by and joined the angel in battle. Dallas and Hayden could handle the demons, I needed to get to Talon. My blood compelled it.
I slid down on the floor beside him, releasing my weapon and warm crimson liquid soaked my jumpsuit pants. Oh gods! Blood and demon goo spattered his clothes, making it impossible to figure out where the wound was. I gently ran my hands over his body in search of the injury. “Talon, are you okay? Talon!” I dragged his upper body onto my lap and cradled his head. His eyes were closed, but a faint breath rattled in his chest.
“I can’t lose you, Talon. Please, stay with me.” I squeezed my eyes shut as I held him to my chest. In the last few weeks despite despising me, the surly dragon had become an essential part of me. Maybe it was just because of the blood or maybe it was something else entirely. But I knew one thing for sure, I wasn’t losing him today.
“Hayden!” I shrieked. He was surrounded by demons, but his brilliant eyes darted to mine. “Talon needs you!”
“I know,” he shouted back, cutting down one of the leathery monsters. “I’m trying, but I’m a little busy right now.”
Dallas fought beside him, the pair battling the demon guards. Between the angel sword and the vamp’s lethal incisors, they were kicking butt, but there were so many of the bastard fiends. I glanced down at Talon, and my heart constricted. A deathly pallor tinged his cheeks, leeching out the typical olive tone. His breaths were too faint, too labored. He was dying, and every inch of me could feel it.
Come on magic, now would be a good time to show up. A dim glow lit up the sigil, but nothing stirred inside me. “Ugh!” I blew out an exasperated breath.
“Block the door!” Hayden’s voice shot through the turmoil, and I spun toward the entry. Another troop of demon guards poured in through the archway, their ivory tusks lowered to strike. Dallas darted across the room and snatched the broken door from the floor. He raced back and threw his body into the opening, shoving the armored narkins back.
“There’s too many!” Dallas shouted at Hayden, then turned to me, the whites of his eyes nearly eclipsing the black. “Azara, can you open the portal in here?”
Shitzu. I had no idea.
He must have read the panic in my expression because his face softened a tad. “Now would be a good time to start trying, precious.”
Right. I released Talon and gently lowered his head onto my lap. Hold on, T. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to block out the roar of demons and clash of metal against metal. I focused on the mark, turning my thoughts to my center. Why didn’t I just have Garrix remove the binding spell all together? I muttered a curse under my breath.
“Incoming!” Dallas’s voice shattered my concentration, and I opened my eyes just in time to see the narkin barreling toward me.
I tried to reach for my makeshift weapon, but Talon’s dead weight restricted my movement. I scrambled for the iron rod and splayed my fingers, but it was just out of reach.
“Azara, watch out!” Hayden shouted. The demon lunged at me in slow motion, and panic surged through my insides.
My hand shot out to block Talon from the guard’s jaws, and a burst of energy zipped up my arm. Magic twisted in my core, moving faster and faster until a mystical storm swirled to life. I screamed, and a torrent of blue flames exploded from my splayed palm.
The brilliant witch fire hit the demon in the gut and licked up its leathery skin. The guard’s yellow eyes widened, a screech splitting the air as its body was engulfed in flames. The putrid odor of burnt flesh filled my nostrils, and I swallowed down the rising nausea. Hayden appeared just as the narkin’s crispy form hit the floor.
“Impressive,” he muttered.
“You too.” I hazarded a quick glance around the room and only corpses remained.
Except for the ones trying to break down the door. “I could use a little help over here!” Dallas was pressed up against the battered timber as more demons fought their way in.
“Go help him, Azara. I’ll take care of T.”
Glancing down at Talon’s sallow cheeks, a pang lanced through my heart. I hesitated for a moment. What if I lose him? I’d never survive Darkblood Prison without him.
“He’ll be fine, pumpkin,” Hayden whispered.
My eyes ran over his face one more time, memorizing his dark features before lifting his head from my lap. Hayden’s big arms cradled his friend and with one parting glance, I sprinted across the chamber.
When I reached Dallas, the vamp jerk rolled his eyes. “I could use a little more muscle.” Sweat glistened on his brow and upper lip as he strained against the door.
“Well, I’m the best you’ve got for now.” I splayed my palms out on the thick oak beside him, pushing with everything I had.
“Remember that magic we talked about earlier, precious? Now would be an excellent time. A blocking spell, perhaps?”
“Right, because I really know how to do that.”
“Figure. It. Out,” he snarled.
Leathery hands and arms slipped through the cracks in the door, claws reaching for us. By the sound of it, more guards were arriving. We wouldn’t be able to hold them off much longer. From the corner of my eye, the golden glow of Hayden’s healing power lit up the opposite end of the room. A swirl of heat flickered through my veins, and the empty void I’d felt in the bathroom begin to fill.
Talon.
I could do this. I had to.
Visualizing my magic as a tiny flame in my core, I focused on the ripple of energy. I squeezed my eyes shut and smelled the charred scent of Garrix, felt the mystical power that flowed around my mom, and the dark energy surrounding my dad. I drew them to me, to the spot in my middle and shattered the walls blocking my abilities.
Darkness streaked acros
s my vision and something cracked inside me, the careful restraint I’d been honing for years came untethered. When the next arm snaked through the opening in the door, I grabbed it. I dragged the monster through as Dallas shouted beside me.
“What are you doing?”
I trapped the narkin’s gaze in mine and power pulsed through my veins. My lips parted and I inhaled deeply, the hunger clawing at my throat. The demon struggled for only an instant before his eyes glazed over.
I slurped in another breath, coaxing a blue haze from his clenched black lips. His jaw loosened until it went completely slack, and his demonic energy surged forth. I gulped it down. A heady rush flowed across my body, his dark essence filling every inch of me.
His head lolled back, and he crumpled to the floor.
I licked my lips, the lingering high buzzing through my veins.
“Azara, are you all right?” Dallas’s face coalesced an inch from my own. A sharp giggle burst from my lips. “Azara?” His hand closed around my shoulder, and he gave me a shake.
I drew closer, inhaling his pungent vampire scent. He smelled delicious—and powerful. My lips parted as the gnawing hunger grew.
“Oh no, you do not, precious.” Dallas jumped back, and the demon soldiers at the door almost busted in. “Control yourself, Azara. This is not the time to go all-demon on me.”
My brain was a murky fog. The darkness consumed my thoughts, the hunger driving me. A tiny voice in the back of my mind told me this was wrong. Dallas was my friend. But the demon urges were in control now.
“Hayden!” Dallas shouted. “I could use some help here.”
Another narkin squirmed through the opening, but I grabbed him before he got far. This time, I barely thought about it. My mouth opened, and his soul practically leapt to the surface.
“Azara, stop!” A deep, growly voice cut through the haze.
My heart staggered, then tripped over its erratic beats. I dropped the guard, and my head whirled toward the familiar sound.
Talon leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the chamber across the graveyard of demon corpses. “Talon?” His name crossed my lips, and my fuzzy thoughts began to clear. Energy zipped through my blood—or maybe his blood, and reawakened my dulled senses. I stared at the body on the floor, and all the air siphoned from my lungs.
Hayden was at my side a second later right as my knees began to wobble. “You okay, pumpkin? I gotta keep this door upright so I can’t hold you too.”
I shook my head and chased away the remnants of the dark fog. “I’m fine. I’m so sorry…” I clamped down on my lower lip as the vacant eyes of the narkin demon stared up at me. The visions or memories I’d been having about that night surged to the surface once more.
“What are you talking about? You killed the bastard, just like the one back there.” He jerked his thumb at the singed corpse by Talon. “Two points for the little pumpkin.”
“But I almost lost control…” It was stupid, a part of me realized. I’d killed a demon either way but sucking out its soul rekindled too many horrible memories.
“We can talk about it later.” He squeezed my hand and shoved his broad shoulder against the door. “Maybe you can work on opening another portal? Dallas filled me in on your neat little trick. And keep an eye on that one, huh?” He ticked his head across the room at Talon, who still leaned against the wall, his head lolled back.
I nodded quickly and rushed back to the other end of the chamber. My legs pulled me to him of their own will, like opposing magnets our blood called to each other.
Talon didn’t lift his gaze as I approached. His hooded eyes remained glued to the ceiling. Blood spattered his gray jumpsuit, and it still made my insides roil. He’s okay. He’s going to be fine. I wrapped my arms around my middle, chasing away the unwanted sensations.
“You okay?” I asked, my voice more shaky than expected.
“How many times do I have to tell you? It takes a lot to kill me.” A jagged edge laced his tone. Hayden and Dallas might’ve been okay with me soul-sucking that demon, but I knew Talon wasn’t. To him, it was only a reminder that I was the monster that killed his best friend.
“Talon, I’m sorry…”
He lifted his hand, and the words froze in my throat. “Just get us out of here. We’ll talk when we’re home.”
It was weird hearing him refer to Darkblood Prison as home, but after this little jaunt to the Underworld, I’d be happy to return to our cozy little cell.
“Focus on the magic, Azara. Not the darkness.”
My head dipped, but I wasn’t really sure what he meant. My powers were dark; I was a demon for gods’ sakes. And if I was part warlock like Mom, there was even more darkness lurking below the surface. Mom had explained it to me once, but at the time I hadn’t paid much attention. Warlocks weren’t just male witches, they were cursed by darkness and had demon blood running through their veins. That meant I was double-demon. Just great.
“Azara, hurry!” Hayden’s frantic voice cut through my gloomy inner musings.
“I’m on it,” I called back. Squeezing my eyes shut, I searched for my magic, but this time, I didn’t have to look far. I was stronger after consuming the narkin demon’s soul. Its energy still filled my veins. My powers skimmed the surface, no coaxing needed. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, the mystical words appeared in my mind and flowed out through my lips. “Apertum portalis!”
A second later, whirling winds whipped strands of dark hair across my face, and I peeked out through my slitted lids. I did it.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Talon pushed himself off the floor. I almost extended my hand but held back at the last minute.
“Come on, guys!” I shouted.
Dallas and Hayden sprinted across the room and the four of us leapt through the portal, the shouts and snarls of angry demons echoing behind us.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Logan’s glare bored into the side of my face, leaving a scorching trail in its wake. I picked at an invisible hangnail and kept my head down. The hulking brothers of the Triad huddled on the leather couch did the same. The warden wore a path into the carpet in front of his sprawling desk and hadn’t said a word since we were summoned to his office.
Judging by the stony expression carved into his face and the fluttering tendon in his jaw, it wasn’t going to be good.
Talon sat beside me, his muscular thigh grazing my leg. The near touch was enough to throw all my nerve endings on high alert. Seeing him knocking on death’s door had nearly broken something inside me—because of the blood. Liar, a dark voice whispered. I hazarded a peek at him from the corner of my eye. The deathly pallor blanketing his skin yesterday had receded, but he wasn’t quite back to his old grumpy self. He hadn’t spoken much since we returned last night, but we’d all been exhausted and passed out upon arrival. This morning, his typical scathing glares had been mysteriously absent, and his usual undercurrent of loathing had been oddly subdued.
Maybe he was just tired.
“How could you guys be so irresponsible?” Logan’s outburst jerked my head up and away from my wandering thoughts. “The Underworld was the last place Azara should’ve been.”
Dallas hung his head lower and crimson tinged Talon’s cheeks.
“It wasn’t their fault, Logan.” I finally raised my head to meet a pair of blazing orbs. Bad idea. The usually calm and collected warden had vanished, replaced by a scary ass gargoyle. His thin leathery wings had snapped out, sharp talons protruding from the slate gray membrane.
He pointed his finger at me and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll deal with you later. Going after Talon and Hayden was the epitome of stupidity—for multiple reasons.”
One of which was that I exposed myself by summoning the portal. By accident. I let out a frustrated sigh and slumped back on the couch.
“I’m the team leader; this is all on me,” Talon muttered. He slid forward to perch on the edge of the couch cushion. “I never should’ve le
t the demon guards get the drop on us. If that hadn’t happened, Azara and Dallas never would’ve ended up in Thax’s castle.”
“I know we’re playing the shame game right now,” Hayden interjected, “but are we just going to gloss right over the fact that little pumpkin opened a portal twice?”
I squirmed in my seat, my gaze dropping to the floor again.
“Logan?” Hayden pressed.
The gargoyle’s eyes shot to mine, and I shrugged. It’s not like we knew the answer for sure.
“Do we need to take the blood oath again?” Talon growled. “We won’t divulge whatever you tell us. We’re in this far already; there’s no going back.”
Logan thrust his fingers into his silver hair, tugging on the ends. He loosed a breath and stopped pacing, folding into the chair across from us. “It’s possible that given Azara’s mix of witch and demon parentage, she may have developed some warlock abilities.”
There, that sounded reasonable.
Talon’s brows furrowed, his mouth twisting into a pout. A wave of his disbelief smacked me in the gut. Whatever this bond was between us, it didn’t seem to be dissipating at all. Instead, it was only getting stronger. He waved a dismissive hand and propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. “Let’s assume that’s true.” Sarcasm laced his tone. “There’s a reason the narkin demons caught us off guard.”
In all the commotion, I’d completely forgotten to ask the guys if they’d gathered any intel before they’d been attacked. I held my breath as Talon paused.
“Do tell.” Logan mirrored Talon’s pose, scooting closer.
“Hayden and I had split up to cover more ground. I made it up to Thax’s throne room before we were discovered. I overheard the dark lord talking to Remy, the seer of the sixth realm.”
Ice crystallized through my veins at the mention of the oracle.
“I missed Hayden’s signal which was how the guards got the drop on us, and Thax got away.”
“What did you hear?” The words burst from my mouth. Was he drawing this out on purpose?
He spared me a half glance then turned back to Logan. “They spoke of some prophecy long ago that had been fulfilled when Luxora was killed.”
