The Burn of the Underworld

by Meg Xuemei X

  Never had a woman fought in the arena before. And I, a female slave, had slipped under the demons’ radar until now. That was an act of utter defiance and mockery against their regime.

  The spectators all shot to their feet and shouted, “A woman slave!”

  The emperor also rose from his high seat, followed by his commanders, as they all stared at me in shocked silence.

  Then I heard Max’s curses of dismay and desperation.

  I had ruined his plan of getting me out of the arena, but the reality was that there was no Calamity-getting-out. It was better that he saw it now rather than get himself killed by his stupid idealism. I wouldn’t want him to die with me. I wanted him to save Sebastian, the last of my family.

  I wheeled in the arena, raised my arms, and showed the demons two middle fingers. “Is this what you want to see, you miserable, impotent fuckers? You have to watch violence, blood, gore, and death to get off?”

  The audience gasped. The audacity of a female slave!

  “Watch me, motherfuckers,” I shouted, my eyes burning with wrath. “You may kill me, but you’ll never enslave my spirit! There might be a fucking slave brand on my skin, but my spirit remains free!”

  More gasps rose from the audience.

  A power I’d never felt swelled in my chest, urging me on. “Slaves in the Underworld, and anyone who treasures freedom and the rights of all living beings in this hell, today I speak to you, as one of you. Your slave brand isn’t your identity. You’re only a slave in your heart when you accept their mark. I, Calamity, will never accept this fucking inhumane mark. Today, I declare my freedom. Even in death, I’ll rise. And one day, you’ll all rise and burn down the fucking Underworld!”

  The spectators were shocked to silence, and no one dared to whisper.

  Yet I wasn’t done. I flipped the birds toward the audience again. “And fuck you all!”

  Red wings, so many of them, blotted the sky, their flapping sound joining the crowd’s cacophony of shouts.

  Amid the chaos, I lunged at a gray-winged guard, who had a stupid expression frozen on his face, and disarmed him before he could react.

  I took his sword, and he jumped back with a yelp. It was too bad that the gray-winged demons weren’t ranked high enough to carry angelblades, but this one was sharp enough to cut the chains that held Killian.

  I hacked and smashed the chain, and Killian bellowed as he lunged to my side to defend me.

  I sent him an image, ordering him to flee in the chaos, but he sent me back a picture indicating that he would never leave me, overlapping two pictures that said he was still very hungry.

  The demon sentinels landed, besieging me, their jagged red wings propelling forward, their angelblades flashing in their claw-like hands.

  They waited for an order to cut me to ribbons.

  I moved the sword I’d taken from the guard in front of my chest in a defensive stance.

  As I roared a battle cry, my tiger roared with me, shaking the walls around us.

  A woman and her beast stood together in the gladiatorial arena, ready to fight until our final breaths.

  CHAPTER 7

  _____________

  A pair of obsidian wings absorbed the light and blotted out the gloomy sky.

  Max hovered above, his wings flapping, his angelblade with crimson runes ready to strike.

  But he’d only get himself killed if he joined my fight. The three of us, tiger included, couldn’t fight off a whole demon army.

  What the fuck are you doing here, Max? I sent my angry thoughts up at him. I’ve tried damn hard not to expose you, so you can get away. I’m done. I’ll fall. I’ve accepted that. This damn tiger won’t leave me. But there’s no need to drag one more person into this mess. Fly away, please, before the emperor recognizes your true target. Find my brother. I know you come from another world. Please take Sebastian away with you.

  I can’t do that, doll, he answered in my head. I’ll never accept your fall. I said I’d get you out of here, and I intend to keep my promise. I’m stubborn, just like you. You’ll soon see more of this trait of mine for yourself.

  He was so exasperating! As if I could really get out of here. I didn’t know if I should slap him to his senses or congratulate him on his optimism. He didn’t come from the Underworld. He had no idea what doom meant.

  What’s gotten into you, Max? I hissed. I’m serious. You don’t belong here. You don’t need to stay in this shithole.

  Too late now, another male voice purred in my head. I’m coming to you, too.

  The gray wolf howled. A second later, he breached the circle formed by the red-winged demons and landed beside me. A demon sentinel went flying where the wolf had broken through.

  The wolf’s movements were so smooth and lithe that my jaw nearly dropped, until my tiger roared, ready to pounce on the wolf.

  No, Killian. I flashed a picture of Max and the wolf being our new allies.

  Killian grunted but backed off after he growled at the wolf in a serious warning.

  Fine. The tiger flashed me a couple of images to show his compromise and his hunger. But I don’t want any more people to join us. It’s crowded here.

  The spectators shouted their jeers, comments, or encouragement. They’d never seen a pair of animals aligned with anyone, let alone with a slave girl. I seemed to have tamed two wild animals in a heartbeat.

  Before this day, I had never thought that I had an affinity with animals.

  Now, how could I guarantee their safety?

  Even with Max joining us—a man, one woman, and two beasts—we would probably lose. But I’d survived so far. If the odds were on my side one more time and the fates favored me, maybe I had a chance.

  I surveyed the arena, seeking an angle. If we could break through the demons barrier, we could jump into the audience seats. Amid the spectacular chaos, we’d probably get away.

  I wasn’t sure if I could jump that high, but I would try.

  It wouldn’t be easy to coordinate with two animal predators—one was starving, and the other I knew nothing about.

  I flung the image of the wolf girl hanging out with her pack to the gray wolf as a means to communicate with him and see how he took it, then I sent pictures of my escape plan to both animals.

  I didn’t think they would protest. I was the most intelligent species among the three of us, so I was their alpha now, and I called the shots.

  The wolf bared his fangs and grinned. You really think so? He chortled in my head. And you can quit sending me pictures of other girls, Calamity. I’m not interested in anyone else.

  I blinked. That was fascinating. The tiger and the wolf responded to the same picture completely differently. The tiger used pictures to communicate with me, but the wolf appeared more articulate with words and could string complex sentences together.

  Wait, he called me Calamity.

  I’m Ash. The wolf’s mischievous smile grew wider. Damn, his fangs were even bigger than the tiger’s. I came with Max. I’m a fae and a shifter. We met when I was in my fae form. I didn’t get to say hello, though. You ran away.

  The image of a gorgeous face framed with silver hair flashed before my eyelids. I stole a quick sidelong glance at the wolf. It was the man—his wolf had the same ice-blue eyes.

  Then an icy stream puffed out of the beast’s snout, and my heart skipped a beat. My adoptive father had once told me the tale of a fae Winter Prince. I’d thought he was a character from a fable. And now he stood right in front of me in the flesh and in a wolf form.

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts, trying hard not to get distracted or overwhelmed, which would only get me killed in this dire situation.

  A moment ago, I’d believed that I would be cut to ribbons.

  I’d never dreamed that anyone else would look out for me except for Sebastian. But now two men who I barely knew would defend me to the death. And a hungry, fierce tiger stood by me.

  No, I wouldn’t say I barely knew these men. I’d
felt drawn to them and connected to them at first sight.

  A wash of fire ignited in my chest, fueling a sliver of hope in me.

  No matter the odds, I’d fight my way out of this, now that I had more to live for.

  Try not to get yourself killed. I shouted my thought to Ash and Max and didn’t forget to send a picture of his next meal to Killian.

  “Disarm yourself and kneel, slave,” Commander Azazel ordered from his judgment seat, “and you might live by the mercy of High Emperor Cain.”

  “I don’t kneel,” I said. “And I bow to no one. I need no mercy from demon butchers.”

  The fallen angels weren’t known for mercy, and they were liars.

  The spectators didn’t even dare to gasp this time. The Sváva hated more than anything to be called demons, which reminded them of their great fall centuries ago and their banishment to the Underworld. Xavier had taught me their entire history.

  The emperor rose from his seat, raising a hand, his massive black wings arching behind his armored shoulders. If he turned his thumb up, I’d be pardoned. If he gave me a thumbs-down, his red-winged royal guards would move in to take me down right away.

  I wouldn’t wait for a fucking thumbs-up or -down. I didn’t give a shit.

  Ready? I asked my companions, about to lead the charge.

  This was it. This was truly a fight to the death.

  As soon as Killian went for a demon sentinel, I’d aim for the same one to take his angelblade.

  A rush of adrenaline shot through my bloodstream.

  A flare of powerful magic boiled inside me. There’d always been a spark here and there, and with those sparks, I’d been able to use my glamour. But it was watered-down, so Max and Ash, as powerful as they were, could see through my disguise.

  Xavier had trained me with swords but never magic. When I first saw a golden rune appear on the inside of my right arm, I’d showed it to him, wondering what it was about. Father had said that it was the indication of magic, but he’d forbidden me to exploit it or show it to anyone, not even to Sebastian, for my own safety.

  He’d mentioned that when the time came, my magic would awaken, so it was best that it was cloaked. I’d been worried about bringing danger to him and my brother, so I hadn’t delved deep into my magical well to take a look.

  As time went by, the four golden emblems on my skin gradually faded.

  But now, as adrenaline charged through me, my dormant magic stirred. I could feel the icons burning on my arm. Whatever power I had, I urged it to the surface. It’d better be powerful. It’d better be a firestorm that could burn through the demons.

  The wolf sniffed at me, his eyes glowing flame-blue, as if he could sense magic in me.

  Killian roared in response. He’d been restless. He was eager to kill, but he’d obeyed my order to attack at the same time without leash and chains.

  A cultured female voice called out from the booth next to the emperor’s, “Live! Calamity lives!”

  A small group of spectators echoed her plea. “Live! Mercy!”

  Then a large crowd joined them. “Calamity lives!”

  They called me by my name. They recognized me as a person.

  Then nearly the entire audience started chanting, “Mercy! Mercy! Calamity lives!”

  In an instant, the fickle crowd had transformed from wanting to see me torn to pieces to wanting me to survive. But I’d defied the emperor to my last bone. By shouting for me to live, they also challenged the emperor. Hadn’t they realized that?

  Emperor Cain’s emerald eyes burned with fury. He twitched his thumb, and it was heading downward. Cain was the most powerful Sváva in the Underworld, so he could maintain his angelic beauty and physical perfection. Only one with powerful magic could see that he’d also grown horns and claws.

  His cruel gaze was glued to me, promising something worse than death, and a chilly wave of repulsion slithered up my spine, all the way into the back of my head. I desperately wanted to shake it off.

  A pair of massive golden wings spread like an enchanting dream, like the kind of intense sunlight that never shone in the Underworld, and Elijah descended toward me from the high balcony, faster than lightning.

  Every gaze followed him, awed by his magnificent wings, partly because they indicated the highest rank of the Sváva race. I grabbed the hilt of my sword, more interested in stabbing him if he came to assault me.

  Don’t rush it, doll, Max warned in my head, still hovering above me. Follow Elijah’s lead. He’s not one of them. He’s not your enemy. He came with us to rescue you.

  The fucker is insufferably arrogant. The wolf voiced his opinion in my head. But he’ll never harm you.

  Elijah landed inside the circle formed by the red-winged sentinels. The demons shivered at the formidable power rolling off the archangel and pulled back to give him a wide berth, but my tiger did no such thing.

  Killian leapt toward Elijah with an outraged roar before I could call him back. Elijah didn’t even dodge. His hand lashed out, faster than my eyes could catch up, his arm wrapping around Killian’s neck. My tiger clawed uselessly at the angel, his eyes rolling back as he struggled in the iron grip of the Sváva lord.

  I lunged at him, willing my magic to burn him or shock him, but it did neither. Elijah had me in his other arm, and my blade, which had stabbed at his muscled arm, was now bent backward.

  That was unfriendly, Calamity, he said with deep disapproval in my head.

  Now all three of them could talk in my head? I hissed. What was I? An unfiltered receiver?

  Neither Max nor the gray wolf came to my rescue. Traitors!

  Ash was more interested in monitoring the movements of the red-winged sentinels.

  Stop fighting me, Elijah said in exasperation as I glared at him and kept struggling. I won’t harm your pet.

  Let him go, I demanded in his head. And he won’t like it if you call him pet.

  He arched an eyebrow at me, which was super sexy, and my heart fluttered.

  He’s a proud tiger, I insisted.

  Just then, Max landed near us, and Elijah shoved Killian toward him. Max grabbed the short iron leash around Killian’s neck and forced the tiger to sit.

  “Hey, easy, you naughty boy.” Max peeked into Killian’s eyes. “You’ll get your meal soon. I’m Max, and I’m good at keeping a promise.”

  Killian whimpered, his pink, rough tongue flicking out to lick Max’s hand. Had Max just compelled my tiger?

  My mind was kicked into overdrive. Everything had happened and shifted so fast in such a short time, ever since these three males came to my wrecked world.

  Noises ricocheted off the walls of the coliseum. The red-winged demon sentinels split from the middle and opened a path, and Cain and his three commanders landed inside the half-circle, the emperor’s vicious black wings slowly folding back.

  The emperor regarded Elijah and me. Elijah wrapped his arm around my waist in an iron grip.

  “Emperor.” Elijah nodded, flashing a lazy yet predatory smile. His golden wings were still unfurled.

  “What is this farce?” Cain demanded. He would impale me with his stabbing gaze if he could. “How far will this go? How can a mere slave girl hold the leash of your aide and your wolf pet and make them want to fight my royal guards? She even brought you down here, Lord Elijah.”

  “You’re here, too, aren’t you, Emperor Cain?” Elijah said. “My aide has been hunting, seeking rare items for my collection, and I believe he’s just found one.”

  He pulled me closer and crushed me roughly against his hard chest, ignoring my hiss.

  My tiger snarled, ready to attack Elijah again.

  “Still,” Max ordered Killian.

  “Your collection?” Commander Azazel asked with narrowed eyes, then added in a hurry, “Lord Elijah?”

  “Virgins.” Elijah grinned wickedly. “I collect unique virgins from all species across the universe.”

  “How do you know if this slave is even a virgin?” Co
mmander Azazel pointed a finger at me with aversion.

  I was an unwashed slave. Those were his unspoken words.

  My face flamed, and I wanted to drive my knee into Elijah’s nuts, take his angelblade by force, and thrust it into the demon emperor and his commanders.

  “If she isn’t a virgin,” Elijah said matter-of-factly, as if he didn’t possess any emotion, “then she won’t survive the night with me.”

  I shivered.

  “This female slave covered herself with mud, dirt, and stripe markings intentionally to disguise herself, Your Majesty,” another archdemon commander reminded his emperor. “She might be a gem under the layers of dirt.”

  Cain gave me another look, and Commander Azazel laughed mockingly. “She’s a digger, pretending to be a boy for years. How refined can she be?”

  “This slave is my property, Elijah,” Cain said. “And I—”

  “I invoke ancient Sváva tradition and claim the right of the first night to have this slave,” Elijah said, his hand on the hilt of his blade, which rested in a gold scabbard. “I accept any challenge for this right, as a Sváva warrior and an archangel.”

  I wasn’t even surprised that male Sváva treated females as property, but I’d never thought they’d claim a female from another race. Xavier had never told me about this barbaric Sváva practice. Maybe he hadn’t known everything about the race.

  Not a single Sváva demon stepped out, and Elijah smiled coldly and savagely. “If no one challenges me, I’ll take this female with me.”

  “Wait a second!” the emperor shouted in cold rage.

  Elijah raised an eyebrow. “Emperor, you aren’t thinking of challenging me yourself, are you?”

  Cain looked daggers at one of his commanders, who had fish-cold, purple eyes. The commander stepped forward and cleared his throat. “I’m challenging you as His Majesty’s champion, Lord Elijah.”

  Which meant that if he won, the emperor would have my virgin blood.

  Like hell I’d let it happen!

  The circle formed by the sentinel demons pulled farther back, and Elijah shoved me toward Max, but not before I stomped hard on his toe. He didn’t react, his icy eyes fixing on the commander who had challenged him.