Princes of the Underworld

by Olivia Ash

Sadie stood and watched the apparition. The ghost appeared paler, but she looked exactly like the woman in the portrait she saw on her first night in Bitterthorn. She knew this was the ghost of the last demon queen.

  The apparition flew toward her. Sadie raised her arms and summoned a wall of smoke between them. The ghost scowled, disappearing into nothing, leaving Sadie alone in the room.

  Looking around for the past demon queen to make another appearance, she considered why the ghost decided to appear to her in the first place or why she charged at her like that. She could probably talk to Kaiser about it. But until she could figure out more on her own, she decided to head back to her room and keep the event to herself. Sadie had to first figure out if the appearance of the previous queen was good or very, very bad.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sadie

  Sadie sat on her bed, examining the crystal ball in her hands, grateful for the warmth and light of her room after the cold darkness of the south wing. She wondered if the magic here really did obey her, or if it somehow still obeyed the will of her predecessor. Something about that ghost felt dangerous, and it wouldn’t end well, but she didn’t have enough information to go off of.

  For now, she wouldn’t tell the princes. Not even Kaiser or Hobson. If they knew the old queen was still here, in whatever form, they might be loyal to her instead. No. This wasn’t something to share with anyone. At least, not yet.

  Hobson entered the room holding a tray of croissants and a glass of orange juice. He placed them on the small coffee table in front of the plush couch. “Did you find anything of interest in the south wing, Sadie?”

  She didn’t answer, keeping quiet and somber for a moment, since she wasn’t entirely sure what she had seen.

  Focus.

  “Do you know a demoness named Mara?”

  The butler shook his head. “Why, Your Highness?”

  She sighed, leaning back against the headrest. “She was looking for the pendant and almost killed me and my sister just to get it.”

  He went to a nearby chair and arranged the cushions. “All I know is that the pendant was locked away from the world and someone found it.”

  She lifted the crystal ball as she pondered over his responses. She knew who found it. Just not why. She also knew Mara had wanted it bad enough to kill. Just not why. The glass ball had shown her Steele and Damien when they arrived. But she only looked into it. Now, as she held the orb, it was just clear, plain, and still. No swirling smoke. No colors. No images.

  She held it out toward Hobson. “How do you use this?”

  “Simple,” Hobson said. “Just place your palms on the surface and think of someone.”

  “Can I use it to find Mara or Blair?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, but it can show their legacy.”

  “Then how did it show Steele and Damien at the gates?”

  “Only you can tell me that, Sadie. I merely remembered the artifact in that room as I was cleaning. What were you thinking of when you approached it?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t recall.”

  “Well, perhaps we can try to use it now. Hold it just so and think of Mara or Blair.”

  Sadie sat the crystal ball on her lap and placed her palms on both sides. She focused her mind on Blair.

  The green and red haze swirling inside puffed and shifted, forming a silhouette. Color spread on the image and a background formed. Sadie saw Blair, with two swords, fiercely fighting horned and winged creatures, leaving dead demons behind. Her sister fought humans, too. Sadie assumed they were fellow hunters, traitors who had aligned themselves with demons and betrayed humans for personal gain.

  She watched her sister living off the bounties and sometimes the treasure she stole from her marks. She watched as Blair went to those in need, helping those who couldn’t pay, merely wanting to make the world a little better. Sadie sighed, tears forming in her eyes.

  I’ll find you, Blair. I promise.

  The images disappeared, retreating into the swirling, green and red cloud. She wiped her tears and placed her palms on the glass orb again. Sadie needed to know what she was up against and focused on the demoness, Mara. The cloud shifted, showing a rocky underworld desert littered with corpses.

  “What is this place?” Sadie asked, her voice a whisper.

  “That’s called the Vale.” Hobson gulped. “It’s the home of the abyssians.”

  The crystal ball showed a war, an army of red-winged demons charging across a charred battlefield. This must’ve been the team Mara was a part of, the group that Kaiser mentioned. Sadie clutched the orb, watching as they burned their enemies. Mara fought at the frontlines, slaughtering hundreds of demons and monsters and anyone whose land they wanted.

  Sadie observed Mara’s cruelty, all the destruction she had left in her wake. Images of a razed village in the underworld shifted to view, all its inhabitants mutilated, damaged, and dead.

  The cloud blurred again, and she saw her destroyed apartment in Seattle and Carlos’s corpse lying on the floor. She held her breath. She remembered Blair’s pained expression when Mara stabbed her in the side. The orb showed it, replaying the tragedy. She let go of the crystal ball, waving away the images.

  Mara was a dangerous enemy to have. From what Sadie had seen, she was a seriously evil demoness, one that destroyed everything in her path. And right now, Sadie was next on her hit list.

  Sadie thought about how Mara would approach things. A demoness like Mara would be smart—she would know she couldn’t infiltrate the fortress, so she would bide her time, waiting for an opening.

  Sadie clenched her fists. She wouldn’t go down without one hell of a fight. And she would make sure Mara paid for the damage to her apartment and her sister. One way or another, Mara would suffer the consequences.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Damien

  Damien walked with Sadie through the woods on the east side of the castle. Acacias with silver branches and golden leaves filled the forest. Today was his time with Sadie, and she had suggested they go out because she didn’t want to be cooped up in her massive fortress.

  He obliged her, of course.

  As they walked, they came across a tiny black rabbit, and it ran away from them. Sadie laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “Nothing. Things just seem to run away from you,” she said. “I don’t even know why I’m laughing.”

  Damien smiled, not at all offended. And it seemed to make her happy, which alleviated his mood.

  They remained on the outskirts of the foggy forest, walking alongside each other as they conversed. He could still see the eastern courtyard from here.

  Sadie approached one silver tree and placed her palm on its trunk. “I can feel the grounds of the fortress extending out here. And for another half mile or so.”

  He stared at her fingers splayed out on the bark, controlling the urge to touch them. “That’s a good thing. You can call on its magic if need be.”

  She stepped away and kept walking. Damien followed.

  “Kaiser told me about your father,” she said. “That he killed one of your brothers.”

  Damien’s breath caught. He hadn’t expected his brother to be brought up. It caught him off guard. After a moment, he regained his composure. “His name is Cedric.”

  Sadie gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry for your loss. Not just for Cedric, but for your other brothers.”

  “I—” He stammered and sighed. “Yeah.” He smiled at her. It wasn’t a happy smile, but a sad one. “Why don’t we talk about something else?”

  “Okay,” she said. “Well, you mentioned you had plenty of allies. Can you tell me about them?”

  He held his bent arm out to her. She linked her arm through his as they trekked along a shallow dirt path, making their way through the forest mist and the sparkles of the trees’ leaves.

  “Through the years, I have forged alliances with various demon lords. They have pledg
ed themselves to help me get the throne in exchange for favors and power. I have also established an alliance with the angels, but right now, it’s very tense.”

  “Angels?”

  He grunted. “Yes. Vain, self-entitled assholes.”

  She gasped. “Seriously? Where do they live?”

  Damien gave her a sidelong glance. He gestured above them. “Why, in the heavens, of course.”

  They passed a bush of marigolds and he left her to pick one. Returning to her, he brushed her hair back, placing the stem behind her ear. Perfect.

  “There, it suits you,” he said. “Even if you are queen of the demons and all.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. He, however, couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She was absolutely the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He didn’t know what he would do if she didn’t pick him as an ally.

  She smiled at him, her eyes connecting with his. “What am I feeling?”

  “Huh?”

  “You said you can smell emotions,” she said.

  He almost growled. Oh, he knew. He sensed it from her and felt it himself.

  Desire.

  He leveled his gaze at her, pulling her closer to him. His pants grew tighter as he breathed in her scent and the intoxicating aroma of desire. “Are you sure you want to play this game, Sadie?”

  “I only want to see you use your power again.”

  This woman… If he didn’t get her under him soon—though he wouldn’t mind above him, either—he just might go crazy. He took in a calming breath. On the exhale, he said, “All right.”

  “So, what am I feeling?” she asked again.

  Her eyes were filled with so much curiosity. And he could get lost in them forever.

  He stepped closer, marveling at the way she looked at him, gaze steady, chin lifted. His lips tugged upward. “Powerful.”

  She smiled at him, and he lowered his mouth toward hers. Just before their lips met, he pulled back.

  What was he doing? He needed to focus. To be logical. She was only spending time with him because she needed to know if he was trustworthy. He shouldn’t get too attached. With a sigh, he pulled away from her, ignoring the wounded light in her eyes.

  Leading her down the path, the walk was silent. He mentally kicked himself for not kissing her. He should have. Judging by the way she looked at him when he pulled away, she wanted to kiss him too.

  In the midst of his self-beratement, he sucked in a long breath through his nose and stopped mid-step. Sulfur. Thick sulfur, too.

  He drew Lightbane from his belt and the sword blazed to life. The flames cut through the fog, revealing a massive hellhound with fiery red eyes glaring at them as it lay on the ground. A deep sound rumbled from its chest, and when it opened its maw, fire billowed from its mouth. Its hackles were made of fire, and as it rose, the flames glowed brighter. The beast prowled toward them.

  Damien had never seen a hellhound up close before, and he never wanted to as superstition stated hellhounds were harbingers of death. Now that he had one within a few yards in front of him, he noticed its body was like a gargoyle’s—covered with rocky scales and spikes. Very much like a gargoyle, except for the veins of orange magma that meandered all over its skin. And at its chest, the magma was colored blue.

  Sadie approached the creature, warily holding out her hands. Damien held up his sword, prepared for a fight, but when the hellhound looked at Sadie, it immediately stopped snarling, ears propping up instead. It bounded to her and bent its front legs, butt lifted in the air and tail wagging. The blurred red-orange light was a near constant arc of continuous light. With its tongue lolled out, the hellhound rolled over like a puppy, belly exposed.

  She gasped and giggled.

  Damien lowered the sword as Sadie knelt to rub the creature’s belly. Its head reached for her cheek and licked her. She laughed.

  It was the most beautiful sound he would ever hear. Damien had to smile, seeing her like that, though he wondered why the hellhound was alone in the forest. Hellhounds usually hunted in packs. The creature stood on its legs and snuggled close to Sadie. But when it looked at him, the damn thing growled.

  “That’s a good boy,” Sadie said, chuckling as she petted the hellhound’s head.

  Damien sheathed his sword. “We should get going. I don’t sense other creatures right now, but there could be more of them out there.”

  Sadie’s lips pursed, but she nodded. She stood and gave the hellhound one final pet. “It’s great to meet you. You can come back to the fortress with us if you want.”

  The hellhound nudged her hand with its nose and ran in the other direction. After a few meters, it stopped beside an acacia, pausing briefly to look back at her. But it turned around and disappeared, vanishing into thin air as mist covered the pathway once more.

  “Strange,” Damien said and offered Sadie his arm. “You seem to have a kinship with the most unique creatures.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Damien took the time to explain to Sadie the lore of hellhounds on the way back to the fortress. She seemed to absorb every word like a sponge. When they reached the gates, he and Sadie went their separate ways. While she went to do her own thing, Damien went back into the forest. He had to find out why there was a lone hellhound. An unsettling feeling filled his gut.

  There was more to the random encounter than what met the eye. He was going to find out just what.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sadie

  After finishing a round of training, Sadie made her way toward her room, passing the door to the dungeon on the way. She paused, staring at the door. Mordecai might be willing to answer some questions now.

  She figured she could at least attempt to get the answers she demanded. If he still refused, then so be it. He could rot down there for as long as it took. Though a part of her wondered if he could even be contained there. He managed a way into her home. He could have found a way out.

  She would find out how he got in. One way or another.

  With a sigh, she opened the door and descended the long stairwell, lighting a fire in her hand to chase away the thick shadow that covered the darkened corridor. Turning the corner after the final stair, she found him lounging in his cell, hands behind his head and one ankle resting on his knee. He seemed very much comfortable and at ease.

  “Is it time to leave already?” he asked, feigning a yawn.

  She leaned on the wall across from the bars and crossed her arms over her chest. “How did you get in? Do you work for Mara?”

  He frowned, looking genuinely confused by the name. “I don’t work for anyone but myself.” He placed his feet on the ground, sitting up straight. “Who is she?”

  “A demoness,” she said.

  He scoffed. “I don’t work for some puny, little demoness’s agenda.”

  “Then tell me how you got in,” she said.

  He stood up, grunting. “I’ll do you one better.”

  Mordecai turned into shadow until only his eyes were visible and bled through the bars. He solidified then pushed Sadie against the wall. His tattooed forearm pressed on her chest. He looked down at her, smirking. But she didn’t quiver. She stared at him head-on. Finally, she knew how he got in.

  “How did you do that?” she asked. “Can you teach me how?”

  He tilted his head. “No one else has my enhancement. It’s passed on only at death.”

  “Oh.”

  Sadie thought that was good news provided she could trust him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t some artifact she could take from him, but that meant no one else could, either. But if she rejected him, she wondered what he would do with this magic.

  “Why are you here, Mordecai?” she asked. “What do you want?”

  His arm pressing her chest moved, a thumb caressed her cheek. “Power. Vengeance.”

  His touch shot warmth through her body, she resisted the urge to close her eyes and lean into him. Instead, she kept her eyes on his and her voice steady. �
��And you’ll get that with me?”

  “There are many things you can give me, Sadie.” He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, “More than you can imagine.”

  His breath sent chills through her body, gathering in the center of her apex. She fought against the urge to squirm and said, “What will you give me in return?”

  His nose nudged her neck as his fingers drifted down her arm. Goosebumps formed all over.

  “Protection,” he said. “I have my own allies. Powerful warlocks that serve me. And I will teach you some of my magic. Not all of it, but some.”

  “Really?”

  He stepped back. For a moment, she wanted to pull him back to her, to feel his touch again. The world seemed too cold without his nearness. “We can start now if you want,” he said. “I saw you practicing with the shadow sword. Why don’t I help you with it?”

  Her body filled with the need to touch him. To feel him. She needed him. But he was willing to help her master the smoke sword. That meant he had other skills she could use. She clenched her jaw, willing her treacherous body to hold off on its pesky little desires for a while longer. She needed that smoke sword. Not to mention better control over her magic was a plus.

  Finally, she said, “Okay.”

  He nodded, taking another few paces backward. “Show me.”

  She opened her palms and reached for her magic. A shadow sword appeared between her hands. Seeing that its pommel was spherical and ordinary, she transformed it to a shape she felt alluring, carving the pommel to the shape of the pendant.

  Mordecai snorted. “Fancy blades won’t make or break a fight, Sadie. Just focus on forming the sword. The power comes from you, not its appearance.”

  “All right,” she said, allowing the sword to take its own shape. “What do I do now?”

  “See the blue glow on the edges?” He pointed at the blade, tracing his finger along the length from a distance. “Focus on making it disappear. Try to make it all grey. If you do, it should be solid.”