“Duvali. Take those rings off of her,” I heard Vorkol say and my eyes snapped open.
A mask-less demon male loomed over me. Though he, too, shared the humanoid features, they were gaunt and repulsive somehow, like they didn’t fit. He almost seemed as though he was still wearing a mask made of flesh. His skin was pale gray, and his large, crooked nose seemed like it might have been broken a few times. He was tall and thin, with mousy brown hair, and to me, he looked like he might have been a scarecrow in some lifetime past. There was no beauty in his features, just a twisted malice, as though inflicting pain to others was his favorite thing.
The demon named Duvali reached down, yanked my hand forcefully, and pulled off my rings from both hands. Then he placed them in Vorkol’s waiting palm.
I looked up at her, and when she was sure I was watching, she made a fist with her hand, her lips moving in some demonic curse. When she opened her hand a moment later, all that remained of my golden sigil rings was a pile of golden dust.
Vorkol laughed and wiped her hands, golden dust falling about her skirts to the floor like sheets of golden pixie dust. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you, little bird.”
Well, now I was neck-deep in the crapper.
The crowd of demons parted, and then a familiar face appeared amongst them—one I’d seen only a few hours ago—looking pale and terrified. I’d never seen those emotions on the mid-demon’s face before.
Faris’s lips moved, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. My heart pounded. He stood there, jaw clenched, his expression shifting from shock and fear to something I didn’t understand.
He didn’t come to me. He didn’t help. He just stood there, watching my helplessness and pain.
It was a surprisingly painful moment of realization that he’d just leave me here to die. But what did I expect? He was a demon.
I pulled my eyes away, but before I could stop them, the tears fell. They just did. I was exhausted, and seeing Faris there—watching me get my ass kicked but doing nothing to stop it—was worse than the pain Vorkol had inflicted on me.
I wasn’t a robot, and this hurt like a bitch because I thought he was my friend. I thought a demon was my friend. It sounded absurd. I was a fool.
“You will tell me how you did it before you die,” said Vorkol, her voice a triumphant hiss, and her wig slipped to the side of her head again. “That’s a promise.” She straightened as though she’d won some victory and said, “Put the bird back in her cage where she belongs.”
I turned to the sound of a something heavy approaching and Andromalius stepped in my line of sight, still stinking of sulfur and manure.
“Up,” ordered the minotaur. I’d forgotten all about him.
I tried to move, but I couldn’t even feel my legs or my arms anymore. The world spun and I strained to keep my head up. I blinked but couldn’t stop the darkness that crept into my vision.
Andromalius grabbed my arm and the darkness took me.
17
The vampire leaned over the young witch, teeth bared and gleaming in the streetlight.
“Stop!” I howled and ran through traffic to get to the other side of the road. My arms pumped as I gained speed, all the while pulling on the energy of my sigil rings.
The vampire turned at the sound of my approach. A hoodie kept his face in shadow, but I could see his smile well enough.
I reached him, and yelled, “Vento!” I threw out my hands and hit him with a wind blast.
It caught the vampire in the chest and he flew back, away from the witch at least twenty feet. But the pointy toothed vampire managed to land on his feet, smiling. The bastard was as agile as a cat. He let out a velvety laugh that made me want to punch him.
“You think it’s funny, you blood-sucking bastard.” I’m not finished with you.
I really wanted to kill this vampire. One, well, because he was bad, and two, because after this I’d wanted nothing to do with the dark witch court ever again. After him, I was done with them. With all of them.
I walked over to the witch, saw that her chest was moving and no puncture wounds or blood marred her, and took that as a good sign. I moved towards the vampire.
“It ends tonight,” I said. “You won’t hurt any more witches. You’re finished.”
I lifted my hands, gathered my anger and my disgust as handy sources of fuel, and shouted, “Involuta!”
Furious power rushed out of me, lashing out in a blaze of white and blue fire that spun around the vampire. Ribbons of blue and white fire wrapped around him, burning brighter and hotter, the spell cocooning him in flames.
With a bored expression, he lifted his right hand, and my ribbons of fire disintegrated into puffs of smoke.
Damn. I forgot. He had some magic of his own. Speaking of magic, a dark, black haze lifted around him, spilling behind him like a rippling cloak.
“Okay,” I shrugged, closing the distance between us. “So that was pretty cool, but I’m still going to kill your ass.”
He opened his mouth, showing his fangs, and laughed. “I’m coming for you, Samantha.”
I pursed my lips, still holding on to my magic. “Look here. We’ve already got something in common.” I smiled. “I’m coming for you too. Hasta Feuro!” I threw out my hand and a yellow-orange spear-like fire blasted towards the vampire.
With a burst of impossible speed, he moved, and in a blur of motion, he appeared next to me.
My pulse leaped. “You’re a sneaky sonofabitch.” And yeah, that was cool too.
I pulled on my magic and held it. He was close enough this time for me to hit him again, and this time I wouldn’t miss. This time, he would burn. “You can tell your demon mistress that she can kiss my ass,” I said, my rings pulsing with magic and begging to be released.
The vampire’s smile grew. “Sam,” he said, his voice a harsh whisper, and then he took a step forward and into the dim light.
Adrenaline hit, my lips parted in my readied spell—
The hoodie fell back from the vampire’s face, and Logan stared back at me...
“Sam!”
My eyes fluttered open, and for a moment I thought I was in my bed back in Mystic Quarter. But when I took a breath and winced as the acid air burned me, I knew I was still in the Netherworld, and in my cage, no less.
I had no idea what time it was or how long I’d slept. Years, maybe. Who knew? I lay on the floor of my cage for a moment, tired and a little dizzy. I hadn’t eaten anything since that grilled cheese, and I was dying to use the bathroom. Did they even have bathrooms? No, the incident with the minotaur before told me the bathroom was right through the cage bars. Now that’s going to be interesting.
“Sam!” hissed the same voice I’d heard in my dream.
Slowly, I sat up and peeked down through the bars. Faris stood on the ground, staring up at me. He wore his signature body-snugging black shirt and matching pants. With his dark hair styled to perfection, he looked clean and fresh and ready to go out on a date. It made me sick.
The cage next to me shook. “Sam!” screeched my caged neighbor. “Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam,” he repeated, jumping up and down.
The demon was humanoid, maybe four feet tall, give or take a few inches, with a mane of silver, shaggy hair that stuck to his face in dirty clumps and blended with his long, thin silver beard. A gray, weatherworn robe, which I suspected had once been white, hung loosely on his thin frame. His limbs—thin from what I could see of them—were stained and dirty, as was his face. The bones of his gaunt face were sharp, and he was smiling. His blue eyes, lit with fever and madness, were fixated on me.
“Well, I must say,” expressed Faris, a smile on his face as he watched the small demon dance around his cage, repeating my name. “Your friend seems excited. What did you do to him?”
Frustrated, I slumped back. “Go away,” I hissed and turned around. Bastard. What did he want?
The surrounding demon prisoners screeched and hissed, the sound rising like a sigh of excit
ement.
“Sammy darling,” pleaded the mid-demon. “Don’t do this. You know I love you, you silly little witch. I had to use many of my bribes to get here. Do you know how many souls I had to trade for a little R & R with you?”
“I don’t care,” I yelled back. My voice shook and I hated that he was seeing me like this—defeated, abused, and angry as hell. “I should have never trusted you.”
“Trust!” squealed the little demon in delight as he clapped his hands. “Trust. Trust. Trust...”
Faris made a loud exaggerated sigh. “Here. Catch.”
I turned around just as Faris tossed a package wrapped in a black cloth up towards me. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I slipped my arm through the bars and caught it easily.
I yanked my arm back and peeled the cloth away from the bundle. A moan escaped me. An apple, slices of cheese and cold cuts stared back at me. Fresh by the smell of them. My mouth salivated. But then...
“Did you poison these?” I asked, feeling foolish, but I had to ask. I was in the Netherworld. Maybe food was different here. Maybe it was toxic to mortals.
Faris’s face twisted in annoyance. “Don’t be stupid. Here. Water.”
I caught the water bottle and even before putting that glorious slice of cheese in my mouth, I had the bottle open and drank as much water in one gulp as I could without being sick. I smacked my lips. Damn that was some good water—the best water I’d ever tasted in my life.
Next, I tore into that cheese. “Thank you,” I said, my mouth full. “I was starving.”
Faris was shaking his head. “Higher demons, right?” he questioned. “When?”
I took another bite of cheese and washed it down with some water. “On my way home. Just after you left.” I felt eyes on me and looked up to find my neighbor still, hands wrapped around the bars. His forehead was pressed against the bars with his blue eyes following the cheese in my hands. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in years. My chest tightened, and I felt sorry for him.
“But it was sunrise,” said Faris. The surprise in his voice softened my anger a little, but not enough.
Irritation pulled my muscles tight. “Yeah, well, they jumped me where the sun hadn’t hit yet. In the shadow of a building. I didn’t know they could do that. They had a Rift there waiting for me.” I should have known they’d try something like that. I should have been better prepared. I took a bite of cheese, watching the little demon stare at my mouth, drool slipping at the edges of his lips.
“Yes. That would do it,” commented Faris, and my gaze flicked back to him at the nonchalant tone of his voice. He pulled at his sleeves and picked off what I’d assumed was lint. Then I lost it.
“How could you? How could you just stand there and let her hurt me!” I screamed. “You let her take a part of my soul! My soul! And did nothing.”
Faris put his hands on his hips, which only infuriated me more. “Sammy baby. If I had interrupted Vorkol at her own party—if I had intervened—she would have had her entourage shred me to bits,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “First. I happen to like myself very much. And second, how am I supposed to help you escape if I’m dead?”
I let out a huff. “Why should I believe you? You’re a demon.” I was pissed off, hurt, tired, and feeling the beginnings of a claustrophobia attack if I didn’t get out of this cage soon. Or I’d simply go mad, a blabbering idiot, like my neighbor.
“I wouldn’t have risked my reputation if I didn’t care,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“Reputation?” I laughed, feeling ill. “I’m in a damn cage and all you care about is your reputation.” I frowned. Part of me wanted to throw his food back in his face, but the other part, the smarter part, won. I kept the food right where it was.
“You’re a mortal. You can’t possibly understand.”
“Try me,” I growled, my stomach aching from too much stress and not enough food.
Faris sighed and shifted his weight on his feet. “It’s all I have. Here in the Netherworld, your reputation either makes you or breaks you. Unlike the mortal world, it’s not about the money or how many fancy cars you have in your garage. Here. It’s what you can do with the little power you have.”
“You mean souls?” I was starting to hate him.
“Yes.” He shrugged like that wasn’t supposed to be disturbing to me. “I’m a demon. Souls are my business.”
“It’s a sick business.” I swallowed the last of my cheese, savoring the taste on my tongue and knowing this might be the last time I’d taste cheese ever again. That was so very sad.
Faris was silent, and he sent his eyes over my cage. “What about your magic? How much of it can you use? Obviously most of it is tied to your home world, but as a witch,” he was saying as though he was talking to himself, “you have demonic blood, which means it is still operational. Just not at a hundred percent. Rusty. Like an old Buick.”
My gut tightened and I felt like I was about to vomit. “You were there, Faris. You saw what she did to my rings. Without them... I’ve got nothing.” Except for my gift, but I wasn’t about to announce it to the world right now. Besides, I didn’t even know if it’d do me any good. If Poe were here, maybe he could have helped me. But how does one get out of the Netherworld? Rifts were used to get into my world, so perhaps it was the same thing here. It made sense to me. If I wanted to get out, I needed to find a Rift to my world.
“The rings can’t be the only source of your power. You’re a dark witch, for demon’s sake. I’ve seen what you can do. There’s more magic in you than you think.”
“Not enough.” My voice was final. He didn’t have to know the rest.
“Mmm,” grumbled Faris, apparently dissatisfied. “That does pose a significant problem. Without any means of magic, it won’t be nearly enough.”
I snapped my attention back to him, the remainder of my meal forgotten. “What are you talking about?” I demanded, not liking the hint of fear in his voice. “Faris?” The distant look in his eyes and the way he was looking at me made me more nervous.
Faris’s expression twisted and he looked away. “Vorkol likes to be entertained, as you witnessed tonight. She has a healthy appetite for flaying and torture parties.”
I shrugged. “Your typical stereotypical female villain. So what?”
The mid-demon shook his head. “She’s worse,” he said. His eyes met mine and they looked completely black in the dim light. “Much worse.”
“Figures.”
“How does that mortal expression go again?” he added thoughtfully, as he cocked his head. “Make love, not war? If you ask me, I prefer sex over torture. Unless there’s a bit of sex with the torture. Then all is well.” He grinned.
I rolled my eyes. “How nice of you to be thinking about sex when I’m about to be killed.”
“Sammy darling,” drawled Faris, a sly smile on his face. “One can never stop thinking about sex. It’s unhealthy.”
“Not as much as not having sex,” I grumbled, and Logan’s face flashed in my mind’s eye before I quickly squashed it away.
“Vorkol is ancient and powerful,” Faris was saying. “She was here long before me and long before many of the lesser demons. Her favorite thing is to see suffering. She has plans for you.”
“Swell.”
“She likes to play games with mortals.” He stiffened, a muscle feathering along his jaw. “If you think today was bad, you’ll want to slice your own wrists when you see what she has planned for you.”
“You’re just full of sunshine. Aren’t you?”
Faris lifted his hands dramatically. “Why did you have to go and piss her off by killing her mate? Couldn’t you have just... ignored him? I mean—how bad could he have been?”
My jaw dropped. “He was trying to kill me,” I said incredulously. “He was also killing innocent mortals to raise some pagan god. Remember?”
He made a face, eyebrows high. “Nobody’s perfect.”
A loud boom shook the ca
ve’s walls, and then my cage shook. My heart gave a beat before settling into a normal pace. In the distance, the sound of the grinding of rocks grew and died, like the tremor from an earthquake. Or it could have been two gargantuan demons fighting each other.
Faris whirled around towards the sound and then looked back up at me. “Sammy darling. I don’t have much time left. I’m going to do my best to get you out.”
“Your best?” Was he freaking serious? I wanted out of this cage just so I could kick his stupid, condescending demon ass.
“I mean,” his smile faltered and he cleared his throat. “I’m going to get you out. No need to get all pissy and emotional. It’s not going to be easy for me.”
“So don’t bother.” He was really starting to piss me off. Granted, he had brought me some food and water. I let my shoulders fall. “You’re deluding yourself. I’m never getting out.” The thought of spending the rest of my days locked up in this cage had my insides twisting.
The mid-demon scowled at me. “You know I think you are a hot-blooded female of the opposite sex. But right now, you’re acting like a child.”
I let out a tired laugh. “I’m exhausted, Faris. I’m tired and I hurt and I think I’m missing a part of my soul. So, forgive me for being a little pissy and emotional.” The memory of Vorkol reaching into my chest and pulling a piece of my soul had my cheese threatening to come back up.
I just wanted to go home...
The sound of a stomach rumbling reached me. I looked down at my middle and realized it wasn’t me. I glanced up to find the haggard demon still with his face stuck to the bars of his cage, his big blue eyes pleading and teary.
God, he looked pathetic. But he was a demon. I didn’t even know why I cared. He was probably in here because he didn’t bring in enough souls or did something really bad—in demon terms. Or maybe he was another victim of Vorkol’s injustice. He reminded me of that scruffy old dog I’d seen once at the local pound. I never did get over his sad eyes. I always regretted not taking him home with me. It still pained me to think about what happened to him.
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