by Lexi Ostrow
“I’m adding Rafe to your list. When it is time to feed him my blood, Izazal, you will come to my chambers. I’m anxious. I want the three in your care, and Rafe, turned by the end of the fortnight. War is coming, and I’m tired of putting it off.”
Izazal nodded outright, and Muriel scoffed but nodded. Both turned apart from each other and walked into separate rooms—Muriel with the three who Seraphina didn’t know, and Izazal with Rafe.
“The incompetence among the demons is outstanding,” she muttered and turned down the hall. Abruptly, the ground shook, and she was knocked off balance.
Someone had opened one of the three doors to Hell. “Well, well, well. I do believe the Illusion demon was right, and the Fallen were wrong. Philippe may not have been bitten, but the daughter of the Alliance leader proved too important for them to not show up.”
At that moment, a purple flash of smoke went off in the hall. As she was wafting it away from her face, she heard the hissed voice of an Imp.
“My Queen. Two membersss of the Alliance of Sssilver and Sssteam have arrived. Both with dark hair and sssimliar ssstructure.”
So they came alone, did they? Well, that would be foolish.
“Thank you for guarding the door. If Odette opened it, the transition must be complete. Did you see anything of note about the female that would imply she is a demon?”
He nodded eagerly, and she stared. Imps were subservient and without an order oft forgot to speak.
“Go on.”
“Ssshe hass the beauty of your kind, and fangsss to match.”
He bowed his tiny purple head to his chest, and she nodded.
“What door did they use? It hasn’t been too many days, they did not go back to the London door.”
“The cave, my Queen.”
“Good. Get out and spread the word that they are not to be touched by any. Do not even allow themselves to be seen by the Hunters. They are mine.”
The flash of purple smoke went off again, and she coughed. “I’ve never been so thankful to not have to be an Imp. Ridiculous really.”
She had a choice to make, change out of the bloodied dress she wore, or go to the Kappa’s in it and prove her brutality. Should one of them smell the blood, they could grow hungry. Whilst she was superior, she had no clue how draining fighting off a group of them would be.
“The last time you executed a victim wrong, Lucius Willan got the better of you. Do not make a mistake twice.”
Her heeled shoes clicked as she picked up the pace to get to her chambers quickly. If she left the pair wandering too long, they could find one of the entrances to the sections of Hell. They’d come for a flower, but if Odette Cosgrove had opened the door, it was too late for her and far past time for Seraphina.
She peeled off the blood stained teal dress and let it drift over to the fire. Angel blood was not to be handled lightly. With a flick of her wrist, the floating dress dropped into the flames and was eaten by fiery tongues until it was no more. She walked to the wardrobe and pulled a light pink gown from it. If she were going to intimidate, she would love to do so under the guise of the wealthy and innocent—humans somehow were more confused when she played the part of a misguided soul. It made them so much easier to kill.
Only one thing bothered her whilst she dressed, and that was the Imp’s comment about Odette’s looks. Becoming a demon oft decreased the appeal of one’s outer image, not enhanced it.
“It’s probably just his eyesight.”
She pulled on long white gloves that stretched to her elbow and turned to look in her looking glass. She was the picture of societal elegance, and even her blood red hair swinging to her waist looked lovely against the pale pink. Her slender body was still apparent under the grandness of the outfit, and she smoothed her hands over the dress for good measure. She wouldn’t need to impress the Kappas, but they would seek out Philippe and Odette immediately after.
“And the first order my little hunter will have, is to kill the man she resembles. Philippe Clemis will die by her hand.”
In a flash, she was outside Lake Biwa in Japan. The warty, upright frog demon was waiting; his big green lips parting in what could only be a smile at her appearance. He bowed as she came closer, and she was reminded once more of why it was so good to be queen.
“My Queen, you come early.”
“Do not be asinine. The hunters have made it to an entrance of Hell, and only a demon can open those doors.”
He rebutted, “Only a demon allowed inside Hell. My kind is not, our blood slaves are not.”
She balked. The door had opened. “Perhaps in light of our arrangement, something in her was able to open the door.” It was quite frankly, one of the most moronic suggestions she had ever heard, let alone made.
“I will not question you. However, when a blood slave is made, those that create it know. Three bit her, and two lived to return. They have said nothing about the transformation being complete. We assumed she did not survive.”
“Well, she has,” Seraphina spat at the disgusting demon. “So they are mistaken. Grab them both, so that they can command her to follow my orders. She is in Hell, and we are going to meet her.”
Philippe looked out of the corner of his eye at Odette and sighed in relief when his prick didn’t surge to life. She had drained him inside that cavern. And you would gladly have her do so over and over again.
A smirk must have broken out on his face because she cleared her throat and a wonderful blush colored her cheeks. He liked when she blushed. A woman fearless enough to hunt demons and thrive at it, made shy by a little wiggle of brows from him was appealing.
His mind was at war with him for the stupidity of what they had done. Fornicating on a mission was against everything he stood for. Doing so whilst waiting for others to arrive at the entrance to Hell was the most foolish thing he had allowed himself to do, and his head was too busy focusing on how the slices in her pants exposed her than the mission.
It was also the most exhilarating thing you have ever done and the hardest you have ever spent yourself inside a woman.
“Look, I can see them now,” Odette interrupted his thoughts.
She was pointing to the left of them where Lucius, Agardawes and Kellan were indeed trudging up the slope. Lucius looked phenomenal, and Philippe had to wonder how he’d healed so efficiently without killing Kellan. When his eyes landed on Kellan, he realized the only possible answer was that Agardawes had stepped in. Kellan was meters apart from the other two, and his eyes kept shifting towards the Nightmare Demon.
Some atrocities could not be undone and feeling the touch of a Nightmare Demon was one of them. Kellan had felt it twice at that point in his life.
Philippe caught Odette waving out of the corner of his eye and noticed that her mouth was set in a firm line, concealing the fangs that had so expertly traced along his erection not long before.
Blowing out a deep breath in an attempt to calm and refocus himself, he caught the Guildmasters’ eyes lock on his. They shared a brief nod that the others did not seem to notice. He’d kept his promise, he’d protected Odette, and it was time to go further.
Right outside the threshold of the cave’s entrance, Agardawes stopped and turned to look at the four of them. “Before we do this, I want to say thank you to you all. After everything that has been kept in secret came to light, I am shocked you have chosen to stand by my side in helping me.”
Kellan looked a little uneasy but kept his mouth shut. Philippe wondered what had transpired betwixt them back at the airship after the revelation of Odette’s lineage had been revealed on the airship, but it wasn’t his concern to ask.
“We’ve been inside,” he spoke before he’d realized it. Three pairs of eyes swung his way and watched him with bated breath. “It was strange in there. Beautiful really. I’m not certain how far we would need to walk before the cave became Hell itself, but the steps we took inside appeared to be nothing more than the caves explorer’s have spoken of.”
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“Aye. And what of demons?”
“None that we saw, Kellan. It was desolate and expansive. There are some in there. As I said, we were attacked by two Imps the moment Odette took the door down. Beyond that, we saw nothing. My tracker is broken, and Odette left hers outside. Something, if I’m not overstepping,” he looked to Agardawes, who nodded, “I insist you do as well. It was vast and empty in there. There would be no hiding the strange sound of the watches.”
Lucius reached in his pocket and dropped his watch on the grass without any hesitation. “We did some talking whilst you went on ahead. I’m going to go with you both. Master Agardawes and Kellan will pair together. I’m the greatest asset you have. I’ve been down here, on the inside, a few times with Seraphina. More importantly, I’m the best weapon you’ve got. Guns are excellent, but my hallucinations and dreams can kill on the spot. If I use my skills, I just get stronger. It’s a win-win.” He looked at Philippe as if asking for permission or waiting for an argument.
Odette didn’t say a word; she was too busy fiddling with her gun for some reason. Did he want another man around Odette? Does it matter when you need to save her life, and the man in question is a happily mated demon?
“Happy to have you with us, Lucius.” He reached his hand out, extending it for a handshake, an acceptance of a demon who was very much a man as well.
Odette didn’t know it, but she’d taught him tolerance, because how could he fall in love with her if he was unwilling to accept other demons could be good as well? Lucius wrapped his hand around Philippe’s and shook it vigorously, a smirk on his face.
“What plan did you create whilst you waited?” Odette finally spoke up.
“Aside from splitting up, we do not sleep in the cave. I do not care how many hours you have been up on your feet, you do not stop to rest unless your eyes are open and your back is against a wall. You do not eat or drink anything inside, we have all heard the Greek myths, and there is no way to tell fact from fiction.”
Philippe scowled at that. They’d not brought food. In fact, they hadn’t eaten since just before the ship crashed, and it had already been a day. Lack of food would lead to a lack of strength and focus, not what he needed when he needed to show Odette why he was the best hunter in the Alliance. Show her and prove to her that he supported her and could protect her—unlike her deceased husband had. He didn’t say anything though. It was no one’s fault the ship had crashed, and he hadn’t had the sense to hunt for a meal the night before to take care of them.
“We are down to four days. Four days until we cannot reverse it.” Agardawes’ voice trembled with emotion.
Philippe felt his heart jolt at the words as well. Time had come and gone so quickly, and they had no clue where the flower would reside.
“I want everyone but Lucius and Odette out after three days.”
Philippe growled loudly, and everyone looked away as he stepped forward, a challenge to the Guildmaster.
Thomas Agardawes was not amused or intimidated. “Philippe, I trust you can watch your own back on the way out?”
“I’m staying with her.”
“You do not have a choice in the matter. It is an order. If it gets down to the wire, Lucius may be able to slip into places undetected and get out quickly. This door will not stay open, and without Lucius to open it back up for Odette after the cure, they will be trapped. So you come out, they stay.”
Realization knocked, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then who is going to open the door for us?”
“No one. We are going to wait right at the entrance and make sure they have a clear path to exit. Kappas connect with their blood slaves. If she breaks the connection, who knows what could come after her. If we run out of time, I want the best defense clearing the way.”
“That’s foolish—”
Lucius put a hand on his forearm and pushed him backwards a step. “Cool it, Clemis. We know what we are doing.”
The demon’s black eyes narrowed onto Philippe’s, and suddenly he understood. He was not to be left alone with her on the final day because they did not trust him to kill her. His eyes flew from person to person. Odette wouldn’t meet his, and neither would Kellan. Lucius and Master Agardawes had no issues, and he cursed as he yanked his hair out of its queue in frustration.
“You don’t trust me.”
It was an accusation, not a question, and the old man shook his head no. “No more than I don’t trust myself to do what might need to be done. The plan is the plan, and you will fall in line, or we will go on without you.” He paused before continuing, “And I really think Odette would far more prefer you by her side than me.”
No one said a word. Kellan fiddled with the strap on his pack, and Odette leaned against the cave wall. Lucius and Agaradawes continued to stare him down. He had no choice. Which meant the flower would be found before the fourth day.
“Understood.”
“Ah, one quick question, if ye dinnea mind.” They all looked at Kellan who sounded rather uncomfortable. “How are we ta ken the day if our watches are left?”
“Bloody hell,” Lucius cursed and kicked the ground. They’d never thought of that.
“Instead of leaving them, break the crystals in one. It is the only way, and perhaps, this will teach us to travel without watches that are simply watches.” Odette walked to where she’d stuffed hers into a plant and quickly went about prying the watch face off to remove the crystal, and Lucius did the same.
They’d been outside for short of an hour, and Philippe’s nerves were on end. There was no more time to waste if they’d already chosen her executioner. It was time to move.
“If there’s nothing else I’d like to go get that flower now,” his voice was deep and commanding, and they all nodded.
“One more thing, Kellan.” Agardawes looked at the youngest in their group.
“Aye?”
“The Irish are known for their connection with the mystical. It would be for the best if from here on, when you spoke, you employed the British accent you use for when you’re out in the city.”
The Irishman scowled but nodded. “Yes, I will.”
To an extent, it unnerved Philippe how quickly Kellan could shift into something he wasn’t, eliminating all traces of his ancestry and culture. His own French accent had whittled away over the years, but it was due to having an English mother and servants, not because he’d ever been ashamed of his blood. It was a shame Kellan and Odette were, they were both people he would trust with his life. When it was all over, he would make sure they knew it, even if he would never hunt in a pair.
He walked over to Odette and took her hand, not caring who saw what. “We’ve already been into the cavern to the left. It’s a lake, and there didn’t appear to be any demons in it.”
“Ahh…I knew you lot looked too clean.” Lucius chuckled as if he’d spoken a joke.
“Odette?”
Odette turned as he did until her father called her name. He felt tension shoot through her. She wasn’t ready to talk to him, but it was time, she might not get to again.
Slowly, she turned and stared at the man who had raised her. “I know you may never forgive me, but please know that I love you as if you were my blood. I will protect you always.”
For a brief moment, he thought he saw emotion crack the hardness in her green eyes, and then it was gone. “I’m ready to go save myself now.” Stubbornly, she dropped Philippe’s hand and stalked into the cave’s entrance alone.
“Mon Dieu, someone rescue me from her once we save her, please?” He heard laughter as he jogged to catch up with her.
She was somehow halfway through the entrance tunnel when he grabbed her wrist. As always, she shook him off and kept going. He could sense the anger coming off her in waves, but he had done nothing to deserve it.
“You may be angry at him, and that’s your right. I, however, did nothing to you, except bring you to multiple climaxes. It would be nice if you would stop treating me as
if I’ve wronged you.” His voice echoed as they reached the first cavern, and he flinched—unsure which was worse, the demons hearing or their friends.
She froze, and her shoulders drooped, defeated. She turned, and he saw the tears streaming down her face. A decent man would have scooped her up and held her close. A respectable man would have assured her that she would work things out with the man that raised her, and that they would find the flower and that no one would be hurt. He wasn’t a good man; he was a demon hunter. The best damn hunter the Alliance of Silver and Steam had, and that meant a narrow focus and pushing back all the instincts that screamed for him to reach out to her.
“If you two do not stop so I can do my bloody job, I swear to you, I will unleash your greatest fears…again.” Lucius’ angry growl echoed in the cave.
Both Philippe and Odette stopped. They heard the huffing as Lucius finally caught up. Philippe looked around and realized that she had run straight into the central tunnel in the cavern.
“Looks like someone decided where we start,” he grumbled.
“Are the two of you done acting like children? I may have just played with Kellan and your father, Odette, but I could always use another hit now that I don’t share with the Queen Bitch. So do not tempt me.” He jogged up and placed himself in betwixt them, a buffer.
“I’m sorry, Lucius. You shouldn’t have gotten caught up in this.”
“You know what? You’re right. I volunteered for this. So let’s not make me regret doing it, shall we?”
Philippe braced himself, waiting for Odette to fly off the handle at Lucius, but she only nodded.
“Good. Since we decided to take the straight and narrow, I think it’s best if one of us walks in front, preferably Philippe. This way, if I need to trance out, Philippe can fight whatever is in our way whilst I’m vulnerable.”