Red Blooded

by Amanda Carlson

  Lili crossed her arms. “You have no choice in the matter.”

  “Excuse me?” My wolf snapped her jaws.

  “The reason I was jailed wasn’t that I was an insufficient lover. It was that I discovered something just before you arrived. Something that has shaken the internal fabric of the Underworld to its very core. Because of this, things are moving on their own and we are just along for the ride. It was no mistake you found me when you did and it’s no mistake we’re standing together right now. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can all leave this place forever.”

  I glanced around the group to see how everyone else was taking this information. Ray appeared stoic, Tyler concerned, and Rourke’s mouth was set in a determined line. “And what exactly was the big news you uncovered?” I asked, crossing my arms as I turned back to Lili. “If I truly have no choice, you’re going to have to do some heavy convincing. And I’d suggest you start with the truth.”

  Lili was speaking of Fate, there was no question. And we all knew that if we were in the middle of Fate’s true choice—for me to bring Lili home—it would be very hard to veer from that course.

  “There was more to the Scriptures than any demon originally thought,” she started. “When I happen to uncover more of the Old Writings in their entirety, I was as shocked as anyone. Once I gathered the impact, I took them to…” She paused as she glanced down at her hands.

  It wasn’t hard to guess she had broken her allegiance to her lover, so I took the most logical path. “You took them to the Princess, instead of the Prince,” I finished. “And when the Prince of Hell discovered your betrayal, you fell from his grace. He unceremoniously kicked you out of his bed and had you put into prison. I see where this went wrong, but that still doesn’t explain the facts to me. What did the sacred Scriptures say exactly?”

  She smirked at me. “Are you always this disagreeable?”

  “I’m disagreeable to those who try and continually manipulate me, which you’ve done from the very start. You could’ve told me the truth—if this even is the truth—when we first met, but you chose not to. You have done very little to gain my trust, why should I believe anything you tell me now?”

  “There was no time to explain the entirety of it,” she huffed. “We’ve been on the run since you first walked into my cell. Not only that, the demoness had forbidden me to say anything up until twenty minutes ago, when she freed me from the horrors of a mending room.”

  “And why did the demoness have such a sudden change of heart?” I asked, remembering our little wink session a few short minutes ago. “And if you’re so much more powerful than she is, why didn’t you just escape on your own?”

  “Because in order for this all to move forward in the direction Fate has determined, and for the Princess to ascend to power, you needed to be paraded in front of the entire city. Your presence here had a purpose. It was meant to launch the demons into a civil war—to separate those who believe in the old Scriptures from those who will embrace the new. Your birth has been marked in our books for centuries. And every demon in that audience knew this day would come. Now that it has, and your presence is known, you have triggered a huge, unstoppable change. One that was meant to happen. But now it means you must leave the Underworld quickly, or run the risk of dying. There will be upheaval and turmoil for years to come. This is just the beginning.”

  I was livid. My eyes flashed as I demanded, “Do you mean to tell me that it was your goal all along to ‘parade me’ in front of the demons to launch a civil war? If that was your ultimate plan, you weren’t ever leading me to my brother or any real escape. Why bring me through the Sholls if I had to end up in there”—I gestured angrily to the coliseum doors—“and why not let me in on what was going on from the very beginning? I would’ve agreed to aid you in a plan to defeat the Prince and put the Princess on the throne. I despise the Prince!”

  She stared at me like I had lost my mind, which I was beginning to think was quite possible. “Fate is at work here,” she cried. “And in case you haven’t guessed, it’s not as easy as you think to defeat the Prince of Hell. But if you must know, I only uncovered the Scripture a few days ago when I was in the Great Library searching for something else. There was no time to formulate any solid plans, and as I told you when we parted, I guessed you would be caught. Again, I never lied. How you were going to get to this place”—she pointed toward the doors—“was just as much a mystery to me as it was to you. But you’re here. The die has been cast, you’ve done your part, and now it’s time to leave.”

  Tyler stepped in, placing a hand on my arm. He rang with tension. “Jess, I know all this is important and we need to solve it, but I hear movement and smell something rancid in the air. Let’s move out of this area. We can figure this out as we go.” He eyed Lili up and down. “And, honestly, one wrong move from you, demoness, and we take you out, understood? I don’t comprehend everything that’s going on here, but if my sister doesn’t want you on our plane, you’re not invited. Got it?”

  I began to hear shouts and movement too. I sighed, addressing Lili. “Take us somewhere safe, if such a place actually exists here. I’m going to process everything you’ve told me, but I’m not going to make any decisions until I have all the information. And I mean all.”

  “I will lead you to safety, which was granted by the Princess,” Lili agreed. “And, once there, we can settle this. But lingering in the Underworld is not advisable. As I’ve told you, we only have a short time to escape.”

  Rourke tugged me to the back of our procession by the hand as we followed Lili down a tunnel carved out of rock that had been polished with care. “I understand what’s going on up to a point,” he murmured. “But if the demon Scriptures say Lili goes with us, it might be unavoidable.”

  I smiled at him, braiding my hand through his tightly. Gods, I’d missed him. “I agree, but I’m sure you noticed that she hasn’t divulged any particulars of what the writings actually say, only the doomsday disclaimer that I will start a civil war.” While we walked, I gripped Rourke’s forearm with my other hand, leaning in to him and drinking up his scent. “When I first met her, she assured me she could free me and Tyler and get us out quickly.” I filled him in on what had happened and shook my head. “We are definitely missing pieces to this puzzle. She and the Princess must’ve had a prior agreement. What’s worse is my wolf is rabid whenever she’s around. That’s a very bad sign.”

  Up ahead Ray asked Lili, “So what gives with these demons? They can’t fight worth a damn. I thought once we got here we’d be ducking and running, trying not to get ourselves killed. But it’s like a comedy skit out there. They have no idea what they’re doing and have no business being on the front lines.”

  Lili inclined her head toward him. She was likely trying to figure out what kind of supe he was, but a vampire reaper wouldn’t be on her radar. Ray was one of a kind. “Only demon guards are taught defense. Much like everyday humans, we have no need to learn to fight. We are well protected here and are insulated from outside threats. Not many supernaturals, besides witches or sorcerers, ever come here. Most wouldn’t know how. You were fighting the equivalent of the home guard. Not our army. The troops who fight for the Underworld lie outside of She’ol.”

  “But demons have raw power, I can feel it,” Ray continued. “They should naturally pack a better punch than that. Back there was like taking down women and children. It was just sad.”

  Lili chuckled. “Well, we also depend on our beasts for our protection. The demon guard will bring them out shortly if we don’t hurry, and then you will be able to see how demons really defend themselves.”

  Tyler turned. He was dressed in the same sort of jumpsuit as I was. “We should take these things off,” he said, fingering the zipper. “They can track us, right?” He’d directed his question to Lili.

  The demoness stopped and motioned to my brother to come forward. “Here, turn around,” she ordered. Tyler obeyed with a skeptical look. He
didn’t trust her. Instead of grasping the zipper, she placed her hand along the metal strip running up his side and said a few words under her breath. The thing literally melted off into her hand and she tossed it away. It made a pinging noise as it bounced off the rock wall. She beckoned to me. “Let me free you too.”

  I walked over and she did the same thing. This time I heard her words. They were in Demonish. “You can spell in both languages.” It was a statement, not a question. Crafting spells was technical. Just how technical, I had no idea, but words, names, and pronunciation mattered. Spells were attached to the very sound of the words uttered. The language used needed to be precise.

  She met my gaze and her pupils pulsed, elongating, reminding me she was very much a demon no matter how human or half witch she appeared. “Yes. I’ve been here for too many years to count. More than enough time to master demon spells.”

  “Can regular demons cast spells?” I asked as we all started walking again.

  “Only some,” she replied. “As I said before, there are many different kinds of demons in the Underworld. Demons we call zhydd pozsylz, their specialty is to cast spells, as well as the Prince, and all the demonesses.”

  “Why don’t the spell casters act as the demon guards? That seems more logical,” I said. “They would have a greater advantage in situations like this.”

  “They do not live in this city. She’ol is considered an urban center. They are what humans would refer to as living ‘out in the country’ by choice. They are very powerful and can be very dangerous. I wouldn’t say they are shunned, but other demons don’t like to encounter them. They also refuse to use glamour, so they are not allowed into the city limits very often.”

  I shook my head. This place was incredibly strange. “What about Selene?” I asked. “She didn’t look very good. Did the Prince kill her back there?”

  Lili slowed by a curve in the tunnel, listening before she beckoned us forward. My wolf was on alert, but I didn’t detect anything crazy around the corner, though that wasn’t saying much. Anything could pop out of this place.

  “How do we ultimately leave here?” Tyler asked me. “I never asked how you arrived. Is there a circle nearby?”

  “I landed in the dump,” I said. “I literally plunked down where the demons throw their trash.” I turned to my mate. “How did you get here?”

  “We landed out in a field somewhere,” Rourke answered. “It was covered in weird moving grass. We ran until we picked up your scent.”

  “Was it daylight out there?” I asked.

  “It was just breaking. Strange colors here,” he mused. “Everything was purple and yellow.”

  “It was lucky you landed when you did,” I commented. “The sun burns the skin and the bats were probably already back in their nests. If you had come at night, it might’ve been a different story.”

  Lili glanced back, tilting her head, appraising me once again. “The sun here will not affect them. And it should not have affected you, because you are not a true demon.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been trying to puzzle this out for a while—why you smell like a demon and why the sensors categorize you as such. You must have demon blood running through you somewhere. Maybe a long-lost ancestor?”

  I wasn’t going to divulge my abilities to Lili, who was obviously in the dark, so I settled on, “It has to do with my magic abilities.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “You cannot absorb our magic.”

  Rourke stepped in. “Our business is not yours, demoness. What we need from you is a relatively safe place to regroup until we can figure out what do to next.” He glanced at me. “I’m not opposed to heading back to our plane and dealing with the fallout later, but I know that’s not what you want. It could be centuries before anything happens with the Prince, and it may be the safer alternative. But once the demoness leads us to a safer destination, we can throw around our options. ”

  “It could be centuries or it could be a matter of days,” I said. “I seem to unhinge the Prince whenever I’m around. Now that we know what the Princess is after, making sure she takes over, especially since she has already granted us some favors, seems like the best way to rid ourselves of the Underworld indefinitely. When we get back to our plane we’ll have enough to worry about. The sorcerers and the fracture pack aren’t going to give up.” I turned to the group, meeting everyone’s stare. “Now that we’re together, we can solve this once and for all—”

  A shrill screech erupted and half a beat later something darted around the corner of the tunnel.

  Selene had me by the throat before any of us knew what had happened.

  16

  Yelling and commotion surrounded us instantly. I wasn’t frightened that Selene could do any harm, since she barely had any power. But I had to admit I was a little shaken she’d managed to take us all by surprise.

  She had literally come out of nowhere.

  “Now you die, bitch,” she snarled in my ear.

  “What… are you… doing?” I sputtered, batting her hands away from my face. We rolled on the ground. “You can’t take me on and win, Selene. You don’t have any power or magic.”

  Before she could answer, she was plucked off me by a very angry Rourke. He tossed her against the other side of the tunnel, snarling, “Enough! We’ve already gone through this with you, Lunar Goddess. If we kill you here, you die for real, and I’m more than ready to do the deed for the final time.” He cracked his knuckles, positioning himself between her and me.

  She rose to her feet in seconds, her features rabid. She seemed even more unhinged than she’d been a few moments ago.

  “You can’t kill me,” she spit. “I’ve already tried it a dozen times myself and I keep coming back to life in this wretched place.” She turned her furious gaze on me. “Do you see what they’ve done to me?” She pointed at her face and hair. “I can’t die, but I won’t heal either! They’ve taken my magic and my power and this is all your fault.” She pounded forward, swinging her arms, only to be scooped up by Rourke again and tossed back. “You horrid mongrel, you made sure I’d rot in this place for an eternity. This was your plan all along!”

  I brushed off my jumpsuit. “This had nothing to do with me, Selene. You kidnapped my mate, almost killed my friend, and then tried to kill me. You deserved everything you received and then some.” I clapped my hands together. “And don’t forget, I wasn’t the one who suggested you sell your soul to the demons. You did that all on your own. What did you think was going to happen? That Hell would be all unicorns and rainbows? The penance you’re serving is what you justly deserve, brought on by yourself.”

  She deserved more, since she was still breathing. Rourke hadn’t relayed to me the horrors of what had happened when she’d captured him, but I knew it had been bad. When I’d found him, he’d been eviscerated. It pained me to even call up the memory.

  “The Prince sounded like he finished you back there,” Ray helpfully added. “How’d you manage to slip away and recover?”

  Selene shot him a malicious gaze. “He did kill me. But I told you, I always come back.”

  Lili stepped forward. “That is not typical,” she said. “If the Prince of Hell kills you in the Underworld it is a true death… most of the time. It’s completely unusual for anyone to survive, especially after so many attempts.”

  “Most of the time?” Tyler commented. “If you don’t die a true death, then what can possibly happen to you?”

  Before the demoness could answer, I replied, “It seems some demons have a half death. Instead of going to the unknown, they go to the Sholls.” I eyed Selene. “When a demon dies a half death, they come back as their serpent selves. They call them wyverns.”

  “I’m clearly no demon, and I’m not an undercover serpent,” Selene sniffed in her haughty tone. “But they can’t kill me and I know the real reason: it’s because I’m a goddess.” She looked accusingly at me. “You couldn’t take that away from me when you sent me here. A goddess doesn
’t just simply lose her godhood, she survives.”

  I took a step toward her. “But you’re completely changed. Your power is vastly diminished to the point of almost nothing and you’re not healing. You’ve become something else. Maybe you belong in the Sholls. At least there you’d be safe from further demon abuse, and the wyverns are nasty, but they can’t kill you.” She appeared aghast at the suggestion, but I ignored her and turned to Lili. “If we took her to the Sholls can she get back out herself?”

  Lili studied the former goddess for a moment. “Perhaps, through a portal, but why would she want to? Her life right now in the Underworld is far worse than it would be in the Sholls.”

  “Is there more to the plane than what we saw?” I asked. “Is the Sholls big?”

  “Of course,” the demoness replied. “It’s as big as the Underworld. The wyverns occupy the city, but there are likely… other areas which can be utilized. To tell you the truth, no one knows. A demon doesn’t go willingly to the Sholls. I have ventured there, but have never taken the time to scout anything out.”

  “Then that’s the perfect place for her,” I concluded. “As long as there are no portals to other planes there.”

  “There are not,” Lili said. “The Sholls is tucked inside the Underworld, like the middle floor of a house. Any way you go, the exit is through Hell first.”

  “Wait a minute,” Tyler said, shaking his head. “If we let Selene off the hook and send her to this place, won’t she just be plotting her revenge from a safer place? That doesn’t sound right after what she put us through.”

  “Tyler,” I said. “Did you hear what Selene just told us? We can’t kill her. The Prince of Hell can’t kill her. I’d much rather put her someplace where she can’t do any real damage and can’t escape, rather than risk the possibility of her getting back to our plane from here.” I turned to peer closer at Selene. “But she’s not going to retaliate once she gets there, she’s going to settle in and make a life for herself.” I wasn’t going to describe the Sholls in detail.