Cold Blooded

It took everything I had. Eudoxia’s magic was heady, but I managed to grab hold of it, but only for a moment. It was enough. As I forced my gold to meld with her white, I rolled off her onto the ground. Starburst lit behind my eyes and I convulsed. Once they were connected I shot the magic forward, obliterating the black mist in one explosion of power.

I blinked.

I could see again.

Gunfire blasted around us.

The witches were firing on the Prince of Hell.

Eudoxia was already up. The vampires had moved back. Seeing their Queen alive and well had improved their attitudes greatly.

“I will take my prize or I destroy this place,” the Prince of Hell intoned.

“You’re not taking anything,” Tally called. “You’re not welcome on this plane and we’re prepared to send you back.”

“That’s interesting indeed,” it said. “And how exactly are you planning on sending me back, lowly witch?”

I stood. The vamps were in front of me, but I could see the Prince of Hell from my vantage point.

“We know your rules.” Tally’s voice was confident. “And I came prepared.” There was some clanging and shuffling, and then as one, the witches lobbed spelled grenades at all the Demon Lords.

As the devices exploded, the Demon Lords disappeared one by one, popping out of existence like firecrackers, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

Tally was right.

She’d come prepared. Whatever was contained in those explosives had been enough to send the Lords back to the Underworld.

Except for one.

“You may have temporarily sent my comrades back to our home, but your spells do not affect me, witch.” Everything quieted as the Prince of Hell strode forward for the first time. He wasn’t confined to a circle, and that was enough to make everyone take notice. A deep feeling of unease hit the yard. “I will take what I came for, and only then will I leave this plane.”

Its eyes scanned the grounds and landed on me.

One of the witches lobbed another hand grenade. It flew directly at the Prince, who reached out and plucked it from the air and crushed it into dust.

“Well, crap,” the witch said. “That was my last one too.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I stepped forward, the vamps parting for me.

It knew I’d been struck down by its power and it sized me up, its eyes narrowing. “You will come of your own volition, or I will destroy this place.” It crossed its arms. “And everyone in it.”

Rourke moved to meet me in the middle, his face set, his energy palpable. Instead of forming a rebuttal, I asked, still moving forward, “Why are you here? You said I had a court date, and my trip to the Underworld would be nonnegotiable. If that is true, why come here at all?”

“I needn’t explain myself to you or anyone else,” it said. “You are a criminal. An outlaw in our world. We apprehend those who act against us. It is our way.”

My father, still in his wolf form, paced up behind me as I stopped, growling and snapping his jaw. He was ferocious, and it was nice to see him back to his full power.

I took a decided step toward the Prince of Hell to let my father know I had this. I couldn’t risk him attacking the most powerful Demon Lord in the Underworld, unless absolutely necessary.

As I moved forward, I said, “I’m no criminal, and I’ve told you already I want nothing to do with your race. That still stands, but things on this plane have changed considerably. From now on, any imp or demon that crosses my path, or any of my Pack members, will be killed on sight.” I snarled as I moved closer. “Do you hear me? By coming here, you’ve started a war with all of us—the wolves, the vampires, and the witches. We will not be cowed by you. You cannot defeat us all.” To help accentuate my point, my father and all his wolves, including my brother and Danny, fanned behind me. My father gnashed his teeth, snapping his muzzle down hard to show his intent. It was a show of strength and I hope it made the Prince of Hell think twice.

Instead it snickered.

“You only prove my point by challenging me,” it declared. “You are a nuisance and must be stopped at all costs.”

“I’m hardly a nuisance,” I retorted. “You came here seeking a fight, not the other way around. I wasn’t lying when I told you I wanted nothing to do with you or yours. If you had stayed away, our paths would never have crossed again. The Underworld is no place I wish to visit.”

“I could hardly stay away when our sidekicks, as you referred to them when we first met, alerted us to your recent misdeeds. We reacted in kind.” He was talking about imps, who were technically only half demons.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “What misdeeds?”

“Your alliance with the witches, our natural enemies, of course.”

“Are you kidding? The only reason the witches are involved at all is because the sorcerers, your new buddies, took a witch hostage,” I stated. “As far as I can see, they lured you into an agreement under false pretenses. They had already started a war with the wolves and the witches.”

“It does not matter.” Its voice shook with anger. “Whatever their actions, it is abundantly clear you have allied yourself with the witches. And in the light of your court date, and your crimes against the Underworld, it’s in strict violation of our laws. It is unacceptable. You will accompany me now, or I will kill everyone where they stand.”

The demons had accused me of killing two imps, their precious pets, the winged devils, and harming Selene by killing her immortality, since she had sold her soul to them already. None of it would hold up in a regular supernatural court, but in the Underworld I wouldn’t stand a chance. I had no idea what my penance would be, but the Prince of Hell had already indicated it would be a long and lengthy servitude in the Underworld.

From what I gathered, demons enjoyed playing with their prey instead of killing them outright.

“You can’t take her anywhere without her consent, demon.” Rourke moved next to me. His clothes were ripped, his face muddied, but he was still formidable. His power was coiled, ready to spring. “You came here hoping she’d die in battle so you wouldn’t have to dirty your hands, but you hadn’t expected more alliances. You made a mistake by tying the sorcerers’ hands. If they hadn’t had to use all their combined power to maintain these circles for you, you may have had a chance. That was poor tactical planning on your part. You were too eager to get your prize and it shows.”

“She will come with me one way or another, beast cat,” it said, its eyes flickering. “Her guilt is absolute in our world. Her crimes are indisputable. She seeks council from witches. I will not let my race be torn apart by a female werewolf.”

Before Rourke could engage it further, I stepped forward, putting myself in front.

“If you could kill me outright, you would’ve done so already,” I said. “And if you could’ve taken me by force, I’d be in the Underworld already. But instead you stand here bantering with us. Why?”

“It shakes with anger,” Ben whispered in my ear. “You are right—there is a complication.”

“I think the court date is bogus,” I challenged, bolstered by my ghostly informant. When it didn’t answer, I continued. “And you can’t kill any of us because we’ve committed no real crimes against you.”

“You indeed have a court date with the High Court of Mephistopheles. It is written in our Book.”

“What’s the date?” I tilted my head, measuring it.

Its irises flashed serpentine, and a lock of its perfectly shellacked hair fell by its ear.

“Its anger boils,” Ben said. “You puzzle it.”

“When the date arrives, it won’t force me to the Underworld, will it?” I said. “I’m too strong, or the infractions are too petty. So now you’re stuck trying to take me hostage or hope that your new teammates take me out for you.”

“It can’t take you hostage,” Rourke murmured. “You have to verbally agree to its terms.”

“Demon, I’m not agreeing to anything,” I said. “So you’re wasting your time here, causing all this uproar for no reason.”

Rather than speak, the Prince of Hell took a bold step forward. We were only twenty feet away from each other, both of us glaring.

Growls and teeth gnashing rent the air.

I glanced sideways at the Queen. Her arms were folded. She was done fighting or aiding me and I knew the only way she would engage the Prince directly was if her vampires were in direct danger.

“Take a single step closer and I’ll blow you up,” Tally said, cocking her gun and locking her sights.

Its gaze flicked to the right. “You have proven inferior to me, witch,” it said. “Why waste your time?”

“Because I saved the best for last,” she countered. “And because you don’t get to take my friend just because you feel like it.”

That was the best news I’d heard all day.

“If the gun doesn’t stop you, we have other means.” Marcy’s voice cut through the group like a caustic bullet. I hadn’t known she followed me in. “I happen to know how to incapacitate a Demon Lord, because your sorcerer friends are careless and have big, flapping mouths when they think crafty witches are unconscious. When you were forced to make your deal with them, you gave away some very valuable information.”

“There is no way to incapacitate me. They were lying.”

“Seriously? You just have to—”

Power shot out of the Prince, hitting Marcy fully in the chest. She soared backward and crumpled to the ground like her strings had been cut.

James roared and I started to run.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I screamed, barreling toward it. “You can’t hurt innocent people like that.”

The Prince looked insanely happy I was coming at him, his mouth quirking up at the sides. It looked all wrong and a moment of doubt crept into my psyche, but I couldn’t stop now. I was almost to it.