Red Blooded

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. ”