Red Blooded
Page 41

“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?”