Troy adjusted his long strides to stay a step behind Levet. He was arrogant, but he wasn’t going to risk stumbling into a nasty surprise. He’d let the gargoyle trigger any hidden traps. Besides, if he was being completely honest, he’d admit he’d become lost in the maze of tunnels long ago.
Not his fault, he silently assured himself. It all looked the same. Same rock, same weird, muted glow in the air, and the same stench. On occasion, they would step out of a tunnel to discover they were near the river, and each time they hurried away from the water and the increasing crowd of angry demons who were howling for revenge.
And not just revenge for Levet.
More than one of Troy’s ancient enemies had made an appearance as they traveled through the underworld. One of them was his younger brother, who’d tried to kill him to become the next in line for the throne. Idiot. Troy had never had any interest in ruling the imps. And if by some unfortunate set of circumstances, he would have become the king, he would have paid someone to take the crown away from him.
Instead, he’d been forced to kill the overly ambitious sibling. That was only one of many reasons he’d walked away from his family.
They were currently hiking through a passageway narrow enough that the walls brushed his shoulders and low enough that he was in constant danger of smacking his head. He was at the point of claiming they were walking in circles when they rounded a corner to discover a large chamber with crystals that shimmered in the rough granite.
Well, this was new. Troy tilted back his head to examine the coved ceiling that soared above them. For the first time in what felt like hours, he could stand upright without fear of banging his skull.
Levet halted, clicking his tongue at the solid wall ahead of them. “Dead end. We must go back.”
Troy resisted the urge to reach out and throttle the creature. What good would it do? Okay, it might ease a portion of his frustration, but it wouldn’t create an exit out of this hellhole. Reluctantly turning, Troy muttered a curse, his gaze desperately searching for the tunnel they’d stepped out of mere seconds ago.
It was gone.
Rushing forward, Troy pressed his hands flat against the wall. He had a vague hope that it was some sort of trapdoor. And that if he pushed hard enough, it would swing back open. Waste of time, of course. There was nothing there. Not the smallest indication that there had ever been an opening in the thick stone.
Clenching his hands at his side, Troy whirled around to glare at his companion. “Now what?”
Levet stomped his foot, his ugly features set in a petulant expression. “Stop asking that question.”
“Be happy I still hope that you can get us out of this mess,” Troy snapped. “That’s the only reason you aren’t currently floating down the river.”
Levet stuck out his tongue in a rude gesture. Did anything frighten the ridiculous pest?
“Do not get your panties in a twister,” he chided.
Troy squeezed his eyes shut, wondering if this was some huge cosmic punishment for his numerous sins.
“I have died, and this is my hell,” he muttered.
“Fah. You should be so lucky as to be trapped with me for all eternity.”
Troy’s eyes snapped open. An eternity. Trapped with Levet? No, no, no, no. He pressed a hand to his thumping heart.
“I’m going to have a panic attack.”
“Oh.” Levet lifted his hand, pointing a claw toward Troy. “I have a spell that will help.”
“Just concentrate on a way to get us out of here. And do it over there,” Troy hastily ordered, waving Levet away from him. The only thing that would make the situation worse would be to be the victim of the gargoyle’s volatile magic. He’d probably be turned into a frog. “I’ll concentrate over here.”
The gargoyle sniffed, turning to waddle across the chamber. “As you wish.”
Troy grimaced. What he wished was that he was back at the Hunting Grounds, enjoying a very fine glass of bourbon and counting his money. Or spending the evening with a lovely ice sprite. The things they could do with frost on his bare skin was pure magic.
Then again, if that’s what he truly wanted, why had he volunteered to track down Marco? It wasn’t his job. The male Were might have become a friend, as well as his current employer, but Troy had lots of friends. He wasn’t going to drop everything and chase after them every time one of them wandered off. And he most certainly wasn’t going to endure the company of Levet. He didn’t like anyone that much.
But a part of him was no longer satisfied with his old life, he ruefully acknowledged. It took more than money, or sex, or even power to stir his interest. He craved…excitement. Adventure.
Like he was once again a youngling, drenched in constant stimulation, not an aging prince who should be ready to settle down and enjoy his substantial treasure.
He blamed Levet. Until the gargoyle had started dragging him from one crazy escapade to another, he’d been perfectly content with his existence. Now…
“There is a crack,” Levet called out, thankfully intruding into Troy’s dark thoughts.
Troy didn’t hesitate as he hurried across the space to stand next to the miniature demon. He was an imp. He had no talent for seeking out tunnels or comprehending the difference between the various types of rock. Hell, he didn’t even know if the pointy formations growing from the ceiling were stalagmites or stalactites. But then again…did anyone?
Gargoyles, on the other hand, preferred dark, cramped places. And they had the added bonus of possessing a kinship with the stone. Probably because they became chunks of granite during the daylight.
Staring at the rough stone wall, Troy tried to locate the crack. He leaned close, his nose nearly touching one of the crystals that shimmered from the inside, as if it was alive. At long last, he managed to make out the hairline fracture that ran from the floor up toward the ceiling.
“That’s not a crack,” he protested. “That’s a fissure.”
Levet sent him an impatient glance. “What are you? The geologist police?”
Troy blinked in shock. The creature had actually managed an insult without mangling the English language.
“Nice.”
Levet looked smug. “But, of course. I am trés clever.”
“Don’t push it,” Troy warned before returning his attention to the fissure. “How is this supposed to help us?”
“We need to widen it.”
Levet lifted his hand, and Troy reached down to grab his wrist. “No fireballs.”
“You are just jealous of my magnificent balls.”
Troy rolled his eyes. “The last time you tossed around your magnificent balls, they bounced off the walls and singed my man-bun.” Troy reached up to touch his flowing crimson hair. “I had to use extensions until the missing patches grew back in.”
Levet widened his eyes. “It is not real?” He reached up as if intending to touch Troy’s hair.
“Don’t even think about it,” Troy warned, swatting away the tiny hand.
Levet sniffed, turning to lay his palm flat against the rock. “I have more important matters to attend to.”
Troy frowned, watching as the gargoyle slowly dug his claw into the fissure.
“Can you manipulate the stone?” he asked. A few gargoyles had the magic to soften the rock. Some could even turn it to a soft clay.
“I can, but it is not without risk,” Levet said, his gaze never leaving the wall in front of him. “Being stuck in here is annoying, but several tons of stone crashing down on our heads would be worse.”
With a grimace, Troy glanced up at the stalagmite hanging over his head. Or was it stalactite? Either way, he wasn’t eager to be impaled by the thing.
“No shit,” he muttered. Then he grimaced. “Unfortunately, we have to try something.”
“Oui.”
Levet lifted his other hand and pressed it against the stone. His brow furrowed as he concentrated on his magic, the scent of granite thick in the stale air. Troy watched in silence, not wanting to distract the creature. Not when a slip might trigger a cave-in.
The minutes ticked past, the air heating as if Levet was trying to melt the stone. Nothing seemed to be happening. Not unless you counted the sweat that was coating Troy’s face. Then, without warning, the thin fracture began to widen, as if the wall was being split in half.
Troy glanced down at Levet, easily seeing the strain on his face. It was taking everything the tiny demon possessed to create the potential escape route.
“What do I need to do to help?” he asked.
Levet’s wings drooped as he struggled to battle against the rigid stone. “I will continue to soften the wall,” he gasped. “You try to pull it apart.”
“Got it.”
Troy reached over Levet, wedging his hands into the fracture. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t the weird, spongy texture that squished beneath his fingers. Shuddering at the strange sensation, Troy forced himself to concentrate on wrenching open the crack. It widened, but even with his considerable strength, it was a battle for each precious inch. As if the rock was trying to fight against Levet’s magic.
Grunting at the effort, Troy wrestled to widen the fracture, managing to create a narrow space before the stone refused to budge another inch.
“I think that is as far as it’s going to go,” he hissed between clenched teeth.
“Oui,” Levet agreed, his voice reedy, as if it was a struggle to speak. “I will squeeze through first and make sure it opens on the other side.”
An unexpected dread clenched Troy’s heart at the thought of Levet disappearing into the crack. He would be left alone in a strange cavern with no guarantee of escape.
“Don’t forget I’m here,” he rasped before he could halt the plea.
Levet stilled, sending him a questioning glance. Annoyed at his display of vulnerability, Troy folded his arms over his chest. He wasn’t about to admit that he’d had a flashback to his early years at his parents’ castle when they tried to cure his habit of running off by locking him in his rooms. It wasn’t a prison. Just the opposite. It would be hard to discover a more luxurious place to be secluded. But for Troy, it’d felt like an elegant trap that was ruthlessly crushing his spirit.
“I would never do that.” Levet’s voice was oddly gentle, as if he could sympathize with Troy’s surge of horror. And probably he could. The creature had been terrorized by his own family since the day he was born. “But I might need to use my magic to widen the other side before you can fit through.”
The words made sense. Troy forced himself to nod. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
Levet tucked his wings tight against his body and wriggled his way into the crack. Troy winced at the sound of his tough hide being scraped against the narrow walls. He was much wider than the gargoyle, which meant he was going to be flayed by the time he reached the other side. A sacrifice he was willing to make, he acknowledged, as Levet disappeared into the darkness.
Time seemed to come to a stop as Troy impatiently waited for some sign that Levet had reached the other side.
“Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
After what felt like an eternity, he at last heard Levet’s voice echoing through the thick air.
“It’s open.”
“Thank the goddess.”
Troy turned sideways, grimly forcing his way through the constricted space. It was perhaps one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. Not only because he had a genuine fear of being crushed between the two stone walls, but also because he was still plagued with an irrational sense of being utterly alone.
An unbearable torture.
Refusing to panic, Troy focused on shuffling forward. It took nearly a half hour to push and prod his way through the crack, the painful process ruining his chaps and taking off the top layer of skin, but Troy didn’t allow himself to falter. Each step was taking him closer to his goal.
At long last, he wriggled out the opening on the other side, stepping into a cramped tunnel and sagging against the wall. A shudder raced through him as he struggled to keep his knees from collapsing.
“Success!” Levet cried out, his expression smug. “I never doubted my magic for a moment.”
Troy wasn’t nearly as excited. Sure, he was relieved not to spend the rest of eternity trapped in the chamber with an aggravating gargoyle. Epically relieved. But their misery appeared to be far from over.
“We’re still in the netherworld.” He pointed out the obvious.
Levet shrugged. “Oui, but we overcame the challenge.”
“Challenge?” Troy straightened, slowly turning to face the crack that was already closing.
“Fah. That is the correct word,” Levet groused. “I am weary of being forever told I am saying things wrong.”
“Hush, I’m thinking,” Troy muttered. The word had triggered a suspicion in his mind.
“Obviously a difficult task,” Levet mocked, then hastily lifted his hands in a gesture of peace when Troy glared at him. “Think away.”
Troy ignored the tiny pest, trying to sort through his tangled thoughts. Over his very long life, he’d done his best to avoid the netherworld. It wasn’t a place that any sane demon was eager to visit. But like every fey creature, he’d grown up reading stories about noble heroes who’d been trapped by some evil villain and climbed their way out of hell. There’d always been various obstacles put in their way that were designed to test their darkest fears.
“Was it a random challenge we had to overcome?” he spoke his hypothesis out loud. “Or a deliberate one?”
Levet blinked, staring at him as if he’d taken a serious blow to the head. “You believe the stone was deliberately challenging you?”
“Not just the stone.” Troy spread his arms, indicating their surroundings. “I think it came from the netherworld.”
“Ah.” Levet’s eyes widened. “I understand. It is to test whether or not we are worthy heroes.”
Troy’s lips twisted into a humorless smile. “Or whether we’ll kill each other before we manage to escape hell.”
Levet grimaced. “I do not like our odds.”
“Me either.”
* * * *
Satin frowned in confusion. One second the crowd was jumping to their feet to flee the firestorm, and the next they appeared to be frozen in place, except for their eyes, which were darting back and forth in horror. Including Marco’s.
Obviously, it was some sort of inertia spell. Magic that would prevent a demon from moving but allow them to see and hear what was happening around them.
So why hadn’t she gotten caught in the spell?
Did it have something to do with her being a vampire? Or was there another purpose?
Satin had a feeling she was about to find out, as the twirling flames swirled across the floor, headed directly for her. Holding out her hand, she released a blast of ice. She didn’t know what or who was controlling the fire, but it was the one certain way for her to die. She wasn’t going to wait and see what happened.
There was a loud sizzle as her powers smacked into the flames. A thick layer of smoke rose between her and the advancing creature, momentarily obscuring the entire bar. With a hiss, Satin leaped to the side, expecting to be blindsided by an attack. Oddly, nothing happened.
Instead, the fog began to dissipate as a lavender scent flowed through the room. Satin warily stepped back, watching the mist coalesce into a human shape. First feet and legs appeared, followed by a slender torso and arms that were draped in a flowing black gown with silver stars. Finally, a narrow face with strong features formed out of the smoke. She had a bold nose, wide lips, and a cloud of soft black curls that tumbled down her back. There was something ancient etched into her features, but it was her eyes that revealed her true identity. They were completely white, with swirls of gray. Like a thick bank of fog rolling off the ocean.
“Elemental,” Satin muttered, belatedly realizing how the entire bar was frozen in place.
It wasn’t a spell. Elementals were capable of manipulating the world around them. The wind, water, fire, and earth. This creature had obviously wrapped the customers in bands of air.
The female pressed a hand over her heart in a formal gesture. “I am Zephyr,” she introduced herself. “Who are you?”
“Satin.”
The demon frowned. “I don’t recognize you. Why have you intruded into my lair?”
Satin warily studied the female’s face. Was she unstable? Elementals were mercurial under the best of circumstances. There was no telling how dangerous they might be if they became confused or unbalanced.
“Are you lost?” she cautiously demanded.
“Of course, I’m not lost,” Zephyr snapped. “I was hibernating in my bed just below your feet before you disturbed me.”
That explained the spell to disguise what was hidden, Satin silently acknowledged. When a demon went into hibernation, they were utterly vulnerable. They closed off all entrances to their lair so nothing could reach them, or they used magic to create a protective shield. The fact that this elemental had been so deeply asleep might also explain her confusion.
“I had no intention of waking you,” Satin cautiously assured her companion. Any creature powerful enough to freeze a room full of demons deserved respect. “I was in need of sustenance, and this was the most convenient location to purchase a bottle of blood.”
The female frowned. “Why would you assume my lair would have blood?”
Satin hesitated. Was this a trick? Some devious way to claim that she was trespassing on the demon’s private property? It seemed a stretch. The female didn’t need a reason to attack Satin, if that was what she wanted.
“Most demon bars offer blood for vampires.”
“Bar?” Zephyr blinked, as if confused by the word. Then with an eerily liquid grace, she turned in a slow circle. “What is happening here? Why are all these creatures in my home?”
Satin arched her brows. Perhaps the bar had been built after the female went to sleep. “I don’t know how long you’ve been hibernating, but this place has a beacon to invite demons.” She waved her hand around the crowded room, her gaze lingering on Marco. His grim expression and the beads of sweat on his brow revealed he was frantically fighting against the invisible bands that held him. Hurriedly, she moved her attention to the rest of the crowd. If this female was plotting some sort of retaliation for them trespassing into her territory, she didn’t want Marco to be blamed. “I can’t sense the beacon, but the scent of fey creatures led me here.” She deliberately turned to point at the brownie, who was looking wild-eyed with fear. “That male is in charge.”
Zephyr turned, her eyes narrowing as she studied the brownie. “Where is Fyfe?”
“Who?” Satin demanded.
“The brownie I put in charge of protecting the opening to my lair.”
The elemental pointed a finger at the male, who was trembling in fear. “Who are you?”
“Sean,” the brownie croaked as the invisible bonds that covered his mouth were seemingly removed. “Fyfe’s son. I took his place after he had an unfortunate encounter with a troll a few years ago.”
The scent of lavender blasted through the air. “Why didn’t you wake me to tell me of his death?”
Satin took a cautious step backward, suddenly sensing that she could use the female’s annoyance to her advantage. She knew very little about elementals. They were rare, elusive creatures. But she didn’t need to be an expert to realize the Zephyr had bartered with Sean’s father to keep an eye on the opening to her hidden lair and that she was less than pleased that the place had since become a seedy bar.
The trick was finding a way to convince the female to willingly release Marco and allow them to escape. The last thing she wanted was another unnecessary battle.
“I can tell you why he didn’t wake you,” Satin drawled. “Obviously he’s an enterprising brownie. While you were unconscious, he created a side business to make some extra cash. Who knows how many creatures have been just a few feet from where you were lying…completely vulnerable.”
Zephyr’s lips curled. “Traitor.”
Satin ignored the brownie’s scent of terror, which tainted the air. Sean had preyed on lesser demons. Now he would pay for his greed.
“No! I swear—” Sean’s words were cut short when Zephyr gave a wave of her hand, as if returning the invisible gag to his mouth.
“He was not only a traitor to you, but to the poor fey creatures in the area,” Satin pressed her advantage. She nodded toward the fairies, who’d remained huddled together as they’d tried to flee. “He enslaved them to use as fresh blood or sex for his paying customers.”
Genuine shock rippled over the elemental’s face. “Slaves?” She waited for Satin’s emphatic nod before she released a burst of power that lifted the horrified brownie off his feet and pinned him to the wall. “You will pay for this treachery, Sean.”
Satin stepped to the side, closer to Marco. “While you deal with the trash, I will be on my way. If you’ll just release…”
“No.” Without warning, Zephyr whirled to face Satin, her eyes swirling with thunderclouds. “There’s a reason you woke me.”
Satin snapped her fangs together, her patience worn raw. She had many skills, including being diplomatic when necessary, but she was done. She could sense the gargoyle moving farther away.
“I’m just passing through.” She allowed her powers to lower the temperature in the room. “And now I’m leaving.”
The elemental ignored the subtle warning, her gown brushing the floorboards as she moved toward Satin.
“Your arrival here shouldn’t have intruded into my hibernation. Not unless my senses warned me that you were a threat.” The scent of lavender filled the air. “What are you?”
“Obviously I’m a vampire,” Satin snapped. Was the female playing games?
Zephyr shook her head. “There’s something more.”
About to demand that Zephyr release Marco so she could leave, Satin abruptly realized what the elemental had said. Was it possible that the creature had recognized the evil presence that Bertha had claimed was shrouded around her? And just as importantly, could she tell Satin how to get rid of it?
“More?” she prompted.
There was a long silence, as if the elemental was trying to determine exactly what she was sensing. Or maybe she was trying to accept that it was real and not just a figment of her imagination. Then she shuddered, her body briefly turning to mist before she managed to regain command of her emotions.
“Elwha,” she spit out, her voice harsh.
Satin felt a sharp fear clench her stomach. The female’s intense reaction only heightened her suspicion that the presence was a danger. And not only to her.
“I don’t know what ‘Elwha’ means,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Not what.” Zephyr reached out her hand. “Who.”
Satin hissed as the female’s fingers aimed toward the gentle swell of her belly. Without hesitation, she knocked the approaching hand to the side, tossing caution to the wind. Literally, since the elemental could use her ability to manipulate the air to crush Satin.
“Harm my baby, and I’ll rip out your heart and feed it to the vultures,” she said, each word encased in ice. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.
The stormy eyes widened in shock. “A child? How…” Zephyr gave a shake of her head, visibly dismissing her astonishment. “That isn’t what I sense.” She paused, tilting her head to the side as she studied Satin. “Although there is a connection.”
Satin didn’t allow herself to accept the implication the child she was carrying was a part of the darkness. One nightmare at a time.
“Tell me what it is.”
“My enemy.” The elemental drifted to the side, slowly circling Satin. “Or at least the spirit of my enemy.”
Satin warily turned to face her companion. “Another elemental?”
Her features twisted with a surge of fury. “No. He was death to my people. Including my parents.”
An ominous pressure began to build in the room. As if a lightning storm was forming over her head. Satin shivered, but she refused to be intimidated. This was too important.
“Tell me about Elwha,” she insisted.
“He is pure evil.” Zephyr glared at Satin as if she’d personally destroyed her family. “A blight on our world.”
“‘Evil’ is a little vague.” Satin tried to hide her festering impatience. She’d already had to deal with a gargoyle who’d mumbled about ambiguous shadows that were attached or haunting or maybe possessing Satin. She needed a clear, logical description. How else could she battle it? “Is it a spirit?”
The elemental appeared to consider the question. “Perhaps now. But it wasn’t a spirit when it stalked my people.”
“Then what was it?”
“An ifrit.”
Satin was braced for anything. Dark magic. A haunting. A possession by some unknown creature. But she was more confused than alarmed by the mention of a species of demons who had been banished several millennium ago.
“I thought they were trapped in the underworld,” she said.
“Not all.” The air continued to thicken, sizzling with an unmistakable threat. “The oldest and most cunning ifrit managed to escape and hide in the deepest bowels of the earth, crawling out only to capture one of my people and suck the life from them.”
Satin stepped back, preparing to battle the creature. It was obvious the elemental held her personally responsible for whatever sins the ifrit had committed. At the same time, she continued to probe for information.
“Where is he now?”
“We combined our strength and banished him back to the pits of hell. It nearly destroyed me. That’s why I’m forced to hibernate for centuries at a time. I will never have my full powers again.”
Satin frowned at the explanation. Okay. Either the elemental was confused, or the evil clinging to her was trapped in another dimension. Which surely meant that it couldn’t hurt her or anyone else, right?
“Then why do you claim it has something to do with me?”
A sudden wind ripped through the room, picking up the wooden chairs and smashing them against the walls. Satin held her arms over her head, as much to keep her hair out of her eyes as to prevent the splinters from impaling her face.
“Because you carry the stench of the beast.” The female stepped closer. “It has somehow managed to infect you. It is once again up to me to end this threat.”
Satin pulled back her lips, her fangs fully extended as she prepared to send a blast of ice toward the female. It might not hurt an elemental, but it would distract her long enough for Satin to rip out her throat.
Or at least that was the plan until she felt a surge of heat. Satin dodged to the side, keeping her gaze locked on Zephyr. She’d already seen the fire tornado the female could create. As a highly flammable creature, she preferred to avoid getting caught in the flames.
It wasn’t until a familiar musk scented the air that she realized that it wasn’t Zephyr creating the heat. It was an infuriated Were. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a blur of movement.
Somehow Marco had broken free of the magic that had been holding him captive, and he was now prepared to have his revenge. The air shimmered around him as he started to shift and Satin muttered a curse. She didn’t know if an elemental could be harmed by claws and teeth. Hell, she didn’t know if they could be harmed by anything. And she wasn’t willing to allow Marco to put himself in danger.
“Marco, no! She has the answers I need,” Satin called out.
She had no idea if the female had answers or if her grief was causing her to see phantoms that didn’t exist, but she was willing to say whatever was necessary to protect Marco.