devil 04 - the devil you know Read online

  The damnable creature only laughed harder. I guessed I couldn’t blame him. Opportunities for entertainment were probably very scarce when you occupied a dungeon cell in one of the lower circles of Hell.

  I was just glad I could lighten his day.

  I climbed to my feet a bit more slowly and flicked a glance toward my guards, to see if they were faring any better than I was.

  Negative.

  They were both battered and blood covered, and their massive adversary looked fresh as the day he was formed from Brimstone and fire.

  Frick slid a black, worried gaze toward me and shrugged.

  “Time for Plan B,” I told him. He lifted his craggy brow and nodded. I knew he had no idea what Plan B was because I hadn’t had a Plan B up until about a second earlier. Now I did and he was willing to go along with it. Just like that, no questions asked.

  I was starting to like the big red guy.

  I started to pull my power forward again, holding it just under the surface of my mind, and, just before I let it envelop me, I yelled at Frick. “Keep them busy!”

  Then I started to shimmer away, my intention was to shimmer into the cell and grab Myra while the Dis demons were busy with my guards.

  It seemed like a good idea. Until a massive hand clamped around my throat and squeezed, distracting me from my shimmer in my effort to breathe.

  The laughter from the nearby cell became hysterical with glee.

  I longed to shut him up with a fist to the nose.

  Alas, I had to focus on not dying instead.

  The demon lifted me until my feet were dangling a few inches from the ground. I grabbed its rocklike hand with both of my own and carefully plied them with power in an effort to pry them loose.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t blast them because I’d shoot myself in the throat in the process. My powers of reasoning were quickly dimming due to lack of air and my hands had virtually no strength left in them.

  Frick threw himself at the demon and bounced off, landing on his ass beside us looking dazed. As big as he was, he looked puny next to the monstrous demon trying to strangle me at that moment.

  In desperation, I placed a hand on the demon’s broad chest and sent every ounce of my power toward its black heart, even tapping the extra power from my daemon hickey. Dialle’s power.

  It was enough to send the demon backward a few steps, forcing it to release its hold on my throat.

  I quickly blinked away, praying I didn’t land inside a wall or something, since I had no visual cues to utilize in my travels.

  I reappeared just inside the cell door, relieved beyond words to have succeeded in my space shift.

  It took me a moment to find Myra. She was huddled in a dark corner with several other chained angels.

  The only way to release them was to kill the owners of their chains.

  Fortunately for Myra, the Slayer had already done that for her. Myra was holding her chain, staring blankly at the empty cuff.

  I went to her, one ear strained toward the sounds outside the door, and knelt down, my heart plummeting as I noted her pitiful condition.

  Aside from looking almost too weak to sit upright, she was pale, deathly so, and covered in bruises and contusions. Her formerly silky blond hair was tangled and knotted with blood and unmentionable things. Her wings were crushed beneath and behind her, looking as if they could never be returned to their former magnificent state.

  She held one arm against her body as if it were injured. When I pulled the sleeve of her robe back I gasped. The arm was horribly torn and something white and sharp stuck up from it.

  Bone.

  “Shit, Aunt. Why didn’t you heal yourself?”

  Myra’s pretty blue eyes were glazed with pain. She grabbed the sleeve and yanked it back over the wound. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

  I snorted. “Glad to see you’ve kept your sense of humor at least.”

  Myra shook her head. “No. That’s gone too. I stole this one from somebody else.”

  I tucked an arm around her waist and pulled her to her feet. She tried to resist. “We need to help them.”

  I followed her gaze to the other angels, who all looked like they’d been in that dungeon much longer than she had. “We’ll have to come back for them, Aunt. I can’t transport all of them. Besides, we’ll need to find their chain holders and kill them.” I looked pointedly at the cuff on the wrist of the angel Myra had been huddled against.

  Myra sighed, nodding. She pulled away from me and dropped to her knees beside the woman, lifting the angel’s paper-white face with a finger under the chin. “I’ll be back, Guardian,” she promised, “as quickly as I can.”

  The dark-haired angel gave her a weak nod, not looking at all as if she believed it, and laid her head back against the cold, greasy wall, closing her eyes.

  “Come on, Aunt.” I pulled gently on Myra’s arm. She leaned down and kissed the other angel on the forehead. For just a moment a bright light flared between them and color infused the dark angel’s cheeks. She opened her eyes and smiled at Myra, clasping her hand. “Thank you, sister.”

  Well, that explained why my aunt hadn’t healed herself. She was giving all her healing energy to the other angels.

  Tears sprang to my eyes and I pulled Myra to her feet. “Let’s go. The sooner we get you healed, the sooner we can come back and save these angels.”

  Myra touched the angels on either side of the dark-haired woman, light flaring from her hand with each one, and then tried to stand.

  She was so weakened from pain and use of her power that I had to lift her myself, her legs weren’t strong enough to get her off the ground.

  As soon as I had her in my arms I screamed Frick’s name and blasted a hole in the metal door with my power. Scream and blast appeared to be our optimum method of communication.

  A second later, Frick rolled through the door and Frack flew through behind him, literally. He looked as if he’d been thrown.

  Dialle, I’m gonna need your help with this one.

  Sparks erupted from my hickey as Dialle’s power joined mine and his sarcasm washed over me. Your wish is, of course, my command.

  Point for him, he hadn’t even recognized sarcasm before he met me.

  The doorway darkened as it filled with Dis demon and I shouted to my guards. “Grab hold of me and don’t let go. This could be a rocky ride!”

  With a jerk and a screech of power that blew the Dis demons back several steps, we blasted into the sphere where sound and movement stopped.

  As we traveled silently, the power burned within my body, tearing at me and creating a jagged wall of pain in my mind.

  Blood dripped from my nose and ears with the force of the extra power and the effort of transporting three creatures and myself. As my feet touched solid ground again, I knew I was gonna have one hell of a headache.

  Myra sagged heavily in my arms when we returned to the sphere of sound and movement. Frack reached for her, tucking his thick arms under her back and knees and looking expectantly at me.

  “We need healers, fast!”

  Frack nodded. “The king’s quarters, my liege?”

  “Your what? Oh, whatever! Yeah, that will do fine.” I started walking and then realized I didn’t know where I was. Looking at Frick I lifted my eyebrows expectantly.

  He turned sideways and opened his thick red arm in the opposite direction from where I’d been heading. “After you, my queen.”

  Pulling my fractured dignity back up around my chin, I strode past him. “Don’t call me that.”

  I heard a suspicious snort but chose to ignore it. “Yes, my—erm—ma’am.”

  Dialle appeared next to my elbow after only a few strides. He reached out and touched my face, sending healing heat to numb the headache the shifting had caused. The blood that had run from my nose and ears disappeared along with my headache. “Thanks.” I gave him a tiny smile.

  He nodded. “I’ve summoned the healers to my rooms. They’ll take c
are of your aunt while we’re gone.”

  My head jerked around. “Gone? We can’t rescue Darma without Myra!”

  “We must. Your aunt will take much healing and we have very little time.” He grabbed my arm as we reached the door to his rooms and pulled me aside, allowing Frack to carry Myra in ahead of us. When the two guards were past, he leaned down and spoke in a soft tone that only I could hear. “Nerul has assured me that we will not be able to shift into my father’s castle. It has been warded against magic from the outside. There is only one way to approach the castle.”

  I nodded, my gaze straying to where my aunt lay looking all broken and pale upon Dialle’s massive bed. “Okay, what way is that?”

  Dialle hesitated, causing me to glance at him with concern. “How bad can it be?”

  Shaking his head he tugged on my arm. “Pretty bad. I fear you won’t like it.”

  “Frunkin’ wonderful,” I responded as I let him haul me along. I remained silent for several moments, unwilling to ask the question that would get me a more direct response. I figured if I knew the answer sooner I’d just worry longer.

  This way I could put off the terror and worry until the last possible moment. Also, my heart was torn by leaving Myra alone in that room surrounded only by Royal healers, Royal devils every one. Not a healing angel in the bunch.

  If she came to surrounded that way and didn’t see me… Well, I just hoped she didn’t get even more injured.

  Or worse.

  I swiped an arm across my brow, which was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. I suddenly realized it had been getting hotter and hotter as we walked. “Where are you taking me?”

  “To the dragons’ nest.”

  I thought about this for a beat. There weren’t any good reasons I could think of to go there. “The dragons’ nest? As in where the dragons’…erm…nest?”

  His sexy lips curved upward in a smile. “Yes.”

  I bit my lip. “Are we just going up to say, hey?”

  “No, my love.”

  “Shit!”

  A door in the wall before us swung open as we approached and superheated air, pungent with the stink of large reptile, blasted inward, coating us.

  “We must fly to my father’s castle. The dragons are the best method for doing what must be done. They are not unexpected by the castle’s inhabitants because they carry goods and travelers back and forth on a regular basis.”

  He stopped suddenly, realizing he’d lost me several steps back. Looking at my horrified face he added, “It is the only way, Astra.”

  “It’s five thousand degrees out there!”

  “More than five thousand degrees actually.”

  I made a rude noise with my mouth. “Give or take a thousand degrees, no worries! Hades, Dialle! How are we going to survive temperatures that high?”

  “You are part devil, Astra. Your body will cope, with a little help from your magic. You will create a power bubble and, if you hold it tight without wavering, and if we do not tarry, it will be enough to protect you from frying.”

  I did not like all the qualifiers in his statement. “If I hold it tight and if we don’t take too long. What if something goes wrong?”

  He shrugged. “I will protect you, Astra.”

  “What about you?”

  “I can survive out there for an hour or two if I must.”

  I shook my head. “There has to be another way.”

  “There is not.” He turned and started toward the waiting flight of dragons.

  I stomped after him, thinking fast. “Will the dragons protect us?”

  He glanced at me. “Nay. It would require a greater expenditure of energy for them and dragons feel no loyalty toward us. They only serve because they are compensated for their service.”

  I eyed the massive creatures carefully, noting the hostile black gazes and flared nostrils spewing puffs of gray smoke. The giant green creatures dug enormous curved claws into the rock floor, tearing huge chunks from the rock, and lifted thick wings in aggressive maneuvers. “They look like they’d rather kill us than help us.”

  Dialle frowned. “Unfortunately, that is a fair assessment, Astra. We must tread carefully with them.”

  “Just frunkin’ great,” I murmured. I stopped suddenly and grabbed Dialle’s arm. “I’m going to call for reinforcements. I want your promise that you will behave.”

  He lowered elegant black eyebrows at me. “We do not have time, Astra…”

  “We have time. I think I can get them here quickly.”

  The eyebrows flew north. “Them? Who do you wish to call?”

  I opened my mouth and then closed it. How did I tell him? He’d be royally pissed. And I had to admit he’d have a right. But this was not the time for petty jealousies. It was a time for pulling out every stop, arming ourselves with the best weapons we had. It was a time for doing whatever it took to defeat Dialle the First.

  “Do you want to defeat your father, Dialle?”

  The response was nearly instantaneous. “Of course!”

  “Do you trust me?”

  This time he frowned, thinking.

  “You have to think about that one?” I was indignant.

  “Yes. I am sorry, Astra, but you have not been as steadfast lately as I would have wished…even for a creature with devilish tendencies.”

  I stamped my foot. “That’s not fair, Dialle. I’m dealing with something really powerful and tenacious here. I’ve done the best I could under the circumstances.” He still stared at me, unconvinced. “I’m here with you now aren’t I?”

  “Yes.” I could tell he was wavering.

  “I’m committed to us, Dialle. I think I’ve proven that. I don’t know what else I can say to make you trust me.”

  He stared at me a beat longer and then inclined his head briefly. “Whom do you wish to call, Astra?”

  “You’ll see.” I turned away from him and lifted my hand. A quick pull on the scar there with my lips brought sparks and a quick jolt of sensual pleasure rolling through my lower belly.

  I knew he was there a beat before he spoke. I didn’t expect to hear from you again, Astra.

  I know. I’m sorry. But I need to take you up on your offer to help.

  Is Dialle going to try to kill me?

  I bit my lip. I hope not.

  Well, in spite of that very firm promise of safety, I find myself marginal on the desire to run to your side, Astra.

  Marginal is better than I expected.

  His laughter rolled sexily through my mind, causing my nether regions to tingle pleasantly.

  I need you, Slayer.

  A brief silence preceded his response. Then a sigh. All right, Astra. I’m coming.

  Thank you!

  My next communication was more difficult because I had only a mind connection, not a physical one. Closing my eyes, I concentrated hard, pulling images into my mind that would draw her to me. When the ragged mountains and rolling green meadows of Olympus flowed across my mind’s eye, I knew I could reach her.

  Queen Zerphor?

  Dragon fighter. How are you?

  I am well, but I need your help. My sister has been captured by King Dialle the First and I must release her or First will use her to take the crown back. The battle for the crown will be long and bloody. Second will not relinquish it easily.

  I am aware that I owe you for your help, dragon fighter. What do you need from me?

  I need seven of your best warriors. And I need them to come to me in Hell.

  Her silence spoke volumes. I knew that what I asked of her was huge. Black dragons constantly fought the pull from the darker side of their natures. Traveling to a Hell dimension could cause them to turn forever to that dark side. In sending me her warriors, Queen Zerphor might well be losing her best soldiers forever.

  As always, Zerphor showed herself to be an honorable and trustworthy ally. Have a green send us a homing signal and my soldiers will be at your disposal within the hour.

  I’m s
orry, Zerphor, but I must ask that you send them as quickly as you can. I’m not sure I can wait an hour.

  I will see what I can do.

  Thank you, Your Majesty. I will try my best to return your soldiers to you unscathed.

  I would welcome that. Take care, Dragon Fighter.

  I turned as the air next to me shimmered and Slayer appeared. Dialle reached for his sword and I was forced to jump between them. “No! You promised, Dialle.”

  “I did no such thing, Astra. How dare you bring your lover here!” He brandished his sword and tried to step toward Slayer.

  Slayer held a sword in his hand and was braced for attack.

  I lifted my hands and smacked the swords out of their hands with two quick power arrows. The swords clanged against the rugged stone floor, sliding toward the greens.

  The dragons opened their massive jaws and roared angrily. The largest one took several hopping steps toward us, its enormous wings lifting aggressively. Fire surged from its open snout.

  I threw a wall of power up between us, barely keeping Slayer from getting a seriously singed backside. “Back down, bitch!” I screamed at the nasty female. She threw her head up, emitting a wall-rocking snort, and stepped backward. The dragon’s hostile black gaze never left my face.

  Having gotten the green back under control, I returned my attention to the two little boys standing next to me, holding their dicks in one hand and a tape measure in the other.

  Sighing, I wondered how I was gonna manage the two of them after I added Emo to the mix. I’d have my hands full, especially while trying to save my sister, protect my aunt and keep Zerphor’s soldiers from flinging themselves into darkness.

  My life was frunkin’ stressful.

  I was floating in a piss ocean filled with turd sharks.

  And I seriously needed a vacation.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Way Laid

  Amidst the heat of Hades’ fire, our Lady learns the truth,

  A friend who once appeared to care, now loves for all he’s worth.

  The dragons started arriving several moments later. I knew the exact moment the first one popped into the nest by the uproar caused within the flight of greens.