Authors: Ashley Robertson
UnGuarded (36 page)
THE PULSING TORCHLIGHT CAST EERIE shadows on
the bare stone walls. The soldier demons were gone. Ezariah was
still by the fireplace, except now he was standing and there was no
book in his hands. He angrily glanced around the room as if trying
to see something—so much for hoping that the vampire disappearances
would go unnoticed. Luke’s body had been moved closer to fireplace,
and still lay in a bloody heap, silver chains dangled around him,
the side of his face pressed against the rocky floor. Ezariah’s
foot stuck out from underneath his thick robe, revealing a worn
brown, gladiator-styled sandal. He ground it into Luke’s back like
he was trying to rub something off his shoe. “He’s barely in this
world,” the scroll keeper called out in a warning tone. “If you
attempt to get him, I’ll finish him off!” His eyes moved around the
room, as if he were talking to the empty air. But I knew those
words were meant for me, and they sent chills along my ghostly
flesh. I moved closer to the bookshelf, morphing my body into the
wooden shelves and books for extra coverage.
At that moment, I prayed harder than I ever
had before for permission to kill the demon scroll keeper. I stared
at my ankh tattoo, willing it to flare up with crimson.
Please
, I silently begged,
please.
A few minutes
dragged along, and nothing happened. No throbbing warmth at my
wrist to confirm what I knew I needed to do—or really wanted to do.
My teeth ground together as I contemplated my next move. The
fireplace emitted too much light by Ezariah, and that would make it
impossible to remain unseen. Plus, the demon’s foot still ground
into Luke’s back. So not only would he see me, but he’d feel me
when I encircled Luke. And there was no other way for me to orb him
out of here.
“Damn it,” I said under my breath as I
impatiently hovered between wood and shadows. Ezariah seemed to be
focusing on something at the other side of the room—which meant he
didn’t have the slightest clue where I was, or what to look for.
But there was nothing I could do…yet. I’d bide my time. And once
Ezariah stepped away from his position by the fireplace, that would
be my moment to act.
The minutes dragged on, and a sense of
urgency was building in my bones, rolling along my skin like
electric waves. Ezariah hesitantly removed his foot from Luke’s
back, while lowering his arms to his side and slowly casting uneasy
glances all around. “Guards!” he called out.
A moment later two soldier demons scurried
into the room. They swiftly approached Ezariah and knelt down on
one knee in front of the old man.
“What did you find?” Ezariah asked,
anticipation in his voice.
“Nothing. No trace of whoever has taken the
prisoners.”
The demon scroll keeper’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s impossible!”
“It’s true,” the other soldier demon
squealed. “There’s no one in the cave. No signs. No clues.”
“Search the perimeter!” Ezariah exclaimed.
He took a few deep breaths, then rubbed his beard as if
contemplating any further instruction for the lower-leveled demons.
“Those vampires could not have been taken right out from under our
noses! Find them! Typhon will be outraged if he learns of
this!”
Both soldier demons nodded, then abruptly
stood and left the room.
So Typhon had taken my friends as
prisoners—just one more reason to go ahead and kill the master
demon. His absence right now was not only keeping him alive but
also preventing me from disobeying the strict rules I was given of
not killing him. Goody for both of us. Ezariah turned around,
mumbling something under his breath. It was obvious he had no clue
I was here or even believed that someone or something was in his
lair. He took a few careful steps toward the fireplace, then turned
around, his back facing me, and placed his hands (palms out) close
to the vibrant, throbbing flames. I didn’t need to see what he did
next since I could hear his voice vibrating throughout the room as
he chanted strange words in a language I couldn’t understand. My
body stiffened with anxiety. This was bad—really, really bad.
Whatever spell he was trying to cast, I knew it was too dangerous
to be here. I needed to get Luke and leave as soon as
possible—before the demon scroll keeper finished his
incantation.
The seconds ticked by. My heart thundered so
hard I could feel it pulsing in my skull. Ezariah’s head tilted
back, his face toward the ceiling of the cave. I couldn’t tell if
his eyes were open or closed, but I remembered how his eyes had
rolled in the back of his head the last time I’d witnessed him
doing this. All of a sudden, I could feel a power building like
clouds accumulating just before a storm. My body shivered at the
strength of the dark energy that was beginning to surround me. I
had to go. There was no more time. I gazed at Luke with a longing
need rising in my chest.
You can’t die
, Darius had told me.
And it was time to put that to the test.
After finishing a quick prayer, I sprung out
of the shadows in a whoosh of air, and my body wrapped around
Luke’s like a diaphanous blanket. Suddenly, an unrecognizable power
blasted into me, intense enough I thought I’d been struck by
lightning. I shook it off the best I could and kept swirling around
Luke—tighter and tighter, faster and faster. Sharp tingles jolted
through me again, but I fought them, willing my power to take
control. Ezariah’s chanting stopped and then he broke out in
laughter, deep and sinister. He’d finished his spell and I wasn’t
out of the room yet.
Crap, crap, crap!
My heart was racing,
but I kept moving…until everything in the room became nothing but a
blur. With all my strength, I pushed away from this place, far, far
away, with Luke locked inside my core.
The smell of sulfur filled my nose. Heat
pressed against my skin, ever-present and suffocating. I opened my
eyes and my breath caught at what I saw. Fire everywhere. Rivers of
lava flowing through ravines and spilling over their ledges like
thick, flaming waterfalls. The bare stone ground was splattered
with the molten, fiery soup, some of it drying in dark,
grayish-black clumps. Smoke hovered like a stale fog, hazy and
unmoving since there was no wind. This place reminded me of what
Hawaii must have looked like before it was transformed into the
beautiful tropical paradise it is today. However, this definitely
was not Hawaii.
I pulled Luke’s body closer into me, casting
a protective gaze at my unwelcoming surroundings. I could sense his
aura was already starting to gain strength now that those silver
chains were no longer binding him. And no sooner did I think I
needed to get us out of here than the ground began rumbling and
quaking violently. Rocks fell off some of the higher ledges,
splashing into the ponds of lava below them. Large cracks ripped
open on the surface, oozing more of that smoldering orange liquid.
Once Luke’s body began to teeter uncontrollably, I raised him up on
a wave of my power like he was riding on an invisible magic carpet.
I’d seen enough of this wretched place. Now it was really time to
go.
But as I closed my eyes, I felt
his
presence like static electricity inside my ghostly flesh. The
distraction was just enough for him to blast me with a fireball,
and knock my hold loose of Luke. The vampire fell several feet and
landed on the rocky surface with a
thud
. I willed my power
to retrieve him, and at the same time thrust some of my energy out
toward our attacker. But since there were three sets of fireballs
coming my way, my power collided into them with an eruption that
shook me from the inside out. Then another round of fireballs shot
into me, burning, scorching, and I lost my hold of Luke once
more.
And that really pissed me off.
Anger washed over me as I propelled another
blast of energy ten times stronger than the last one. It burst
through the oncoming fireballs as if they were made of feathers
instead of solid, pulsing flames. Barely a second later, it struck
the assailant with the force of a giant boulder, and he was blown
backward before he crashed into a massive mound of dried lava. He
peered at me, snarling, black eyes wide with disbelief. Then, using
the wall of rock for help, he slowly pulled himself up to stand on
his hooves. His gaze narrowed, spittle dripping from his sharp,
stained teeth. “Reveal yourself or this vampire is dead”—his tone
seething with vehemence.
My voice caught in my throat as I glimpsed
Luke several yards away, at the foot of the master demon. Now what
the heck was I going to do? I couldn’t kill the red, horned enemy,
and I could only continue fighting him in self-defense. There was
no way to keep Luke safe without obeying the demon’s demands. But I
couldn’t materialize without a whole other set of consequences.
Show yourself to no one
was what Darius had warned. My body
tensed with anxiety, knowing I should orb away right now. But I
couldn’t leave Luke. We’d made it this far, and there was no way I
could turn my back on him now. Not when we were this close to his
freedom.
“Release him and I’ll let you live,” I said
harshly, hoping to scare the demon into giving me Luke.
Typhon’s head swiveled back as he burst into
deep, thunderous laughter. The seconds ticked by as I pondered any
other options. So far, I was coming up blank.
“I’ll ask once more, but let me warn you, my
patience has almost run out.” He raised his clawed fist in the air.
“If you do not show yourself right now, I will crush his
heart—again. And there is no angel blood here to save him this
time.”
The clenching in my stomach returned,
restless and tight. My eyes met Typhon’s levelly, though I wondered
if he could see them since I was still in my hazy form. Even now, I
knew he’d be seeing me soon enough and I wondered if he’d recognize
me in my black combat attire.
Only one way to find out
, I
thought with the mildest twist of regret. I’d come clean with
Darius the minute I saw him next, though I wished he’d appear right
this instant and help me get out of this mess.
And that’s when Typhon’s patience ran out.
His fist pivoted downward, rushing toward Luke’s limp body. “Wait!”
I called out as my body materialized. The master demon’s fist
stopped, hovering just above the center of the vampire’s back as he
raked me over with speculative eyes.
“What have we here?” he asked in a hushed
voice, as if talking to himself. “I know you,” he stated accusingly
as he straightened.
“I know you too, pal” was my dry response. I
took a few cautious steps toward him, feeling my gaze harden. “Give
me the vampire”—sounding more a demand than a request. I was rather
proud of myself for at least not acting scared.
“But you’re fallen!” Typhon stammered, but
holding his ground. “You were cast into another world for all
eternity.”
“I guess you could say that, though my
eternity will be much different than you’re thinking.”
A soft snort escaped him. “It appears you’re
finally where you belong,” he said, his voice almost purring with
delight.
His statement reminded me that I was
somewhere hot and horrible that I hadn’t deliberately orbed to.
“Where am I exactly?”
He half smiled, yet it looked more evil than
anything else. “You’re in my home now.”
Cold slithered up my limbs, clinging to my
insides like twisting, razor-edged vines. I was in the Underworld.
Not Nempha (AKA faux hell) where I’d been trapped, but the real
place of torturous fire and the home of a master demon, his many
thousands of minions, and possibly the ultimate head devil of them
all. A massive lump barreled its way up my throat and I clenched my
fists, fingernails digging into my palms. Never had I so wanted to
orb away. I had no business being here, but as I glanced down at
Luke, my body remained frozen in place. And as I let my eyes roam
my surroundings once more, making sure no other demons were around,
I remembered something Darius had said that made me smile. “Give me
the vampire,” I said in a calm, steely voice. Then I added, “This
is the last time I’ll ask,” for my own taunting amusement.
“No!” came his icy reply as he crouched down
over Luke in a guarded stance. Then he hurled another series of
fireballs toward me.
I dodged them easily with confident laughter
rolling off my lips. The last of the flaming balls whizzed my way,
and I ducked under it with grace and surety.
“
What
are you?” Typhon roared and
thrust several more pulsing fireballs right for me.
I bent to the side avoiding two of them,
then whirled around and jumped up, missing three more. And as I
dropped to the ground, allowing a few more to hurtle by, I felt the
much-anticipated heat flare up on my wrist. I stood up,
straightening my body in one rapid motion. I flashed Typhon the
widest of grins as I brushed my hands along my pants.
“What the hell are you smiling at?” was the
last thing he ever said.
