Wars of the Underworld Page 5

  She stepped toward him with determined purpose, her eyes never wavering from him. At the same point, Pyra urged him closer to her. Once she was within the appropriate distance to run him through with her sword, she conjured the vines, commanding them to wrap around Zagan’s ankles. She struggled to get them around his torso and arms as he fought against her, maintaining his foothold and not falling like she hoped he would.

  She was close now. Fate was on her side. Zagan’s forces were being slaughtered one-by-one, lowering his numbers, and she just had to get close enough to him to land the final blow.

  Zagan looked around as he struggled to break the vines around his ankles. Finally, they snapped, and he said, “Enough!”

  His voice echoed over the battlefield and his soldiers stopped advancing.

  He settled his gaze on her and breathed heavily. “This isn’t the last of me. I will return. And when I do, you will join me. I’ll take everything from you until you do.” He pointed at her. “I’ll have you. One way or another. You started this war. You’ll do well to remember that when you lose to me.”

  “Good luck with that.” Her words were thick with sarcasm and she let her shield and sword disappear. “Now, leave.”

  “Retreat. To me!” he shouted and turned on his heels to return home.

  They won. But just barely.

  Though they managed to work together and take out a great number of Zagan’s forces, they didn’t escape unscathed. Steele was hurt. Bad. He clutched his side and hobbled toward Sadie. Blood oozed from around his fingers. Damien and Kaiser ran to his side and wrapped an arm around him just as his knees gave out from under him. Mordecai joined Sadie, face sullen and worn.

  Steele was pale. And Sadie feared the worst.

  As they worked to keep their brother on his feet, Sadie ran to him, worry pulsing through her as she took in more of the injuries Steele endured. She was worried for her prince, and as she arrived, he faintly smiled.

  “Don’t worry about me, love. You should see the other guy.” He chuckled, but it was weak and lacking the luster his carefree attitude normally held.

  Sadie smiled, just the same, appreciating that even as close to death as he was, he still maintained his humor despite the pain he must have felt. “Don’t worry. You can tell me all about it when you are better.”

  She summoned Hobson.

  “Yes—oh, dear.” Hobson’s eyebrows knitted together, and his lips pulled down at the corners as he took in Steele’s condition. He shook his head. “Majesty, the infirmary has special tinctures to aid in his healing. I’ll hurry after those. Meanwhile, use your magic to cauterize the wounds. I’m sure one of the princes will help you if need be.”

  “Please hurry, Hobson,” Sadie said.

  Hobson nodded then and rushed off.

  Sadie pointed to the ground. “Lay him down so I can seal his wounds.”

  Damien and Kaiser nodded and did so as gently as possible. Steele winced, otherwise Sadie knew he tried to hide the pain he felt. Mordecai stood back, watching with wide eyes and a deep frown.

  “Don’t worry. He’ll be okay.”

  He muttered something under his breath about checking the perimeters of the boundary and walked off. Sadie felt for him, but in order to make good on her promise that Steele would be okay, she needed to seal his wounds.

  Sadie quickly knelt next to Steele and peeled back the layers of his armor and under shirt to find a sizeable gash in his side. She tried not to let the seriousness of the wound keep her from her task and summoned the magic from her amulet.

  Her hands warmed and started to glow with soft, yellowish red light. She hovered her hands over the wound and said, “Hold him.”

  Kaiser and Damien each held an arm and pressed on Steele’s shoulders as she forced the fire magic from her hands into the large wound.

  Steele hissed and grunted as the wound became sealed, and the bleeding stopped. Steele then passed out.

  A pinch formed in Sadie’s brow as she realized it wasn’t just an ordinary weapon that caused his wound and wondered if Hobson noticed the same.

  First things first. She needed to get Steele to his bed.

  She called for Pyra, who grunted in response. Together, Damien and Kaiser gently lifted Steele to her back. They escorted the dragon to Steele’s room and they laid him on top of the bed. Hobson was already there, mixing tinctures and concoctions together to form a paste. Once he was done, he ripped the remains of Steele’s armor from him and let the air fill the wound before applying ample amounts of the paste to it.

  Once he was done, he stood back and sighed. “I’m afraid the rest is up to him.”

  Sadie placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for your help.”

  He seemed like he still wasn’t used to her politeness as he stammered a “you’re welcome” and excused himself from the room.

  Damien said, “I’ll take first watch.”

  “No,” Sadie said. “I will. You each have your own wounds to tend to.”

  Kaiser said, “And you don’t?”

  “Yes,” she said. “But he’s here because of me.”

  “No, he’s not, Sadie,” Damien said. “He’s here because of our father.”

  Sadie bit back the tears that formed in her eyes and nodded. She knew that was true, but that didn’t erase the guilt she felt. “Give me this. Please.” She settled her gaze on Damien and then Kaiser.

  They all stood in silence for a moment. The men likely debated another rebuttal. But she stood firm and refused to leave, taking a seat on the bed to prove her point. She covered Steele’s hand with hers and watched as he slept. His eyelids were a deep purple, and his skin was too pale. The sheen from his golden skin was missing, and she wanted so desperately for him to be better right then and there.

  The door silently sealed.

  Sadie looked to where Damien and Kaiser had been standing and found that they had obeyed her wish by letting her have this moment with their brother.

  She nodded to herself and laid down next to him, gently running her fingers over the curves and angles of his chest, loving on him and wishing him well.

  Though she was grateful to have him there, she hated how hurt he was. She knew there was nothing more she could do besides wait and hope he woke up soon.

  After a while of his breathing returning to a normal pace and the muscles in his body relaxing, she left for the war room. She needed a plan for the next time Zagan showed up ready for war, and she needed it now.

  SADIE

  As she entered the war room, Damien, Kaiser, and Mordecai were discussing their surprise at their father’s surge in power.

  “I just don’t understand it,” Kaiser said. “He was stronger than before.”

  “And that’s the problem,” Mordecai said.

  “Perhaps he gained another witch and consumed her soul?” Damien said.

  Mordecai shook his head. “No, he would’ve had to have dispatched dozens of them just to get a fraction of that power. He’s callous, but not stupid. That would’ve cut his numbers significantly and made it to where no other witches or warlocks would join him.”

  “There has to be a reason for it,” Damien said and seemed to retreat into his own thoughts.

  Sadie said, “Whatever the reason is, we need to find out how and prepare for the next time.”

  Kaiser snorted. “He probably realized that his normal approach of force and demand wasn’t going to work on you and will likely try to get you under his control in a different way.”

  “And that’s the trick, isn’t it?” Mordecai asked. “Father has never been the one to change his approach. So, why now?”

  “Whatever the reason,” Sadie said, “I promise I will do whatever it takes to protect you and my home. I refuse to be forced under his thumb.”

  “How is he?” Mordecai asked. When Sadie looked at him with an expression of confusion, he added, “My brother. How is he?”

  “Sleeping. Peacefully.” She sighed and slid into the chai
r surrounding the war table.

  Her men started discussing action plans again while Sadie slipped into her thoughts. She processed the information that even Zagan’s sons had no idea what their father was up to. He changed his tactic, and that meant Sadie needed to be on her toes with preparations for the next little visit.

  Whatever Zagan was up to, she had a feeling their next conflict was going to be far, far worse.

  Chapter Nine

  Zagan

  Zagan proverbially licked his wounds in his private quarters. He sat at his desk in front of a burning fire. His book of atonements sat open as he fingered the page with the list of witches and warlocks at his disposal. Only one name was missing from his ledger. He had yet to land that one, but it was on his to-do list. Especially as he pondered his recent defeat. Sadie may have won the battle, but the war was going to come quicker than she thought.

  And I will win. I will have her and her power.

  He brushed his finger against some of his more prized possessions reserved especially for Sadie when she would inevitably succumb to his power. Special rings infused with curses to remove willpower, and a choker designed to weaken her physical and magical strength.

  Ultimately, Zagan didn’t consider the defeat a loss as it was really a stale-mate. They were evenly matched, and he had underestimated Sadie’s strength as well as his sons’ devotion to her. He wouldn’t make that same mistake again.

  He rested on the assumption that showing up to her fortress and presenting himself as a threat would make her quake and quiver, grovel at his feet, and swear fealty. That she would see his power and the size of this army and agree to be his.

  Yet she refused him.

  For now.

  No matter. He still had some tricks up his sleeve to get her under his control.

  A knock echoed through the room, followed by the scratching latches of the door. Zagan rolled his eyes. “What now?” His voice boomed through the room.

  “M-m-master, there is a matter that needs your attention.”

  Zagan recognized the tiny voice as the imp he enslaved as a child. He turned his gaze onto the creature and smirked as he quaked where he stood.

  Pathetic.

  “What is the matter that desperately needs my attention at this moment?” Zagan asked, allowing the irritation to filter through his voice as he did love it when his subjects trembled before him.

  “The g-g-guards on the west wing missed their check-in.”

  “You stammering idiot! This is what you interrupted me for? I have captains in charge for a reason.” He stood with the intent of beating the foolish creature into intelligence.

  The imp cowered and pissed himself. The puddle reflected the fire near Zagan’s desk. That was the last straw.

  Zagan beat the creature as he squeaked and cried and begged for him to stop. With every hit and every kick, he felt better. Finally, the creature crumpled into a lump on the floor and remained quiet and still.

  But he wasn’t done. He motioned for the stone sentinels standing guard at the corners of his room to finish the job as he returned to his desk.

  “Service!” he screamed.

  Moments later, another imp entered the room and gawked at the creature in a mess on the floor. This one gazed at Zagan with fear but didn’t dare address him directly.

  “Clean this mess up,” Zagan said. “And ensure no one enters this room under any circumstances.”

  The creature nodded and silently went to work.

  Zagan returned to his thoughts.

  He stroked the thin layer of facial hair that covered his chin and stared at the fire.

  Where was I? Ah, yes. The battle with Sadie.

  She chose all of his sons despite his warning not to pick any of them. The insolence of that woman would be taken care of soon enough. However, he knew his sons were strong individually. What struck him with surprise was how well they had worked together. Each of them had complemented the other in a way he imagined all of his soldiers did.

  In a way, he was proud.

  But the image of them fighting by the demon queen’s side ate a him, making his blood boil.

  He pounded his fist on the desk in front of him. The little imp whimpered. He shifted his dark gaze to the creature and smiled to himself as it cowered. Imps, to him, were ultimately useless creatures. But they were efficient enough slaves to keep them around. The entertainment they provided proved valuable in his reflections, though.

  He should have killed the rest of his sons when he had the chance. But the bastards ran as soon as word of Cedric’s death hit them.

  Cowards. None of them deserved his throne. No one but him.

  But he could see himself sharing the throne. Especially with Sadie. She would be his. Only his.

  Her power, her sway, her surprising capability for a human… and if she continued to refuse him, he would make sure no one would have her.

  Not even his sons.

  Perhaps, he could right her mind by making her spend a few months in his dungeon. One he was sure rivaled even the great demon queen’s.

  He chuckled to himself as he imagined her cowering at his feet, begging for his mercy. It gave him a rock-hard erection, which he hadn’t felt in years. He wouldn’t hurt her, of course. Just deprive her of the very things she had learned to love. Things he would give back to her little by little.

  In time, she would be his queen. And her power would be his.

  He formed a plan to increase his numbers. He was going to take his time and make sure he had everything he needed to ensure his victory. For starters, the witch that continued to evade his advances. He would force her into his service by any means necessary. And his selection of demons in the void were excellent spies and assassins. He would call on all his allies and use them against the demon queen.

  Sure, it would also give the queen time to rally her forces, but she didn’t appear to have many beyond those ifrits, and he had allies of his own. Powerful ones. And he had a way of ensuring no one could say no to him.

  When the moment was right, he would strike. She would either fall or be his.

  He wouldn’t accept any other outcome.

  Chapter Ten

  Sadie

  On the way to her bath, Sadie checked on Steele. He was sitting up in his bed, and healing, but the process was so much more agonizingly slower than Sadie liked it to be. She wanted him at his best now.

  He performed rather well during the battle, despite his grave wounds. She recalled how he took out several skeletons and goblins with his ability to cause his enemies to see horrific things, feel horrific things. Sadie shuddered as she remembered him using his ability against her.

  Despite the odds that seemed stacked against him currently, he still fought for her. She just wished it wasn’t with his life. She wanted to change the outcome of the events that landed him in bed, but she couldn’t.

  Still, she appreciated that he fought so ferociously for her and for their home. And she was ever grateful that he watched her approach the bed with all the love that he had for her in his intense gaze. She carefully sat next to him. He smiled at her, settling her nerves.

  “Don’t fret, my dear. I’m improving minute by minute. It won’t be much longer before you have me back as you wish.”

  Sadie narrowed her eyes on him, perturbed by his constantly reading her mind. But at least he was healing, and his humor and normal carefree attitude was back. That helped to release the tension in the muscles in her neck and shoulders. “Well, at least you are sitting up and your humor has returned.”

  He shrugged. “It would take a lot more than my father’s grunt soldiers to take me down.”

  “You’re delirious. You really have no idea how close to death you were, do you?”

  “Of course,” he said. “But I’m not dead, am I?” He winked.

  Sadie shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Thank you, for your help.” He took her hand into his and rubbed his thumb along her skin.

/>   “Any time,” she said, voice soft. She smiled.

  “Although, if you really want me to heal faster… as a demon who prides himself on his sexual prowess,” he placed his hand on his chest, “a little romp between the sheets would help do that just fine.”

  Sadie shook her head. Always the sex fiend.

  But she smiled and stood from the side of the bed to climb over him. His eyes darkened as his hands gripped her hips. She leaned lower to kiss him. He deepened the kiss, and she allowed him to pull her closer. The need for him grew within her, and she knew she needed to stop before she allowed things to go too far and injure him all over again.

  Finally, she pulled away before she could lose herself completely.

  Steele leveled his gaze on her, and a light of confusion flashed in front of them.

  “That’s all you get for now.” She stood and left to go take her bath.

  SADIE

  The bath felt amazing. She always marveled at how the water constantly stayed at the perfect temperature. It was almost as though it obeyed her need to relax and ease the ache in her muscles. She was still really sore from battle and had gotten plenty of cuts and scrapes herself, which had healed quickly. But the ache was still there, and the bath soothed them away.

  As she relaxed, she thought about her men and the many comforts they offered her. She was grateful to have them, and the things they did for her. Many times without question. She loved how protective each of them was of her, and that helped to soothe her. She loved them with all she had in her, loved getting closer to them. Most of all, they were the most powerful allies she could ever ask for.

  Sadie felt a presence enter her bathroom. She opened her eyes to find Mordecai solidifying from his shadow form. Inside her bath tub. A few curses sat on the edge of her tongue, but as soon as she set her gaze on his naked form, covered in thick muscles and toned skin, they disappeared. Sigils and tattoos covered his entire form.