Princes of the Underworld Read online

  Sadie furrowed her eyebrows. “So, whoever holds this pendant is the queen?”

  “Not just anyone, Your Majesty,” Hobson said. “The magic it contains is ancient. Through the years, it has evolved. It has become more lethal than ever. One can even say it has a mind of its own, because it chooses who can access the power within it.”

  Sadie touched the ruby, remembering how she had killed the demon hunter by wielding the amulet’s power without realizing it. She remembered how she had pleaded for that energy to come back when she had been fighting Mara. It didn’t. And now, it made sense why.

  Sadie looked at Kaiser. “I think I used its power. Back in that house.” She returned her attention to Hobson. “But I can’t control it.”

  “Fret not, Your Highness,” Hobson said. “If you train, you will be able to master the amulet’s magic. With practice, you’ll grow stronger. I can help.”

  She sat on the edge of the bed, physically and mentally overwhelmed. It was definitely a lot to process. In one night, her entire life had changed. She learned more about her world than she ever knew existed. If she was going to survive even the next few days, she knew she had to keep up and just roll with the punches. More importantly, she needed to sleep.

  She touched the amulet and stared at a single spot on the hardwood floor. Demon queen. It was so formal, so regal and dark. And yet, now, that was her. A hint of a smile tugged on her lips. Queen of the demons was a far cry from broke paramedic working the slums of Seattle.

  “There had never been a human demon queen before,” Kaiser said.

  Hobson pouted, clearly not liking Kaiser chiming in and stealing his thunder.

  Ignoring the gargoyle, Kaiser sat on the bed beside her. “The fact that the amulet chose you means you’re special.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, and her breath caught. “Over time, you might grow horns.” He brushed her hair back and his arms rested on her shoulder. “You might even grow wings. I can teach you how to fly.”

  Sadie sat with her arms frozen at her sides, every nerve ending of her traitorous body flaring from his touch. She leaned slightly closer, needing more. Realizing what she was doing, she shoved the feeling away, reminding her body that this was a man even Mara had feared. Sadie couldn’t let her guard down, not quite yet. If she was going to trust him—and damn it, she wanted to—she should wait until he proved himself completely.

  Hobson cleared his throat, and Sadie blushed from forgetting someone else was in the room with them. “If you want, Your Majesty, I can teach you how to access your power,” the gargoyle said, taking over once more.

  She smiled. “I would love that, Hobson, thank you.”

  “Y-you’re welcome,” Hobson stammered, his eyebrows raised. “It’s quite easy, once you get familiar with it. Magic is all about the manipulation of energy. Close your eyes, if you will, Your Highness.”

  She closed her eyes.

  “Just concentrate and feel everything around you,” Hobson said. “Be aware of your surroundings. Listen, smell, feel.”

  She did as she was told, focusing on the sensation of the silk beneath her hands, the softness of the mattress. She breathed in remnants of old fires, perfumes she couldn’t place, and the scent of Kaiser’s skin. She listened to the breathing of Hobson and the air that moved through the room.

  “Reach deep within you for the amulet’s magic. Believe that you’re one with its power, and you can gather the elements to do your bidding. All you have to do is focus.”

  “Okay,” Sadie said. “I’ll try.”

  She took a deep breath. Concentrate. Focus. It’s not that hard.

  With every breath she took, she let her awareness flow over every part of her body. She felt the amulet in her chest, just there at first, but it began to tingle, brimming with energy, with magic. She felt the amulet’s warmth and power reaching out to her and connecting with her. Connection not just to the amulet, but to the fortress, the air, the ground, to everything.

  She extended an arm, palm facing upward. She gathered the energy around her. The black tattoos grew warmer, pulsating in her skin. A prickling warmth emanated from her sternum and it spread throughout her body.

  Fire, she thought.

  The warmth dissipated but her palm tingled. She opened her eyes and saw a small flame burning on her palm. She willed it to grow, and it did. She let her newfound strength pervade her body. She let it overwhelm her. She willed the flame gone, and it sputtered.

  Hobson nodded, eyes alight with appreciation. “You got it on your first try. With a bit of rest and more practice, you’ll be a woman no one could mess with. I hope you’re not tired yet, Your Highness, because I have one last thing to show you.”

  “I’m exhausted, but I’m willing to see one more thing. That’s it for the night though.”

  “Of course, Your Highness.”

  Hobson led them out of her chamber and they meandered through lavish halls lit by clam-shaped sconces. Sadie took everything in. Opulent chandeliers, paintings, and figurines filled her vision. She practically drooled over the magnificence of it all. It was so much better than her shitty apartment.

  They turned a corner and walked down a hallway that seemed plain compared to the ones they had just passed. What set this one apart from the others, though, were the twelve or so portraits hanging on the walls. She stopped by the first one—a painting of a demoness with free-flowing hair as white as her pale skin. She looked so regal and beautiful. Sadie couldn’t help but linger.

  “Who are they?” she asked.

  “Those are the past demon queens,” Hobson said.

  She faced her butler. “What were they like?”

  “Nothing like you, Your Highness,” he said. “That’s a compliment.” His eyes wandered over the portraits. “I’m not even sad they all had unfortunate fates.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean?”

  “Majesty,” he said, eyes softening toward her. “Your crown has a curse. Everyone who wore it had short reigns and mysterious deaths.” He took her hands in his and looked at her with a haunted gaze. “I can only hope Her Majesty’s fortune won’t be the same as theirs.”

  A shiver ran up her arm. She wondered what horrible fate she was doomed to and how long her reign would be now that the queens of the past had a history of dying mysteriously. “Thanks for the heads up,” she said. Exhaustion plagued her mind, pressing against her eye lids, willing them to close. She squeezed them shut and refocused on Hobson. “What were you going to show me again?”

  “Yes, yes,” he said. The intensity in his eyes disappeared. “Right this way.”

  They walked farther before stopping in front of huge double doors with metallic lion heads adorning the doorknobs.

  “What’s inside?” she asked. “I bet it’s a library.”

  Hobson’s smile looked mischievous. He opened the door, and Sadie gasped as she beheld a treasure hoard. Loads of gold and silver coins, golden sculptures and ornaments, and various gems filled every surface of the floor of what seemed to be a ballroom. Massive, turquoise columns formed numerous archways inside the cavernous space. Circular mirrors hung from the walls, reflecting beams of light from the enormous emerald chandelier hanging in the middle of the high ceiling.

  “This is your inheritance,” Hobson said.

  Sadie’s gape turned into a grin. She was rich beyond belief and was definitely going to enjoy this upgrade to her life.

  She would have loved to examine every bit of treasure in the room, but her stomach growled. As much as she enjoyed the tour, she needed to eat. More than that, she needed to rest.

  “Hobson?”

  “Yes, Your Highness?” the butler asked.

  “Can I get something to eat on my way to bed?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  Sadie faced Kaiser. “I’m headed to bed. I came off a twelve-hour shift to this madness. It’s time I had some sleep.” She again turned to Hobson. “Can you find Kaiser a room, please?”

/>   Hobson stared at her, grey eyebrows lifted. The corner of Kaiser’s lips seemed to twitch.

  “Is there going to be a problem with that request?” Sadie asked, her own eyebrows drawing together. “Don’t tell me this gigantic fortress doesn’t have more bedrooms?”

  “O-of course, it does, Your Majesty,” Hobson said. “I’m just used to harsh orders, is all, not polite requests.”

  She almost laughed. That’s the big deal? She just rolled her eyes and headed to her room. She had enough to process and would figure out the rest in the morning. First a bite, then sleep.

  Beautiful, blissful sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Sadie

  Upon waking up, she felt renewed. Powerful. She parted the velvet curtains that led to her chamber’s balcony and walked outside to examine the demon realm’s atmosphere. The “sky” had changed. With the mist gone, millions of azure crystals glowed in the ceiling high above her, covering every inch of dark earth.

  Even the stalactites were encased by the glowing gems. They changed color from time to time, and there were so many of them that she couldn’t even differentiate the colors anymore. The beads of color blended together like a classic Monet painting, shimmering with light and wonder.

  She wondered if they simulated daylight. If so, the view was even better here than in the world above.

  She took in a deep breath, surprised she didn’t inhale a lungful of damp and moldy, dirty air. Instead, it was better than breathing in Seattle’s morning environment. It was like dew on grass, sunshine, or flowers blooming. She wrapped her arms around her body and closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, becoming intoxicated by the new world around her.

  She should be lost, stressed out, or downright losing it, having been transported to a place like this. But this place felt right. She felt powerful, and whatever problems came to her, she would rise above them all.

  She peered into the distance. With brighter illumination, she could now see a copse of trees close by.

  Trees.

  Underground!

  Farther away, a forest surrounded the perimeter of her lands. There were cliffs, too, and lakes, and even a waterfall. The land was massive, and it was all hers.

  A new home, new power, and a treasure hoard. She had acquired them overnight. She suddenly didn’t want to blame Blair anymore, but thank her for the wonder, the magic, the gift.

  She needed to find her sister and have her stay at the fortress. She would keep her safe from the things that kept bringing her injured to her apartment. Then she could handle Mara.

  Sadie just hoped it wasn’t already too late.

  “Had a good night’s rest?” a deep voice asked from beside her.

  She jumped, startled, and turned to face her intruder. Kaiser.

  He walked toward her in his plain white, button-down shirt tucked in navy pants and a brown belt. His shirt hugged his torso and seemed nearly painted on over his massive biceps. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned against the opening to her balcony, eyes glinting.

  She wanted to shout at him to get the hell out of her room, to tell him this was her space and he needed to respect her privacy. Never mind being unsettled by how stealthily he entered her room. Not so much as a whisper of footsteps alerted her to his presence.

  But she remembered everything he had done for her. He brought her to her fortress and saved her life. And being that she was fully rested, she could think a little more clearly. She still didn’t know what his intentions were, but he had helped her time and again even when he didn’t have to.

  She decided to let it slide. Just this once.

  “Thank you,” she said. “For saving my life.”

  He only looked at her, eyes crinkling at the corners, lips tightening from a suppressed smile. She wanted to touch those lips, tell him to just go ahead and smile. For her. Instead, she looked away and stared at the crystal sky, more for distraction than to admire them.

  “Mara,” she said. “Do you know her?”

  “The demoness that tried to kill you?” Kaiser asked.

  She faced him. “Yes.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know much. Based on how she fought, I’d say she’s an abyssian.”

  Sadie slowly nodded. “What does that mean?”

  “They’re a deadly group of assassins and radicals. They dwell deep underground, far from the reach of any ruler in this realm. I’m not exactly sure what they’re up to. Some say they’re forming a resistance, but against whom, I don’t know.”

  She processed the new information for a moment. If Mara was indeed an abyssian, what did she want with the amulet? Was she acting on her own, breaking free from whatever she felt enslaved to? Did she just want the power or to become queen? What was her story?

  Sadie leaned her backside against the edge of the balcony and crossed her arms. She chewed on her lip as she thought. “Why do you think she wants the amulet so badly? Is it so she could be queen? What would she use its power for? What does she really want?”

  Kaiser shrugged again. “Who knows with her. But we can figure it out.”

  “Speaking of hidden agendas and motivations, how about you? What do you want?”

  He stared at her for a moment, already poised to carefully choose his words. Sadie wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  “I’m a prince,” he said, which really didn’t answer her question.

  “Really?” she asked, dropping her hands to her sides.

  “Yes. My father is the King of Shadford, the largest kingdom in the demon realms.” He looked at the horizon as if he could see his father’s kingdom from where he stood.

  Sadie glanced in the same direction, squinting her eyes to try and catch a glimpse from the horizon, but nothing defining a kingdom could be seen. Just the immense trees, cliffs, and rivers.

  “He threatened to kill all his sons, and now my brothers and I are at war for his throne.”

  Sadie returned her gaze to Kaiser, frowning. That’s why he saved me. To use my power to defeat his father and win his own throne.

  “So that’s why you sought me out,” she said. “You want my magic to win your birthright back.” A knot twisted in her chest, but she convinced herself she shouldn’t be surprised. She kept her posture straight.

  He looked at her, a wrinkle forming in his forehead. “Yes, but it’s not just that. I—”

  Before he could explain further, a vase crashed to the stone floor in the hall outside her bedroom. Her chamber doors flung open and Hobson entered her room, huffing.

  “Your Majesty, you need to see this,” the gargoyle said, panting. When he saw Kaiser, he frowned, his eye twitching, perhaps bothered that Kaiser was in Sadie’s room without him knowing. Hobson placed his hands on his hips. “What are you doing here uninvited? Your Majesty, do you want me to throw him in the dungeons?”

  Sadie chuckled. Tempting. “Not at the moment, Hobson.” She winked at Kaiser. “Maybe later.” She faced her butler again. “What did you want me to see?”

  “Follow me, my queen.” The butler led them out her chamber.

  Sadie and Kaiser followed Hobson to an adjacent room not far off from her bedroom. The entire room was massive and dim, its cobalt and silver walls lined with gigantic windows bordered with elegant, spiral designs.

  The room was devoid of furniture, except for a small, white marble table in the center. And there was no lighting aside from an orb that sat atop it. It reminded her of the crystal balls she saw in films, where fortune tellers stared into the orb for visions of people’s futures.

  Hobson gestured to the very orb. “If you would take a look, Your Majesty.”

  Sadie slowly approached the object. Through the glass, a green and red haze shifted and moved.

  “What am I supposed to see, Hobson?” she asked.

  Hobson didn’t answer. Perhaps because of the fact that images already started to take shape within the ball of glass.

  Her fortress solidifi
ed first. The image shifted, panning out to show two more demon men. One had black wings and the other green. They fought each other, each trying to beat the other to her fortress.

  “Oh dear,” Hobson said.

  Beside her, Kaiser sighed. Sadie shifted her attention to him. He ruffled his hair and shifted his weight between his legs.

  “You know these two?” she asked.

  He grimaced. “Those are my brothers.”

  Interesting. She could sort of see the resemblance between the three. Similar noses and jaw shapes. But Kaiser didn’t have wings, a tail, or odd colored skin.

  She looked to the orb again, fascinated with learning more about Kaiser and meeting two of his brothers. They had reached her gate and waited, still bickering with each other. She wondered what the beef was between them, and if it was about winning their father’s throne.

  Finally, she said, “Why don’t we go pay them a visit? But first, I need to get dressed. Meet me at the gate.”

  Hobson and Kaiser nodded and left. Hobson pushed Kaiser out the door and turned and said, “By the way, Your Highness, your wardrobe is fully stocked within your room. Do you need my assistance?”

  Sadie shook her head. “I’ll be fine, Hobson. Thank you.”

  After taking one final look into the orb, Sadie turned and made her way back to her room.

  When Sadie opened the huge double doors to her wardrobe, she wasn’t expecting a huge room filled with lavish items. She was captivated as she took in the lush, dark purple carpet covering the floor and the array of bathrobes. So regal. So comfortable looking.

  On the other side of the room, designs of armor were propped on mannequins, standing like warrior queens. Some of the battle outfits were Samurai-like, and some seemed more fit for Amazons.

  She grazed her fingers along some of the lavish dresses that hung on the walls and nearly drooled over the expensive gem-encrusted tiaras that stood on display.

  This is all mine?