“The fairy will need to teleport us back to Nexus,” Ruen reminded him. “I’m to call Lord Gilden after we’ve rescued Aurora and we’ve returned to this location.”

  “Great,” the werelion muttered sourly. “I’m sure the return trip will be just as much fun.”

  “I can sense a few guards ahead,” I told the team to get them to focus. “I’m going to take them out.”

  “We’ll do it,” Zahir offered, gesturing at himself and his partner. “We can move a lot faster and quieter than you can.”

  I nodded in agreement, glancing at Ruen in surprise when he didn’t zoom after them. He’d been given leave to use his beloved knives, but he was making no move to utilize them. “I was ordered to keep you safe,” he said unhappily. Drake must really want his payment from me to force us to work closely together again.

  “Let’s move,” I said to the team when I sensed the demons’ lives being snuffed out.

  The werelions took the lead, with Otis and Felicity going next. Ruen and I brought up the rear as we forged our way through the trees. Zahir and Yareli cleared the way, killing most of the demons who’d been keeping watch outside. We neared the wall of the castle without mishap. Some of my tension eased that we hadn’t roused everyone in the building.

  “I can sense Aurora down there,” I whispered, pointing in the direction of what had to be a cellar beneath the castle. The structure was made out of dark gray stone. It had looked cold and unwelcoming from a distance, with tall walls, narrow slits for windows and four turrets. Up close, it was even more imposing.

  “I’ll search for an entrance,” Ruen murmured, then scurried away. He didn’t drop down to all fours and go into cockroach mode this time. I was surrounded by six deadly bounty hunters. He trusted them to keep me alive while he was gone, not that I needed them to.

  Zahir and Yareli had taken down a dozen pimples so far. Dozens more were inside the castle. We’d be overwhelmed quickly if they became aware of us. We needed to get in, find Aurora and kill Valac before he sent his minions after us.

  Speaking of Valac, I could sense him close to my bestie. He was a carbuncle, which meant he wasn’t going to be easy to defeat. His spell would turn my companions against each other long before they could help me free Aurora. I couldn’t let any of them get close to our foe, or they might not make it out of the castle alive.

  Ruen appeared like a black clad specter, making me start. I realized I could sense him now that his restrictions had been partially lifted. “I found a door that I think leads down to the cellar,” he whispered. “It’s locked with magic.”

  “Show me,” I requested.

  We trooped after him, staying close to the wall so we wouldn’t be spotted from above. Ruen led us around the corner to the back of the castle. Two bodies lay in the shrubs nearby. I’d felt their lives being snuffed out and figured he’d been responsible for it. Their throats had been slit from ear to ear from his savage attack. He hadn’t fed on either of them, which was a surprise. Rescuing Aurora took precedence over satisfying his addiction to blood.

  I tried the handle of the thick wooden door and it didn’t budge. Bearing down with all of my weight did nothing. I rammed my shoulder into it in frustration. Ruen scowled at me for making too much noise.

  “Let me try,” Felicity whispered, pushing me aside.

  I opened my mouth to make a derogatory remark, but she pulled a charm out of her pocket. She brushed it against the door handle and the lock clicked. “That did the trick,” she said smugly and pushed the door open to reveal a staircase leading down. It was lit with electric lights, so I wouldn’t need a flashlight.

  “Felicity and I buy a variety of spells from a witch, including ones that break through locking enchantments,” Otis said with a grin. “We might not be as strong and fast as the rest of you, but we have our uses.”

  I gave the pair a grateful smile, then Ruen pushed past me to enter first. His knives were back in his hands again. He must have cleaned them on the corpses before sheathing them when he’d come to retrieve us.

  Zahir and Yareli ghosted into sight and we all followed Ruen down the stairs and into the cellar. The vamps had eradicated all of the demons in the woods, leaving none of them alive. Theo pushed the door shut, but didn’t close it all the way, just in case we needed to make a hasty retreat.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  “WHAT CAN YOU SENSE, Saige?” Ruen whispered when we reached the bottom of the stairs. We were in a wide stone hallway that stretched off to the left and right.

  “There are a couple of dozen lesser demons down here,” I reported. “Valac is in the center of the cellar. He’s with Aurora and three other supernatural beings.”

  “They’re probably captives as well,” Otis figured.

  I nodded, then continued with my report. “There are seventy or so lesser demons on the floors above us. They’ll come running as soon as the alarm is raised.”

  “Most castles have several access points to the upper levels,” Zahir said. “We should split up and block them from coming to Valac’s aid. They won’t be able to overrun us as easily if we fight them in the stairwells.”

  “Saige and I will find Aurora,” Ruen said. “If you get overwhelmed, retreat and return to the woods.”

  “You can’t get close to Valac,” I hissed at his back when he turned to stalk away. “He’ll take over your mind and turn you against us!”

  “No, he won’t,” the leech said almost serenely.

  I yanked him to a stop as our colleagues split into pairs to find the entrances to the upper floors. “Did Drake give you magical protection against demons?” I asked, searching his face for a lie.

  “Lord Gilden has removed almost all of my restrictions,” he said and allowed his madness to shine through. “Not even a demon will be strong enough to take over my mind when my bloodlust takes hold.” He grinned and I let go of him and stepped back before I could stop myself. His fangs had descended and he looked monstrously ravenous.

  He turned to walk away again and this time I didn’t stop him. I followed in his wake with my mini crossbow held ready to shoot anything that moved.

  Ruen followed a series of hallways that took us ever deeper into the cellar. We passed rooms with metal doors and bars on the windows. All of the cells were empty, but they smelled faintly of rotten flesh and waste.

  A deep, rumbling voice drifted down the next hallway we turned into. The hairs on the back of my neck stirred. My instincts told me it was Valac who was speaking. I tiptoed after Ruen, hurrying to keep up with him.

  Lesser demons were all around us, but we hadn’t run into any yet. Ruen had managed to avoid them all. I sensed a foe around the next corner. Ruen picked up on the demon’s scent, or possibly heard his heart beating. The vampire flashed around the corner and I heard a low grunt and stabbing noises.

  I rounded the corner to see blood had splattered all over the wall from the twitching corpse that Ruen was crouched over. I looked away when he pulled his fangs out of the demon’s neck. His mouth was smeared with blood and he let out a sigh of ecstasy. Demon blood was far more potent than human blood.

  “Focus!” I whispered when his eyelids fluttered and he almost went into another trance. “Help me save Aurora first and turn into a psycho afterwards!”

  Ruen gave me a sarcastic smile, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “After you,” he invited me.

  Valac was speaking again. His tone was taunting and grated on my nerves. I stepped into another hallway, then shot a demon in the back before he could turn around and spot me. Ruen rushed off and took down another guard. He went on the hunt, leaving me to face the carbuncle alone. He would be close enough to come to my aid if I needed him.

  “Who is your owner?” Valac asked his captive. “Tell me his name and I’ll kill him and free you from his service.”

  “No!” Aurora retorted angrily as I approached an archway that led to the center of the cellar. “I’m not going to become your property!”

  I glanced through a stone archway and blanched at the sight before me. Most demons were evil to the core, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the wine cellar had been converted into a torture chamber. Contraptions straight out of medieval times were on display. An iron maiden that looked like a metal sarcophagus stood in one corner. It was open to show the sharp spikes that lined the interior. They were coated in old blood and dried bits of skin and flesh.

  A vampire lay on a rack that was designed to stretch his arms and legs until they became dislocated. Naked, he was chained with silver and couldn’t move. His eyes were closed and his chest didn’t move, but his kind didn’t need to breathe. I sensed he was alive, but it was pretty obvious he wasn’t dead, since he hadn’t turned into a pile of ash.

  Two werewolves were crouching inside tiny cages barely large enough to hold them. The bars were silver and they were naked as well. The vampire and shifters were sporting red welts where the silver had burned their skin.

  Aurora was in a larger cage that was just tall enough for her to stand up in. She was still wearing her wig and clothes, much to my relief. I couldn’t see any signs of blood or injuries. Her expression was defiant as she stared the demon down.

  Short and obese, Valac was nothing like I’d pictured. Utterly bald, he had glittering black eyes and emanated spite. His white shirt had long sleeves. It was unbuttoned almost to his navel to reveal his hairy chest and gut. He wore ill-fitting brown trousers that had been rolled up a few inches, so he wouldn’t trip over them. White loafers completed his outfit.

  Lesser demons were arrayed around the chamber, watching Aurora avidly. From their lecherous expressions, they longed for their owner to allow them to torture his latest captive.

  One of the caged shifters smelled me and his head turned in my direction. I lifted my finger to my lips to motion for him to be quiet. His friend saw me as well and they exchanged a look. I had no idea who they were, or if they were good guys or bad guys. My main focus was on killing Valac and busting Aurora out of her cage.

  “Tell me who your owner is, or I’ll allow one of my minions to join you in that cage,” Valac said threateningly.

  I felt a few lesser demons being snuffed out by my ex-colleagues and knew our time was running out. Someone would sound the alarm soon, then all hell would break loose.

  “I’m her owner,” I said as I stepped into the torture chamber. “And I’ve come to retrieve my property.”

  I fired at the closest demon and he let out a pained gurgle when the bolt lodged in his throat. Valac sent out a blast of hatred, but it washed over me harmlessly. Aurora rocked back on her heels, then turned to me with an ugly expression. “I’ll kill you!” she hissed, hooking her fingers into claws. “You have no right to claim me! No one owns me!”

  It wasn’t easy to ignore her when she began spitting vile things at me. I knew it was just from the spell and that she didn’t mean any of it. Valac didn’t have enough control of his talent to pick and choose who it affected. His henchmen turned on each other, pulling knives from their pockets and started hacking away with insane abandon.

  “Lord Gilden only wants to have sex with you because of your gigantic breasts!” Aurora said. I cut a hurt look at her and she laughed shrilly, then came up with even worse insults.

  Screams of intense hatred sounded from all over the cellar, which meant Valac’s power had spread further than I’d expected. Lives were being extinguished too quickly for me to keep track of. I sensed pimples and boils flooding downstairs from the upper levels. They’d been out of the enchantment’s range, but they would soon be caught up in the battle.

  Cursing beneath my breath when Valac turned to run, I shot a bolt into his back. He stumbled and went down to one knee and I rushed at him. Barging into two of his stabbing, clawing and biting minions, I sent them both flying. They crashed to the floor, but leaped to their feet again. Their owner was going to get away if I had to fight them all on my own.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  RUEN APPEARED IN THE doorway as if I’d summoned him with my thoughts. Covered in blood, he was cackling maniacally. Valac held up his hand and sent out another wave of demonic magic. Ruen ignored him completely and leaped over the cowering demon. He landed on the two lackeys and bit into one, while frantically stabbing the other one in the chest.

  Aurora was still spitting hateful things at me, but I blocked them as best I could. Valac stumbled to his feet just as I reached him. He grabbed hold of my arm and unleashed his full might on me. “How can you resist my magic?” he asked in despair when I dropped my crossbow into my kill-bag and reached for a knife.

  “I’m bonded to a dragon,” I said with a smirk, then rammed my blade into his heart. Ruen was too far gone to pay attention right now, so I didn’t need to worry about him overhearing me. I shoved Valac away before he could splatter me with blood when he gasped in pain. I swiped my knife across his throat and his spell came to an abrupt end.

  The lesser demons instantly came out of their dazes. Ruen gleefully leaped through the air to land on another henchman. The pimple screeched in pain as fangs latched onto his neck.

  “Saige?” Aurora said groggily as I sent my senses out.

  I sagged in relief when I felt the two vampires and two werelions. I couldn’t sense the humans, but I wouldn’t shed any tears if Felicity had croaked during the fight. “Yeah, it’s me,” I said as I hurried over to her.

  One of the werewolves spoke to me, but I couldn’t understand him. The vampire opened his eyes, saw Valac was dead and murmured something in his native language. It sounded like a fervent prayer.

  I bent to wipe my knife clean on a dead demon’s shirt, then dropped it into my kill-bag. Pulling a gun out, I shot the lock, then yanked the cage door open. Aurora lurched into my arms, sobbing in relief and guilt. “I didn’t mean those horrible things I said,” she said in between sobs. “The spell made me say them.”

  “I know,” I said soothingly as Otis and Felicity spilled into the room. “Watch over her,” I said grimly. “Kill anything that tries to get to her.”

  They were both sporting blood on their clothes, but they appeared to be unharmed. Felicity nodded, eyes hard and guns ready to shoot. Otis reloaded his weapons, while staring at Ruen uneasily.

  My former sidekick had gorged himself on demon blood and was busily hacking and stabbing his final opponent. He was chuckling madly, but quietly. I knew he wasn’t going to come down from his high until every last demon in the castle was dead.

  “Come on, Ruen,” I said when the demon expired. “Let’s go hunting.”

  His face lit up in delight that I wasn’t going to curb his murderous impulses. He flashed past me and I followed in his wake.

  Bodies were sprawled everywhere as we made our way towards the closest staircase. Most of the lesser demons had congregated around our colleagues. Anyone who chose another route and ended up in the torture chamber would die from a hail of holy bullets. Aurora would be able to assist Otis and Felicity now that Valac was dead. His power had been far stronger than hers. She hadn’t even tried to use it against him.

  Zahir and Yareli had fought their way up to the next level. Ruen raced up the stairs and launched himself over their heads when we reached them. I pulled another gun and began firing at the pimples and boils. Ruen’s knives lashed out when he landed, decapitating some opponents and seriously wounding others.

  In short order, we managed to decimate all of the lackeys. The vampires flashed into motion, leaving me behind. I raced to catch up to them only to find Hugh and Theo had slaughtered most of their foes. They watched in horrified amazement as my ex-partner went into a killing frenzy to wipe out the dregs of the demon’s army.

  “Have you ever seen Ruen like this before?” Yareli asked me in a disturbed tone.

  “Yep,” I confirmed without going into detail. I sent out my senses to find the castle was now demon free as the last minion expired beneath Ruen’s blades.

  “He’s like a fledgling still caught in the throes of his first bloodlust,” Zahir said with a frown.

  Ruen was already full, yet he drank from the final demon anyway. His eyes were heavily lidded, as if he’d just had the best sex of his life. Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth before he swallowed the last mouthful.

  “Holy crap,” Hugh whispered, taking in the state Ruen was in. “Did he roll on the bodies?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” I said unhappily.

  “He looks like he’s going to be sick,” Theo said and we all took a few steps back.

  Ruen opened his mouth, then let out a long, loud burp. A fine spray of blood misted in front of him, then fell to land on his last victim. “Is it over?” he asked in a weirdly detached voice.

  “It’s over,” I confirmed. “They’re all dead.”

  He snapped out of his dazed stupor and looked down at his sodden clothing. “I appear to be in need of clean clothing,” he said in a pitiful effort to regain his dignity. His restrictions had returned and I could no longer sense him on my radar.

  “You’ll be able to take a shower and get changed as soon as we get home,” I said and helped him to his feet. “Why don’t I take those from you?” I said, holding out my hand for his knives. “You won’t need them for a while.”

  A brief expression of agony passed over him, then he reluctantly handed the weapons to me. I nodded at the others to leave us alone for a minute and they filed down the stairs. Ruen stood there placidly as I cleaned his weapons with disposable wipes from my kill-bag. He allowed me to take his sheaths off, then followed me downstairs to the torture chamber.

  Aurora gave a glad cry when we entered the cellar. “Ruen!” she said and threw herself at him. His arms automatically came up to hug her. “You came for me!” she said, still crying from her ordeal.

  “Of course I came for you,” he said gruffly. “Did you really think I’d allow a demon to kidnap you without retaliating?”

  “Did any of them get away?” she asked fearfully. Her green sweater was smeared with the blood that had soaked into his clothes.

 

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