Mate to the Demon Kings by Lacey Carter Andersen

11

Sharen stumbledout into the heat of the demon-realm. The awful feeling of going between realms left her feeling shaken, but she couldn’t let it slow her down. Instead, she armed her weapon with a powerful magical spell that burned black ancient symbols into her blade.

A spell few Hunters knew existed.

Reading does have its benefits.She thought with a humorless smile.

The arms length weapon almost hummed with magic, as if awakening from a deep slumber. In the light of the three suns, the edge of her blade looked extra sharp, and the dark glow that radiated from it gave it a nightmarish quality. She gripped the long hilt and moved it, rotating her arm as she gave herself a moment to grow accustomed to it.

Feeling slightly more confident, she inched away from the portal opening. Breaking such an important rule feels wrong. I’m leaving the safety of the exit. Cutting myself off from escape. Opening myself up for possession.

Her stomach twisted. But I won’t let that happen.

Taking a deep breath, she wrinkled her nose. Sulfur scented the air, so strong she could taste it. Something I never get used to. Her gaze swept over her surroundings, looking for any signs of danger, but all was quiet.

She inched further, staring at the endless land that stretched before her. Between the oppressive heat and the three suns, bright mirages appeared to shimmer in the distance. The landscape was white, like every demon realm, but with more caves than usual carved into the hills. The white-bulbous plants that grew in bulbous tangles gave everything an alien quality.

The caves could mean a number of demons live here. Normal protocol would be to proceed slowly and cautiously. To not attract attention until all possible dangers have been identified.

But this isn’t a normal situation. If I follow protocol, I’ll never find Elaina in time.

And I could become lost.

She shuddered at just the thought. Without a team to slowly spread out from the portal site, getting lost was a real and very frightening possibility. The only thing she could do to have any hope of finding her friend in a place that stretched out in all directions was absolutely reckless.

Please don’t let this get me killed.

“Elaina!” she shouted into the silence. “Elaina!”

Moving slowly further and further from the portal, yet always keeping it in sight, she shouted her friend’s name over and over. Nothing moved. Nothing reacted to her voice.

And so, she shouted louder and louder.

Soon, she would either discover her demons had told the truth and find Elaina, or she’d bring whatever demons had been deemed too dangerous to fight right at her. She was taking a leap of faith, and for some reason, she wasn’t half as terrified as she should have been.

When she’d married her ex, she’d felt like marrying him was a leap of faith. She’d told herself that love wasn’t logical, and so she’d pushed every instinct to the side and married him anyway.

This time, however, fear told her that the demons had lied. Logic told her this was a trap. But her instincts? They told her that there was something real between them and her. And so, she was taking another leap of faith with love.

She hoped she wasn’t going to come crashing down yet again.

Nearly thirty minutes had passed, at least that’s how much she estimated, when she saw something stir from a cave forty feet or so in front of her. The entirely white creature moved slowly and strangely, half dragging itself toward her. She pointed her weapon at it and held her breath, watching as it moved closer and closer.

This was not a demon.

But she had no idea what it could be.

As it got closer, she caught sight of two bright blue eyes. Heart racing, she felt hope grow within her. When it was about ten feet away, she realized that it was indeed her friend, dusted in white powder.

Sharen felt tears choke her throat as she raced to her friend, and pulled her into her arms.

Elaina sobbed. “I didn’t think you’d come. I didn’t think they could convince you to trust them.”

She stroked her friend’s matted hair, not caring when she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’m here now. But we have to hurry, I’ve already been here far longer than protocol allows.”

Elaina pulled back, her own tears had made paths down her pale cheeks. She was far thinner than Sharen had remembered, her cheeks hollow, and her white dusted clothes were tattered and hanging off her tiny frame.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Sharen pointed her weapon in front of them and wrapped an arm under her friend’s waist. Elaina leaned heavily onto her.

“The... food…. here,” her friend explained between pants, “pretty sure... it’s toxic... to humans.”

As they moved closer and closer to the portal, Elaina seemed to move faster. A small smile even curled her lips. But then, when they were just feet from it, the portal vanished.

“What the—?” Sharen stared at the empty space in disbelief.

Why?

Her logical thoughts filled her head with a roar. You stupid, stupid woman! You were the only one who knew they were demons! Of course they tricked you into their realm and sealed you in here! Now, you’ll both die here, and they’re free.

“I can’t believe—“ The ground began to shake beneath her feet. Sharen looked at her friend’s horror-stricken face. “What’s that?”

Elaina spoke, her voice filled with terror. “The demons.”