Mate to the Demon Kings by Lacey Carter Andersen

18

Sharen stumbled onto her knees,her head spinning. She’d gone through the portal too many times. More times than she ever imagined possible in such a short period of time. It left her feeling weak, strange.

Next to her, she heard someone hit the ground.

Ryder!

Turning, she froze. He lay on the ground. His eyes closed. His body limp. Even though the wounds on his flesh were already healing.

“Ryder?” Dropping her Splicer, she reached for him, touching the side of his neck.

There was no pulse.

“No!” Panic clawed at her lungs, but she laid him on his back and started CPR. Over and over again, she pressed on his chest, creating a rhythm she’d practiced countless times. Then, leaning over him, she breathed into his cold lips.

Outside the door to their room, someone began to pound.

Please, please, Ryder, come back to me!

Something unfamiliar warmed within her chest, and he suddenly took a deep breath. Sitting back on her heels, she watched the rise and fall of his chest, wiping at a stray tear that ran down her cheek.

I owe that angel more than she could ever imagine.

“Ryder?”

He didn’t respond to his name. Shaking him, she prayed for yet another miracle, but he didn’t react.

Okay. I can do this. I can get him out of here.

But first, I need to make sure I don’t bleed out. Her arm was starting to ache, and she wondered if half of her light-headedness was coming from losing too much blood. Grabbing one of the white suits from a peg off a wall, she used her Splicer to cut it into strips and quickly wrapped her arm. Even so, the dark blood running down her arm made her stomach churn. That’s a lot of blood.

Outside the portal room, the pounding grew louder.

Instinctually, she shifted into a crouch, picking her Splicer back up. The pounding continued, but the metal doors held. But for how long?

“And there’s no other way out,” she whispered to herself.

Scanning the room, she prayed for a large vent. Anything. But there was no other way out than the door. So, I guess I’ll have to fight them. I can do that.

But she didn’t have to just fight her way out, she had to carry the massive demon beside her too.

There’s no way you can carry him.

“Logic, you’re a bitch,” she muttered to herself.

Reaching for Ryder, she forced him into a sitting position and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Moms lift fucking cars when they need to. I can lift one giant demon.”

Clenching her teeth, she tried to rise with him. Several times they fell back over, but she finally managed to drag him to the door. Panting, she went back to her weapon. As it touched her palm, she felt a spark.

Freezing, she opened her palm. The angel’s golden magic still glowed softly. What does that mean?

More pounding at the door drew her gaze. Hurrying back to Ryder’s side, she tensed, watching as the doors were slowly drawn apart. On the other side, she caught the sight of a room full of security guards.

Shit. If only…

She imagined one of the first spells she practiced with. One that knocked out an opponent and left them confused and disoriented. To her shock, her Splicer began to glow a light blue.

I can use magic in this realm!

I really owe that damn angel…

A smirk twisted her lips. The odds had just evened out, at least a little bit. Crouching over Ryder’s body, she waited until the doors were fully opened. The security guards had their guns drawn, but they parted.

The Director stood in the center of them. He wore a grey striped suit, his large belly straining the buttons in the center of his jacket. His thinning hair was combed back, as always, and his hazel eyes held a familiar hard edge.

“Sharen, tisk tisk tisk, I’m disappointed in you.”

Do you think I’m going to play your game old man? Sorry, but I’m not your puppet anymore.

She tightened her grip on her weapon. “Why? Because I discovered your little secret?”

His large lips curled into an unkind smile. “We all have secrets, Sharen. Only a naïve fool would believe otherwise.”

Her gaze slid to the security guards. “But you don’t think humanity deserves to know that not all demons are bad? That some of them are more like us than even the angels? That we have no right to keep them imprisoned in their realm?”

To her shock, he laughed. “Is that what they told you? Oh, you are a naïve, little girl aren’t you?”

“You said they were little more than wild animals,” she said, her voice rising with each word. “How do you explain intelligent human-like demons?”

He tilted his head. “Do you have any idea what the most dangerous animal is?” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “Humans are. And Level 10 demons are more dangerous than anything you can possibly imagine.”

Her weapon glowed more brightly. “I don’t believe you.”

His gaze slid to her weapon, and his eyes widened. “I know you’re probably feeling scared and confused. You have every right to be. Level 10 demons plant ideas in your mind and feed them like a fungus. You aren’t the first Hunter to succumb to their manipulations.” He took a small step toward her. “Put your weapon down. Give us the demons, and you’ll be forgiven.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Is that what you did to Elaina? You showed her forgiveness?”

His confident expression melted away, deepening the frown lines around his mouth. “I won’t talk about her.” His gaze moved to Ryder. “I remember him… and he had two brothers right? The story of what they did was all over the news, but then, you were probably too young to remember it.”

Her heartbeat sped up. Don’t let him get to you. “You’re changing the subject.”

“You don’t want to hear what they did.” He was smiling again. “They ran into a room full of men and killed them all. In cold blood. They’d never even met them before.”

She gripped her weapon more tightly. “You’re lying!”

“I’m not,” he said. “And that’s what bothers you the most. You don’t know.” He cocked his head. “So this, Sharen, is your last chance to end this. Your last—”

She fired, striking him, her magic exploding out onto the guards like fireworks. Curling over Ryder, she continued to fire, even as bullets whizzed around her.

One struck her shoulder. She clamped her teeth down on a hiss and continued shooting.

These fuckers have no idea how much pain I can take.

A buzzing filled her ears. The scent of burnt flesh reached her nostrils. Still, she didn’t stop.

She couldn’t stop.

I have to save him. I have to.

Time seemed to slow. Bullets moved leisurely toward her, and she frowned, easily shifting her body to avoid them. Is this the angel’s magic? She didn’t know, but something seemed to change within her. To stir.

After too long, she realized everything had grown quiet. She blinked, as if awakening, and stared at the room full of guards. All lay at various angles on the floor.

I… beat them? Shit.

She rose from her crouched position. None of the guards moved.

No time to rest. They won’t be knocked out for long. An hour or two at most.

Even though her legs trembled, she clutched her weapon more tightly and reached for her demon. I can do this. Dragging Ryder to his feet, she staggered under his weight, moving around the bodies as she headed for the door. But just as she was feet in front of it, the door began to open.

You’ve got to be kidding me…