Mate to the Demon Kings by Lacey Carter Andersen
9
Kade hadn’t forgottenthe deepest parts of the demon realm. The smell of sulfur, thick and suffocating, hung in the air. He made his way from the portal, hidden by his sister’s magic, and stared up at the dark sky. The tiny sparks of fire drifted down from the darkness, the only thing close to rain in this world, except the sparks always fell, the only source of light.
As he continued on, he weaved between boulders. This far down, everything was covered in several thick feet of ash. He shuffled through it, kicking up a small cloud as he moved.
As he came around a corner, a creature was waiting for him. The demon was massive with dark hair and rugged features. One side of his face was covered in scars that had once been burns. And even from a distance, he radiated anger. What was more, he wore the white uniform of the king of the demon realm.
I expected to meet one of his men, but not quite this quickly.
“Hello,” Kade called, clenching his fists. Down here he could call his soul blade to him without fear of attracting angels, and he’d do it in a heartbeat if the demon showed himself to be a threat.
“I am a defender of the king, and you are trespassing on his lands.”
Kade stiffened. This man will take me right to the person I want to see, if I do this right. “I apologize. I wasn’t aware. But I’m here from Earth to see the king.”
The demon’s gaze ran over him. “It’s not often demons return here when they’ve escaped. It's against the king’s rule.”
“I’m aware, but my mission here is an important one.”
The demon shrugged his massive shoulders. “So be it.”
To his surprise, the man didn’t grab him. Instead, they walked next to each other and toward a river of flowing lava, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
“I’m Kade,” he introduced himself.
The demon raised a brow. “Jaxson.”
After a minute, the stoic demon spoke again. “I have a feeling, and tell me if I’m wrong, but I think the only reason a demon would ever do something so stupid is for love. Am I wrong?”
Kade sighed, running a frustrated hand through his dark hair. “You’re not.”
The demon nodded. “I just hope you know what you’re in for.”
They reached the river. “I guess that depends. Has the king ever granted a favor to a deserter before?”
Jaxson grinned. “Nope, but there’s a first time for everything.”
Great. Just great.
