Eternity of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 3) Page 8

  I was pretty sure Ashor had been going out of his way to keep that side of the court out of my face, but I sensed it as we walked around the grounds. My demon tingled with the lure of it in the air.

  We walked by the stalls, the horses snorting or sniffing us out, a few visibly shaking their heads at me, as if they were saying, Not a chance.

  Hellmounts were daunting creatures. Up close they were terrifyingly fierce. Treachery’s hoofs hit the floor twice in greeting as I approached the stunning black horse. His coat gleamed, silky and soft. Such power resided in this magnificent animal.

  “Hello there, Your Majesty,” I murmured soothingly, stroking down the front of his long nose. Treachery was every inch as imperial as his rider.

  He let a wisp of a breath through his nostrils in response, nudging my hand.

  “Traitor,” Ashor scoffed with affection to his horse, giving him a few pats on the side of his sleek body.

  Treachery tapped his hoof on the ground like a three-year-old talking back.

  My lips curved upward.

  “You and I are going to have a little talk after I find my mate a mount,” Ashor informed his horse.

  It turned out to not be the easiest of tasks.

  After the fifth rejection, I started to feel like the little girl in grade school who always got picked last. True story. No one at school had been eager to be my friend or select me for their team thanks to my demon heritage, a trait humans found off-putting, and it very much felt like that now.

  Except I was being rejected by horses!

  I didn’t know which was more deflating, and I had just turned to tell Ashor to forget it, that I refused to ride on my own, when something bumped my shoulder from behind.

  “Patience,” Ashor crooned, gifting me with one of those lopsided grins that implied he was always right. The one I found ridiculously irritating and endearing in the same breath.

  Turning around slowly, I half expected Apollo or Draven to be standing behind me, fucking with me, not the saddest-looking horse I’d ever seen. She was smaller than the other Hellmounts. Her mane and coat didn’t gleam like Treachery’s. She appeared neglected, forgotten for centuries.

  Angling my head to the side, I regarded the horse, gazing into big, red eyes. If I made even the slightest movement, she looked as if she would dart back into the shadows of her stall.

  “This is Kora,” Ashor whispered. The only muscle moving on his body was his lips, but his eyes said more.

  “You seem surprised,” I commented, keeping my tone mild and gentle.

  “I am,” he admitted. “She’s normally a shy, timid thing. It is unusual for her to want to ride.”

  “Maybe she just hadn’t met the right rider,” I suggested, giving my mate a sidelong glance.

  Ashor tentatively lifted his arm, showing Kora his hand. She watched him warily but did only that. Just watched. He ran his hand down her muddied snowflake mane. “I think you might be right, luv. Perhaps we both had been waiting for you.”

  Her dark gray coat was spotted with tiny white speckles that looked like stars. It was as if constellations had been painted on her body.

  “Hello, pretty lady,” I crooned softly, my movements slow as I lifted my hand to let her sniff me.

  She took her fill, eventually bumping her nose against my hand. I couldn’t help but wonder what this horse saw in me that all the others failed to see or had overlooked.

  Ashor moved slightly back, allowing Kora and me to get acquainted. “Don’t let her fool you though. Underneath all that timidness is a fire these other horses don’t have. She has a will that can’t be broken,” he said, and I believed him.

  I didn’t need to ask if someone had tried to break this creature’s spirit because just looking at her, it was clear someone had. And I wanted to hurt that demon.

  Kora peered at me like she understood my sudden anger, and I swore I caught a flash of tiny gold sparks in her deep eyes.

  “I guess you and I have something in common.” Pressing my face against the side of her neck, I whispered, “Thank you for choosing me.”

  Kora let out a soft snort in response.

  I wished I had more time to get to know her, to allow her to gain trust in me, but neither of us had that luxury. I hoped I could show her on this trip that I was trustworthy and a friend. It didn’t matter to me that she had been neglected or might spook easily. I would lend her my strength as long as she lent me her legs.

  While Apollo and Draven took Treachery and their horses outside, Ashor tended to Kora, carefully securing her gear. Once she was all saddled up, he boosted me up on top of her back. Kora did a little prance in the stable, kicking up a bit of dirt and dust, but she settled faster than I’d given her credit for.

  “Good girl,” I murmured, running a reassuring hand along her neck. She steadied further at my touch, and I grinned down at Ashor.

  He handed me the reins. “She knows what to do and who to follow. Just hold on. And don’t fall off, luv.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Leading us out of the stables, Ashor mounted his horse. Apollo and Draven were already situated on top of their Hellmounts, each nearly as big as Treachery. Beside the other three males, Kora was dwarfed, but she kept her head high, and I couldn’t help but be proud.

  With a single command from Ashor, Treachery took off, the other mounts on his heels. I gripped tightly onto the reins as Kora surged forward, her hooves clapping over the ground as we rode through the kingdom toward the Gate of Envy.

  Mist chilled my face as we passed into Hell’s Mist. I clung to Kora, who also seemed to need reassurance. Her heart beat faster underneath me, and she moved in closer to Treachery, passing Apollo in the process. It was as if she knew Ashor wanted me as close to him as possible.

  Confusion, danger, and disorder waited within Hell’s Mist, designed to keep the dead in limbo for years. But demons… that was tricky. Not every demon could navigate through the mist like Ashor and the Wild Hunt could, which made it vital that I not wander. Without Ashor to guide me, I’d be lost to the mist for… well, until something found me. If I was lucky, my mate would track me before something else could.

  Time in the mist was also something of an oddity. My ass said we’d been galloping through the dense fog for hours, and during that time, little conversation was spoken because there were other things that lurked there besides roaming humans. I didn’t need another surprise encounter with Ashor’s brother, Soren. The last time we met in the In-between, he had nearly captured me.

  Maybe it was the thought of Soren that caused the chill creeping down my spine, except that eerie sensation continued to linger. I glanced over my shoulder, not sure what I thought I would see considering I could barely see five feet in front of me. The two demons flanking me on either side seemed unconcerned. Their faces remained a picture of disinterest. We could have been galloping through a field of corn for all the intrigue either of them showed.

  “Are you sure someone isn’t following?” I asked through our bond. I didn’t want to risk speaking up and drawing unwanted attention. My demon senses were telling me that we had already captured the interest of something.

  Ashor’s face grew solemn. “Oh no, we’re definitely being stalked.”

  My chest sank, dread pitting in my gut. Why couldn’t one thing go off without a hitch? “And you’re not fucking concerned?” I spat in return, fueled by fear and a surge of adrenaline that made me angry.

  Ashor crouched low over Treachery, his black cloak billowing behind him as he urged his horse faster. “Not unless they decide to do something other than follow.”

  Kora’s ears twitched, her head darting from side to side as if she too felt the approaching danger. Her gait quickened, spurred by my alarm. “What is it?” I asked, wanting to comfort her but too afraid I might fall off if I let go of the reins for even a second.

  “The question you should be asking is how many,” he replied, not helping matters.

  “For the lov
e of… Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “Precisely.” He chuckled, a gentle stroke of dark silk in my head. “We are close to the human world. Just keep moving forward. Apollo and Draven will take care of it if anything does try to stop us.”

  We continued to ride, and I attempted to put the thing stalking us out of my mind, but it wasn’t that simple, not with the demon inside me protesting. She had her nails out, ready to fight for our survival.

  I was glad for the sudden change in the air, because it meant we were that much closer to leaving this place. Haste fluttered in my belly.

  Kora’s front hooves crossed over the dimensional threshold into the mortal, and a sigh of relief went through me. We’d made it. But no sooner had the thought flitted through my mind did I notice a heavy pressure on my ankle, far heavier than the boots I wore. I glanced down as Kora’s hind legs made the last jump into the mortal world, and with it brought something dark and unnatural into my world.

  Fuck me.

  6

  Ashor heard the curse, and his head whirled toward me. Kora let out a whining shriek, rearing up at the added weight and extra passenger who had hooked a ride through the portal. I struggled to stay on top of her while trying to ditch the asshole who clung to my foot.

  My fingers slipped on the reins, my balance wavering, and it was only a matter of seconds before I landed flat on my back.

  “Lexi!” Ashor bellowed, yanking Treachery to a halt.

  Kora slammed her front hooves to the ground, sending me tumbling against her neck. Her hind legs went up next, kicking into the air as she bucked not once but twice. And then again to dislodge the creature.

  Her efforts weren’t fruitless.

  Ashor snatched the reins, calming Kora in the process as the creature flew to the ground, landing crouched on all fours. Apollo and Draven both were off their mounts, circling the thing that had broken out of Hell. On an echoing hiss, it stood on two legs, and I got my first real look at it.

  Although the being had a figure of a man, that was the only part of it that resembled something human. It had no skin, no real solid form, but was shaped out of shadows. Four arms hung from spindly shoulders, but that wasn’t even the weirdest part. Wisps and curls of darkness branched out from the creature’s back. Like wings but not. It had no real face, just two eyes that glowed a yellowish white.

  “Are you okay?” Ashor asked, projecting his voice into my head.

  I simply nodded, still stunned by the sight of the beast.

  Kora pranced in place, seemingly as shaken as I was. Unconsciously, my fingers ran down her slim neck.

  Blustery violet eyes churned. “Dispatch of it. Quickly,” Ashor ordered Apollo and Draven. “I don’t want to leave any traces that we were here.”

  Kora made a funny noise, finally drawing my gaze away from the thing. I leaned in to offer her another comforting pat, but something on the ground caught my eye. My hand paused midair as the hairs on my arms prickled, standing straight up.

  “That might be difficult,” I mumbled, staring at the ground surrounding the portal from which we had come. A string of demon body parts was scattered outside the gate between worlds. It was difficult to tell if they had run through the dimension willingly and combusted or if someone had tossed them through. Regardless, it hadn’t ended well.

  Ashor didn’t like what he saw, and the storm in his eyes darkened. Keeping hold of Kora’s reins, he stepped in front of me, a warning to the creature. I was under his protection. Treachery, following Ashor’s lead, did the same to Kora. They were a unit, and no one touched what was theirs.

  The shadowy bones at the creature’s back rose, twitching like branches swaying in the breeze during an ominous thunderstorm. At any moment, I expected a strike of lightning to crash behind it.

  “And you thought this trip would be a bore,” Draven said condescendingly to Apollo as he stepped to the side, eyes locked on the creature.

  A wry grin graced Apollo’s lips in answer, and he threw out his hand, a long silver scythe appearing at his palm.

  “Really? You brought out the scythe?” Draven shook his head, unimpressed.

  Clutching the slim handle with both hands, Apollo replied, “Easier to cut this thing’s head off with.”

  From the way Ashor huffed, I concluded that this sort of banter was common between them.

  Draven flipped his sword, slashing it through the air at the beast. “Just don’t get in my way.”

  Apollo came from the other side in a movement that mirrored Draven’s. “When have I ever, brother?”

  They fought seamlessly together to trap and kill the creature, not giving it the chance to defend itself or run. The deed was done in less than a minute, the final blow indeed coming from Apollo’s scythe as it sliced cleanly through the thing’s neck, sending the creature exploding into a dust of darkness.

  Black blood dripped from the curved blade of Apollo’s weapon as they returned to their horses with a bow to Ashor.

  “Can someone explain how this happened?” I asked, my gaze shifting to the doorway between worlds. If you weren’t looking for it or didn’t know they existed, you would have just walked right by, no idea that death waited so close. It wasn’t a tangible doorway but one of ancient power formed long ago by the rulers of Hell, and only the kings and queens of the five kingdoms could summon the passage between worlds. They could open them for other demons, of course, but they weren’t the only way in and out of Hell.

  The air around the dimension shimmered and rippled like the surface of a lake. Were the other entrances to the mortal world also suffering the same fate?

  Ashor squeezed my leg.

  Draven swung up upon his large black mare, his rough and rugged features pinched. It was difficult to imagine what that face looked like under all that dark facial hair. “Gifts from the queen,” he stated.

  The queen bitch herself just wouldn’t stop. “What does it mean?” I asked, already afraid I knew the answer.

  “A warning,” Apollo said, instructing his horse to take up their position at my side.

  Somberness descended over Ashor’s features. “She knows where we are,” he said.

  We broke the wooden tree line just as the midwestern sun peaked high in the blue sky. White powder of snow glistened under the warmth and glow of the sun, blanketing the ground, the trees, and my house.

  A gust of homesickness and affection barreled through me like a winter storm. Tears froze at the corners of my eyes as I sat atop Kora staring at the country-style house that lately had seemed like a dream, a place I might never see again.

  But here it was, in front of me with smoke curling out of the chimney. Warm and inviting. I had no idea what day it was, if my dad was even home. So many memories flashed in my head. I had lived in this house my entire life. Everything good and bad happened to me here. My bedroom faced the front of the house, but I knew without seeing it that everything would be exactly where I had left it.

  There was comfort in the knowledge.

  My eyes shifted to the house next door—Chase and Angel’s house. I swallowed back the lump of emotion clogging my throat. I hadn’t anticipated being so overwhelmed returning home. It snuck up on me.

  I didn’t know where to go first. We’d come here to warn Angel, but I couldn’t leave without seeing my family. Who knew when I’d be able to see them again?

  “Would you like another minute? A hug perhaps?”

  “Shut up,” I shot back, rubbing the icy tears from my eyes. I lifted my chin, firming the lip that wanted to wobble.

  “Better. I’m sorry that I can’t give you more time.”

  A sad frown touched my soul. “Knowing they’re safe is enough.”

  We left the Hellmounts in the backyard. Our nearest neighbors were miles down the road, but in case someone drove by, it was best to keep them out of sight. The people of Spring Valley were used to the unusual, seeing as since Angel moved in there had been an uptick in demon activity, but most people
disregarded what they didn’t understand.

  Neither Dad nor Chloe’s car was in the driveway, but Emma’s was, which meant my brother, Travis, was home. Go figure. I think my father had given up on Travis getting an actual job and becoming an adult.

  As much as I wanted to run home first, I trekked through the snow to Chase and Angel’s house. Better to get the hard stuff out of the way. I’d have Chase call Travis and Emma to join us once we got inside and out of the blistering cold. Illinois winters were no joke. I’d almost forgotten how brutal and unforgiving the weather could be in the middle of January.

  Shivering on the front porch, I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell with three demons standing at my back, hoping I didn’t send my best friend into early labor.

  Chase answered the door in a pair of gray sweatpants and a T-shirt, his dark hair messy. Bright silver eyes went wide when they landed on me. He blinked. “Lexi? What are you—” His voice cut off as his gaze lifted over my head, landing on Ashor. “Oh, you brought him with you.”

  My lips twitched. “Nice to see you too, cuz.”

  His lips remained in the deep scowl even as he pulled me in for a hug. “God, Lex. I’ve been so worried.”

  “I’m okay,” I assured, hugging him back fiercely. Everything about Chase felt like home.

  “Chase? Who is it?” a soft, familiar voice called from the hallway.

  I peeked around Chase, a stupid grin spreading over my lips.

  “Lexi?” Angel gasped, her purple eyes brimming with disbelief. “Is it really you?”

  I didn’t wait for Chase to invite me in and rushed past my cousin, meeting my best friend halfway. Her shoulders shook as she clung to me, my own tears streaming down my face. “I missed you,” I whispered, not ready to let go.

  She sniffled. “Not nearly as much as I missed you.”

  A watery laugh bubbled out. It was then I noticed how different it was hugging my friend. She had a bump that made it a slightly difficult task. Taking a step back, I looked Angel in the face, seeing that happy glow. Her auburn hair shined. It had been there before the baby, but now she radiated.