Page 52 of Deranged Demons

Ignoring them, I continue on, holding up a third finger. “Rule number three: Work on keeping each other alive. You don’t have to like each other, but if anyone dies, we’re all affected, so get your heads out of your asses and don’t just stand there if someone’s about to be eaten.” I glare at Nate now, but he only gives me a shit-eating grin.

“Lastly,” I say, lifting a fourth finger, “rule number four: Don’t die.” You’d think I wouldn’t have to make this point, but considering the fiasco on the bridge, I’m starting to wonder about some of my mates.

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think they’re listening,”Shade says sympathetically as Prince Callan makes a snide remark about Nate not deserving to live, and the shifter shoots back a retort. I sigh and turn to the door at the base of the castle. If I were alone, I’d fly around the building and enter through one of the tower windows, but that’s not happening.Yay,I think sarcastically.Looks like we’re going through the front door.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

~ Princess Blake ~

Surprisingly, there isn’t anything bad waiting for us on the other side of the door. We make our way into the castle and up a series of corridors without incident, and it’s not until we reach a main corridor on the fourth floor that I take note of the hidden panels on the walls. Before we enter, I toss a discarded piece of broken wood into the air ahead of us, and jets of fire explode in the corridor, blocking the way ahead.Shit.

“Can’t say I’m in the mood to be roasted,” Prince Callan comments, studying the fire. “What now?”

“Now, we wait,” I instruct. I’ve always known about the booby trap in this corridor, but it’s usually deactivated. I concentrate on counting the streams offire and tossing more pieces of discarded wood into the corridor when the jets stop. It takes me a good while to memorize the pattern and figure out a path through, but eventually I think I’m ready.

Lifting my hand, I point to a small metal lever against the wall on the opposite end of the corridor. “I’ll go first and turn it off so you guys can come across.”

Dante’s brows slam down. “Let me do it.”

I shake my head. “I’ve grown up dealing with tests like this. Besides, I’m smaller so it’s easier for me to avoid the fire.” He still looks unhappy at the idea of me going first, but he steps back giving me space. Taking a deep breath, I wait until the fire stops yet again, and I launch into the corridor, counting in my head. Jets of fire start up in intervals, and I jump and contort my body, swiftly moving around the streams of fire.

“Fuck me, someone remind me why we signed up for this again?” Nate says from the end of the corridor behind me.

“We didn’t,” Prince Callan replies.

Heat brushes my face as a stream of fire shoots out in front of me, and I flick my head back, narrowly avoiding the flames.Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two.The fire stops, and I shoot forward four more steps before dropping to the floor and avoiding three jets of fire that surround me.Twenty-Nine. Thirty. Thirty-One.I keep counting.

By the time I make it to the end of the corridor, sections of my clothes are singed, and Ihave burn marks on my arms, but I’m whole. I plant my feet on the stone before the double doors at the end, and I blow out a breath.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad,”I say to Shade.

“Speak for yourself,”she grumbles, popping her head out from where she’d burrowed into my bodice and is squeezed between my breasts.“If anyone asks, tell them I flew through there.”

“Will do,”I grin as I pull down the lever and the jets of fire stop. The guys all come across, and Dante leans close and whispers in my ear,“Well done, princess.”I shiver as his warm breath touches my skin, and I turn to the doors leading away from the corridor of fire.

Dante grabs the steel knobs.

“This is the last room,” I say. “Beyond these doors is the great hall. It’s where the royals usually meet to carry out sensitive discussions involving the different realms.”

“And it’s where we’ll find the gateway,” Prince Callan adds, and I’m reminded that he’s probably attended some of the meetings held here as well.

“Everyone ready?” Dante asks.

I nod. If I’m right, this will also be where we’ll encounter the last trial the king has left for us.And then we can go home.

“Let’s get this over with,” Alaric growls, his body rigid.

Dante pushes the doors open, but before he can take a step, I fist the back of his shirt, stopping himfrom moving forward. His eyes widen as he pulls his boot back and away from the swirling shadows that cover the floor. Well, they don’t cover the floor, because thereisno floor. Instead of the white tile flooring that’s usually in this room, black shadows writhe and curl around one another like snakes.

Nate’s expression slackens. “What the fuck is that?”

I grimace. “That would be a gateway to the shadow realm.”

“The shadow realm?” Prince Callan frowns. “But that’s forbidden.”

“Feel free to tell that to the demon king when you see him,” I say, indicating with my hand to a space on the opposite end of the room where a smaller gateway is burning in a section of the wall. Unlike the blanket of shadows that’s an opening to the shadow realm, this gateway burns with red fire. I’m guessing the king has his best guards on the other side of that portal awaiting our return.

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