Page 65 of Villains and Vengeance
Besides, he won’t just letanyonehave her. She’s a precious commodity here. Though I suppose the demon king’s idea of fair treatment is probably not snapping a neck just because he has the chance to.
I shut down the ideas of what Jules’ time in the Mountain will be like once she’s in Dante’s power as soon as I begin to think them. I don’t care. She’s a destructive force and, if she is ended in this place, my life and the ones of those I care about will be all the better for it. What happens to her after we leave isn’t my concern, but I need her kept away from my clan. It doesn’t matter how it happens. Only that it does.
We enter Dante’s throne room and the King in the Mountain lounges on his throne, his long, dark hair hanging around his face and his black shirt gaping open like he’s Fabio’s doppelganger.
I almost snort as I realize what’s been bothering me about that ancient wooden seat he sits on. It reminds me of an early Victorian toilet in one of the storerooms at home where I played as a boy. Is there a small door under his arse with a dirty chamber pot inside, I wonder with an inward chuckle.
‘Have you found her yet? Only two days to go, Julian.’
Straight to the point. He doesn’t waste time and that says quite a bit about his state of mind. He’s getting impatient and an impatient, powerful demon is not what I need right now.
I focus on him instead of the chair and give him a tight smile as I imagine slitting his throat from ear to ear. A demon can dream.
But even if I could get away with that, the ensuing chaos would make the Mountain even more dangerous than it already is. At least with Dante in charge and us as his public allies, few will chance crossing us in case they anger the demon king too.
‘I’m aware of the day.’ I say pleasantly as I saunter towards his loftiness’s dais. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that we’re close to locating her.’
Dante snorts, but I can see I’ve piqued his interest when he sits up a little straighter and his eyes zero in on me completely. He looks incredulous, but also hopeful at the same time.
‘Really?’ he drawls. ‘Because I heard that two of your clan have disappeared up in the tunnels over the past few days and haven’t been seen since.’
‘That’s by design,’ I reply smoothly. ‘They’re attempting to draw her out. She’s a slippery little thing as I’m sure you know considering that your men have had weeks to find her and yet haven’t been able topin her down.’
Dante’s mouth twists into a sneer. ‘If your clan has touched what’s mine—’
‘Never,’ I say immediately, wishing I was surer than I actually am. ‘She’s no friend of ours, my king. She’s practically the reason we were thrown in here. All any of us want is revenge and the best way of getting that is by giving her to you, a Dark Realm demon known for his creative cruelties. We have not one doubt that she’ll suffer well at your hands. And you’ll have a female to lord over the entire Mountain. Think of the prestige of possessing the one and only female who everyone’s been searching for. Your –ourleadership will be unchallengeable.’
‘My leadership is already unchallengeable,’ Dante scoffs, but he sits back in his chair, looking placated by my flattering words. He forgets that’s all they are and that none of this is going to matter once she’s captured. After all, he wants Jules for the portal as well and he doesn’t intend on being here after he’s got the information he wants.
Of course, neither do we, and there’s no bloody way he’s coming with us.
The demon king, done with me now, waves his hand at me and Silas immediately ushers me from the room.
‘Forty-eight hours, Julian,’ he calls, his voice echoing through the cavern. ‘Not a second longer. You better have her by then or you and your clan will yearn for death long before I’m finished with you.’
I don’t give him the satisfaction of turning back to face him, but the need to protect my clan is stronger than ever and I vow I will keep them safe.
Even if I must save them from themselves.
When Silas leaves me in the corridor, I don’t go back to the Cluster. Instead I let the demon out, get the infinity torch from my pocket, and venture to the deeper levels of the mount, further down into the depths of the caverns than most ever dare go. Past the subterraneous orc levels, I walk quietly and slowly, my wings out and my tail swishing. I make myself as large as possible. I don’t shy away from any movement I see. I pretend I’m down here looking for a fight. There are few down here who I actually come across, but those I do see are ragged and cower away from me. Other creatures in the dark scuttle in the opposite direction long before the torch’s glow touches them.
Despite the conjure on my torch, the glow it emits down here is somehow dimmer than it is in the upper levels. The walls are black and there are tunnels that look like no one’s been down them in many years. Some are even old arania haunts if the dirty, ancient-looking webbing that covers them is anything to go by.
I keep going, following my nose and my intuition down and down.
There is a mage in the deep. I’ve heard stories about him even on the outside. His powers bound before he was thrown into this place for eternity or however long mages live, he dwells in the darkest recesses of the Mountain. That’s about all I know, or care to know to be honest. But he’s a businessman too and he has something I want.
Surprisingly, I reach an actual door. Solid oak. Dark and smooth with age. Ancient fae patterns are etched into the wood, symbols I have no doubt that few would be able to read nowadays. I can feel the pull of his brand of magick from beyond the threshold, so I know I’m in the right place.
I knock and wait, keeping my wits about me and my demon eyes moving.
At last, the door creaks open and a tall man not much older than I look in my human form, dressed in black trousers and an old, frayed Christmas sweater with a bedazzled fir tree on it looks out at me expectantly.
‘Yes?’ he asks.
‘I’m here for …’ I pause, wondering if I’ve got this wrong, Britishness kicking in. ‘Sorry to disturb you, but are you—’
‘The mage. Yes.’
