The Rise of the Underworld Read online

  “The enemies captured two of our men,” Sebastian said in grief, his jaw clenched. “They’ll torture them to get the information. The three of us are the only ones who escaped, while a dozen of our men died to cover us, so we could deliver the news to the queen.”

  The four male Protectors all sank into nearby chairs at the edge of the training field, needing a moment. Their faces turned ashen.

  “It’s only a matter of time before the demon army digs out Nightingale,” Jonathan said. “This is our last stronghold. We don’t have enough soldiers, and they aren’t ready.” He darted a look at the training field. “They’ve just learned how to fight with an angelblade.”

  “The demons are going to wipe us out,” murmured Travis, the youngest Protector, who had also opposed me.

  “I told you she’s going to bring death to us all, and you didn’t believe me,” Halia said, and then she stormed off, probably going home to order her servants to prepare ginger tea to warm her up, so she’d have more energy to dethrone me.

  Her guards didn’t follow her.

  I felt a rock sinking into the pit of my stomach, and it felt like I’d never lift the weight off me.

  “Don’t lose spirit and courage!” Ash snarled from the training field, burying his blade into the ground. “Three of us—my brother, my mate, and I—can fight an army. Alpha Pure and Omega Power will fight by our side as the second defense line. It’ll be hell for them to get past us into the channel. Besides, your queen and I will ward every entrance to this city with our combined magic.”

  “Our ward stopped an armada of monsters from breaching the cave in the black forest in Acheron,” I said.

  “The land of woe,” a quiet Protector said in awe.

  “We should be able to stop the demon army from entering Nightingale,” I added.

  Raven’s eyes glinted. “My ancestors foresaw the arrival of our queen, and I didn’t see us perish. We have hope. We won’t be an extinct people now that our queen has found us.”

  Thunder boomed, rolling overhead.

  Everyone looked upward, confused and afraid.

  The soldiers ceased their parrying.

  “Stay calm,” Max called. “Be the warriors you are.”

  Ash squinted up. “What the fuck?”

  I locked gazes with my mates across the field just as they zoomed toward me, reaching my side in a second. Max spread his wings to shield me.

  Another roll of thunder roared above, and the ground beneath us tilted and rumbled.

  The torchlight on the high cave walls flicked and jumped wildly.

  “Where is the strongest structure?” Max asked Raven.

  “The throne room,” she said, biting her lower lips, her eyes wild and afraid.

  “Bring your people—the children and the women first—to the hall and house them there,” Max ordered, naturally taking over command. “These are explosions. The demons are trying to bomb the city open or bury us down here. They understand it’s a disadvantage to get inside the tunnel. We must prepare for the worst.”

  Raven and the other Protectors rushed to follow Max’s order. The warriors and I remained, waiting for the ceiling to fall in, bracing to battle the horde of demons.

  Ash took charge of getting the soldiers in battle formations.

  The bombs dropped, again and again, but the ceiling still held.

  “We don’t know how long it can hold,” Guy said grimly.

  “The enemies have found the center of Nightingale,” Sebastian said, looking at me with the same determination to fight. “We’ll protect the people as long as one of us still stands.”

  The underground city rocked for half an hour, stretching everyone’s nerves, before the explosions stopped.

  “I’ll go scout when night falls,” Max informed me. “Don’t you worry, love. We’ll handle this.”

  CHAPTER 14

  __________________

  Guy led Max, Ash, and me to the nearest exit out of the tunnel to Nightingale. We caught a small demon patrol team and eradicated them, except for their captain. We brought the demon captive down to the tunnel to interrogate him.

  After we got the information we needed, Ash beheaded the demon captain. Killian had eaten a demon while we battled, and now he dragged the headless captain with him as his next meal.

  We traveled along the tunnel the entire night. Ash and I used our combined magic to ward all five entrances to the city.

  Walking back to Nightingale, our hearts were heavy.

  It was just as we’d feared. We’d learned that two main demon armies would come for us within a few days, one led by the butcher, Commander Azazel, and the other by Elijah. They planned to bomb Nightingale open first. They had our central location already.

  “We need an evacuation plan,” Max said.

  “But where can we go?” Guy asked in dismay. “Nightingale is our last haven.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Max said. “But Nightingale is no longer a haven. We must abandon it.”

  Guilt gnawed at me again.

  After returning to the camp in the middle of the night, we went straight to our tent in heavy silence.

  “Don’t ever think this is your fault, Blossom,” Ash said, pulling me into his arms as we lay on the bed cushion on the ground.

  Max was on my other side.

  I snuggled up to the fae prince, burying my face in his broad, warm chest while waiting for another explosion to go off above.

  It got chilly as the night deepened. Our blanket was thin, but my mates were like open ovens. And Max’s soft, silky feathers covered me.

  “Sleep now, doll,” Max said. “Ash and I will keep watch in turn. We can worry about tomorrow’s business tomorrow.”

  It was sound advice, but it didn’t move the mountains.

  We couldn’t see any way out, except that my mates and I would have to leave Nightingale and draw our enemies away from the city. We would discuss the details tomorrow morning when we weren’t so tired.

  I finally fell into another restless sleep.

  Even in my exhausted slumber, the mating fever wouldn’t leave me alone. So it wasn’t a surprise that I was soon having an erotic dream, with a hard, large cock buried deep inside me, filling me and fucking me.

  It belonged to Ash. He thrust into me from the side, my back against his chest.

  Lust was drowning me, and I slammed my ass toward his groin.

  Ash’s thrusts became more urgent and dominating.

  Then an icon on my forearm flared, and my skin turned hot. Only it wasn’t the silver-gold icon that signaled the bond between Ash and me, but the icon of rose gold, the inactive one.

  Whenever I gazed at it, a dull ache and a sense of incompleteness always came over me. After I’d learned about Merlin’s role in my being trapped in the Underworld, I was hoping to carve out the last icon to cut away any connection to him.

  It brought me only grief, showing my failure and my supposed mate’s betrayal and his manipulation of my path. While he sacrificed me to have the version of the new world he favored, he had no remorse about sitting on his luxurious balcony overlooking a lush garden.

  That was the picture Ash had depicted, and it was burned into my head. Merlin lived in a magical oasis amid the ruins that none could find without his permission.

  I didn’t want to wake up from the addictive, erotic dream where Ash and I entangled and locked with each other. I needed this comfort. But the increased burning sensation on my skin finally dragged me out of the dream.

  Letting out a low groan, I snapped open my eyes in a grumpy mood, only to realize that it wasn’t a dream.

  Ash thrust into my heated core in his sleep while I gave him access. Somehow, in our sleep, he’d managed to pull down my pants.

  His one hand held my waist, the other grabbed my breast.

  He pounded between my thighs, his cock stretching my muscles further. I bit my lip in ecstasy, reveling at being fucked by my sleeping mate, who wasn’t aware he was fucki
ng me so possessively. And then a sudden uneasiness pierced through the sea of pleasure and settled in my consciousness.

  Someone else was inside the tent with us.

  I stopped bending at an angle to get more friction and pleasure from Ash’s brutal thrusts. My spine stiffened.

  My drumming heart rammed into my ribcage, my hand itching to reach for Dreamkiss at the bedside. But I didn’t want to make an abrupt move and put my mates and myself in danger.

  I evened out my breathing, magic answering me and pulsing at my fingertips, ready to attack and defend my mates and me.

  Yet it didn’t feel like the presence was threatening, only a little overbearing. And he was watching me with unnerving intensity, his hunger and longing rippling off him like living shadow and fire until they were too much and crashed into me.

  My body responded willingly. Mating heat stoked within me, racing in my bloodstream, and the inactivated icon flared with a new wave of warmth.

  Suddenly, I knew who was in the room with us, despite my mind saying it was impossible for the druid to be here; from what I’d heard about him, he could do many things no one thought possible.

  “Ayanna.” My name barely left his lips, like a caressing breeze. All sorts of emotions were contained in that whisper, like thousands of silent words.

  My heart ached, as if it was being scorched by a lump of burning coal.

  Merlin sat in a meditation pose on the ground near the end of the bed cushion.

  His outline shone as a faint flicker of torchlight from outside the tent backlit him. He looked incredibly handsome, even though I couldn’t completely make out the contours of his features in the dim light.

  I stopped slamming my ass back toward Ash, my face flushing in the dark.

  “Mer…” Before I finished the murmur, Merlin was sent flying backward, tearing open the tent with a sharp zap sound.

  Ash had pulled out of me. Then he was up like a meteoric wind, his ice magic whipping around him menacingly.

  In an instant, the fae prince dashed out of the tent, fully clothed in pursuit of the druid.

  I pulled up my pants in a hurry.

  “The fucker’s finally here,” Max said in a low, ironic voice. “Unbelievable.”

  There was no sleepiness in his voice. He’d been awake, but he was giving Ash and me some privacy. And he’d also been quietly waiting for Merlin to make a move, except that Ash had blown Merlin’s cover.

  I grabbed Dreamkiss and rushed outside of the tent after Max.

  Killian crouched outside the tent, the demon’s body near him. He’d dragged his meal all the way to the city last night, but I hadn’t allowed him to move the dead demon into my tent, so he slept outside and guarded his meal.

  Why hadn’t he warned us about the arrival of the druid? But then, Max had mentioned that Merlin could get past anything and anyone.

  Killian raised his head at the sight of me, happily twitching his tail before turning back to watch the drama unfold before him.

  Merlin twisted his torso in the air with great control and landed in front of the tent next to ours. His white robe billowed fluidly, and he even got a wizard wand out and pointed it at Ash.

  “Like that toy could stop me,” Ash hissed and lunged.

  The prince tossed a wave of ice magic at the druid. The next moment, he was upon Merlin, his hand lashing out to grab the druid’s throat. Merlin brought up his hand, lightning fast, his wrist slamming against Ash’s palm, which turned into a fist.

  Their limbs clashed as the duo traded more punches and kicks. Merlin proved to be an excellent fighter, but he mostly tried to dodge Ash’s brutal blows. It was as if the druid was trying hard not to aggravate his opponent.

  “You’re waking everyone up, Winter Prince,” Merlin chided. “Must you always ruin my surprise? Not only did you spoil my plan, but you’re also bringing unwanted attention to my presence.”

  “You’re unwanted and unwelcome, you alien bastard!” Ash hissed.

  Max once mentioned that Merlin was the product of a coupling between an alien god and a mortal woman.

  “Please don’t yell, fae,” Merlin said, ducking to the side as Ash wheeled toward him like a violent wind. “You hurt my ears.”

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Merlin?” Max asked, crossing his muscled arms over his broad chest and watching his bonded brothers duel.

  He had no intention of stopping the fight, and I was still in a daze. The gold rose icon pulsed achingly on my forearm with a sublime message. It wanted me to mate with Merlin, as it had just spotted my last mate, and it was giddy to see him.

  Merlin glanced in my direction before turning back to focus on fending off Ash. “I had to come. There was no other option. I won’t stand by and see Ayanna perish. What wouldn’t one do for his mate?”

  “Ayanna is trapped here because of you, asshole,” Ash snarled.

  Merlin nodded a regretful agreement, but he didn’t slow down or allow Ash to punch his face. “I’ll see what I can do to amend the situation.”

  “There’s nothing you can do other than bring more grief and nuisance,” Ash shouted at him. “Two armies are coming, and these people are defenseless and hopeless. You fucked up big, druid.”

  “I hope that blaming it all on me will make you feel better.” Merlin frowned. “Stop being a pussy, Ash.”

  “Watch your language, druid,” I hissed. “There’re probably children around.”

  “My apologies, Princess,” Merlin said. “I got caught up in the moment because the fae was loud and annoying.”

  Ash sent an icy twister toward Merlin, and Merlin raised a shield of white light around him.

  The light and the twister battled, and then canceled each other out. Ash and Merlin lunged at each other again, fists accompanying a flurry of kicks. At least they hadn’t drawn their angelblades.

  A crowd of warriors gathered around, watching the match in amazement. They had seen how Max and Ash fought and couldn’t get enough of it; this combat mixed with magic was another treat for them.

  Some warriors began to mimic their moves.

  “Clear the path! The Protectors are coming!” some guards shouted, and the crowd parted to let Raven and Willow move to the front.

  The warriors bowed to the ladies, then bowed again when they spotted the other Protectors tagging along.

  Merlin sent Ash a rueful look. “You destroyed my chance at privacy, which I value greatly. Now I’ll have to make a public speech instead of whispering some secrets into Ayanna’s ears.”

  He sent me a gentle, meaningful look, and an unexpected, pleasant shiver climbed up my spine, despite my lingering anger at the druid.

  My body, heart, and mind were not aligned.

  I couldn’t deny the attraction and chemistry between Merlin and me, even though I didn’t know him well. Maybe the power of the mating bond was beyond any force, as Max said.

  “Who gives a fuck what you value?” Ash retorted, but his tone carried a hint of regret as he scanned our surroundings. “You aren’t getting near Ayanna, druid. I won’t allow you to do any more damage.”

  I’d prefer to solve the conflict with Merlin in private, too, before offering him to the crowd so they could throw stones at him.

  But it was no longer possible, since all seven Protectors had come, parking in front of a small army of Thorn Rose soldiers and staring at Merlin with their jaws dropped.

  “How did that man in the white robe get in here?” Halia pointed her bony finger at Merlin. “He must be a spy. Arrest him! We must interrogate him.”

  No one stepped forward, as they’d all seen how he fought.

  “No one interrogates the First Druid,” Merlin answered. “Not even Cain’s boss, the Dark Lord Atlas. But you’re welcome to try.”

  “I won’t stop them from trying, Merlin,” Max said. “This time you’ve succeeded in aggravating my mate.”

  “Our mate,” Merlin corrected.

  Raven and Willow shot a surprised, amused
look at me, then the other Protectors also darted their gazes between Merlin and me. My face blushed furiously, and I glared at Merlin.

  The druid had never brought me a single good thing except for Dreamkiss, the most exquisite, lethal angelblade.

  “How many consorts does our queen have?” Someone’s curious whisper reached my sensitive ear.

  “Shush!” Someone else hushed her.

  “Like that’s going to happen, asshole, after what you did to her,” Max retorted.

  “What did he do?” Jonathan wanted to know.

  “That’s private, Protector,” Merlin said.

  The druid sent Max an annoyed glance before returning to fend off Ash. The fae prince landed a blow to his temple in his distraction.

  “Nasty fae,” Merlin sighed. “Cynical vampire. I wonder why I even bother with you two. And the third one turned into an archdemon, lost to the darkness.”

  Elijah.

  My heart constricted, and pain spread through me. Elijah would soon lead an army to eliminate us. It seemed that even Merlin had deemed the former archangel unredeemable. As if detecting my turmoil, Merlin sent me a sympathetic glance. My face hardened. He had no right to judge Elijah and show me his pathetic pity. He had intended to sacrifice me, while Elijah didn’t have much choice when Hell’s power overwhelmed and corrupted him.

  Though I wanted Ash to kick Merlin’s ass, their fight had dragged on too long. We had better things to do when our annihilation was so close.

  I turned to Max.

  Max sighed. “Fine.”

  He moved, and the next second, he was between Ash and Merlin, pushing them apart.

  “We need information from the druid,” Max told Ash. “You can stab him in the kidney later, after we get what we want. And I might just join you.”

  “Always showing your delightful side, vampire,” Merlin said.

  “Uh, he’s Merlin,” I told the Protectors. “And he’s a druid.” Over their confused expressions, I tried to explain better, as I’d learned the term from Max. “A druid is like a wizard, a sorcerer, but a bit more. He kind of ranks high in the magical community, and he draws his magic from the planet.”

  Raven suddenly cried, “I see his magical aura. He’s also an oracle. He sent you here.”