The Rise of the Underworld Read online

I whimpered at the promise.

  Max didn’t take his clothes off either, since we had to stay alert and jump into a fight at a moment’s notice. He kneeled behind me, his hands still on my breasts. His cock sprang free, pressing against the entrance of my back hole.

  “Lift your ass higher, doll,” he commanded, and I obliged him while Ash thrust up into my molten heat, driving into my depths with bruising strength.

  The pleasure was already unmaking me.

  “Human women would need lubrication, but you don’t, doll,” Max said. “You’re a powerful hybrid, and you’re made for me.”

  With that, he pushed his cock through my back entrance and filled me. When he withdrew and then thrust back in with force, I screamed in pleasure.

  Both cocks drove into me with blinding speed and brutal power until they gave me shattering orgasms, pulsing in wave after wave.

  Their rage and lust became mine and mine merged with theirs, and we turned the rage to strength and determination to prevail.

  We’d survive all the shit storms, in Hell or not.

  Ash rode through my climax and emptied himself into me. Max roared his release and collapsed on my back.

  I screamed until my orgasm echoed.

  CHAPTER 7

  __________________

  We wanted to go another round, then another, until we didn’t have the strength to crawl. But Max, the most disciplined one among us, put a stop to it.

  He kissed me gently then ordered us to pack up.

  We zoomed in toward where my faithful tiger kept watch, and Killian wiggled his tail in excitement at our approach.

  I was bored, Calamity, he complained, then roared at the black owl that flew overhead.

  We crossed the ragged black hills and left the dark red lake behind.

  When we slowed down, Max studied my worn-out boots.

  “We’ll get you new boots when we get to the rebel city,” he said.

  My mates took the role of being my providers very seriously.

  Staying in Hell seemed to be my lot now, but while my two mates were with me, the ache of not being able to meet my parents gradually abated, replaced by gratitude.

  Max pricked his ears as if he’d heard something, then Ash growled. And then I heard the tiny echo of rapidly flapping wings.

  Max shot into the sky, his massive wings spread, his weapon drawn.

  The demons had found us.

  Ash and I rushed ahead to get close to Max, raising our angelblades.

  The distant dots that blotted the gray sky grew larger. They were all wings, red and gray.

  Max crashed into a Sváva demon army of hundreds.

  “Max, fall back!” I screamed.

  I wouldn’t lose another mate.

  Ash roared, throwing up his hands. A wave of icy wind surged up to aid Max, slamming into the enemies. I unleashed my red lightning and dropped half a dozen demons from the sky.

  Their feathers rained down along with a shower of dark blood.

  A group of demons landed, surrounding us.

  Ash and I put our backs together, slashing and cutting through the demon soldiers’ ranks.

  Killian fought on our blind side, snarling and leaping toward a demon, his jaws aiming for the demon’s throat. While the demon tried to fend off my tiger and cut his head with a broad blade, Ash ran his angelblade through the demon’s heart.

  We hacked our swords at the demons with all we had, but the demons were too many. Both Ash and I had shallow cuts and slashes here and there.

  I pushed through the pain.

  A dull fear throbbed in the back of my mind.

  We wouldn’t make it out alive. Not this time. All three of us were spent from the long journey, battles, and lack of rest and sleep. Merlin’s betrayal had also done considerable damage to us.

  Because we were so exhausted, our magic didn’t have a chance to replenish.

  A third wave of demons surged toward us.

  Max landed on my other side. His wings bled from many cuts, yet they still thrust toward our enemies and threw a few demons away from us.

  A yellow-horned demon ducked swiftly and drove his blade toward the inside ridge of Max’s left wing, I dove and stabbed my Dreamkiss into the demon’s chest before he could cut my mate.

  “Thanks, doll,” Max said, cutting another demon in half as it lunged toward me.

  “Max, withdraw your wings,” I called urgently.

  His once mighty wings had slackened. They had become a target for the demons’ blades.

  “I can’t retract them when I’m wounded like this,” Max said softly, then charged a demon fiercely with his broad sword.

  We shifted positions and formed a new triangle, with Killian covering our blindsides to the best of his ability. My tiger was wounded too. He staggered and snarled. The wounds left by an angelblade were even more lethal to him than to us. When a demon slashed another long gash over his belly, Killian tumbled.

  My heart clenched. I was unable to protect my tiger when the enemies’ numbers overwhelmed us. I fought back tears at the possibility of having lost my tiger already.

  The black owl swooped down and aimed for a demon’s eyes when the demon got too close to me. I noticed that the owl defended only me, as if he was desperate to keep me alive.

  Dozens of demons dove toward us from the sky at the same time, their angelblades thrusting before them. They were attacking us from both the ground and the sky, trying to overwhelm us with sheer numbers.

  It looked like they were going to cut us to ribbons.

  Ash’s icy storm lashed out, but he was greatly weakened due to exhaustion. A red-winged demon’s long blade nearly impaled his skull while my fae mate managed his magic and tried to shield me.

  I shrieked in terror, and my last dregs of red lightning blasted out of me toward the demons, eliminating the one who tried to harm Ash and dropping another dozen.

  The demons were relentless, assaulting and besieging and tiring us.

  We kept fighting.

  It felt like we’d been battling like this nonstop for centuries. My throat was dry, my arms felt like lead, and my steps slowed and stumbled.

  My eyelids grew so heavy that all I wanted was to fall and sleep, but I owed it to my mates to fight until my last breath and slay as many demons as I could.

  In the distance, a horn blew.

  “Lord Elijah has called for a retreat!” a demon captain barked. “He’s coming in person to end the filth!”

  Elijah had sent this horde to fight us.

  In the hollow of my heart, pain blossomed, right on top of the wound left by Merlin.

  I could no longer deny the ugly, cruel truth—my former archangel mate had become an archdemon. And he wanted our heads and would come to get them in person.

  CHAPTER 8

  __________________

  Max filled a few syringes and administered shots to all of us to counter the infection from our angelblade wounds. Killian finally rose from the ground, whimpering and licking the back of my hand.

  I’d been crying over his fur as he just crouched there, his breath short and ragged and his heartbeat slowing before Max’s shots brought him back.

  “We have only two vials of antidote left,” Max said and carefully put the rest of the serum back into the backpack.

  The black owl perched on a bush, priming his feather, his large eyes watching us quietly. He was the only one who didn’t have a scratch.

  Hell had all sorts of beasts. The owl must be one of a kind. I still couldn’t penetrate his mind, but he hadn’t proved to be a foe, and he’d aided me in two battles.

  “We need to move out of here before Elijah brings a larger force,” Max said grimly.

  Ash hadn’t spoken much since we left the lake. He was brooding and trying to stay calm for my sake, yet I felt implacable rage beating beneath his skin. Max was better at dealing with anger issues.

  “Let my tiger finish his meal first,” I said, even though I cringed at the way he ch
ewed at the demons.

  “You should eat something as well,” Max said, handing me a roll of dried, hard bread and a canteen of water.

  I took a swig, the cool water soothing my parched throat. Max divided another roll of hard bread into two and tossed the other half to Ash.

  Our rations were running out. We hadn’t expected to be shut out of the leyline. We’d prepared and equipped for a one-way trip.

  I handed the canteen to Ash and divided my portion into three parts. The other two would be for my mates.

  “You eat them all, Blossom,” Ash chided. “You need strength.”

  “I’m much smaller than you two,” I insisted. “I consume less.”

  “You’re shaming us by not eating the bread we provided,” Ash said.

  Max nodded his agreement.

  I sighed. We would have to make new rules when we had the energy for a family meeting.

  I tore off another piece of bread and put it into my mouth. My mates had devoured their portions.

  “Max, you need blood,” I said after I swallowed the last bite of the bread. I craned my neck and brushed my hair aside. “Feed now, before we get on the road.”

  A dark light flashed in Max’s eyes, intensified by thirst and hunger for me. He’d wanted my blood for days.

  “I won’t weaken you, doll,” he said. “I can hold out until we get you to shelter.”

  Max took the canteen from Ash and took a big swig to quench his thirst, but I knew it wouldn’t help. But then my mates were both as stubborn and unyielding as rocks when it concerned my safety and wellbeing.

  “Let’s get going,” Ash said. “When Elijah comes with his demons, his ass is mine. And don’t try to stop me when I drill hundreds of holes into his black heart.”

  “We can’t blame him,” I said, my mood turning darker. “The Underworld corrupts alien races like his, bending their minds and turning their physiques into monstrous forms. My adopted father told me about it. I think that’s how Hell responds to other great powers and threats that aren’t its own. It’s like a defense mechanism. No matter how powerful Elijah is, he can’t resist Hell’s dark power. And he’s alone, without us helping him. The only way to turn him back is to get him to the Upper Realm, and—”

  I couldn’t finish the words. There was no getting to the Upper Realm, and there was no hope for Elijah either.

  The archdemon would come soon and battle his former bonded brothers and mate.

  “Max is fine,” Ash grated. “I’m fine. It’s about the choice. And Elijah chose the dark side.”

  “Max is half-vampire,” I said, “and he has my blood in his veins. I was immune to the Underworld, and so are you, I think.”

  The owl blinked as if it could understand our conversation. As I swept my suspicious gaze toward him, the bird shot high into the gray sky.

  CHAPTER 9

  __________________

  We prowled through the desert without encountering Elijah and his demon army, but dread remained in the pit of my stomach like lead. We traveled as fast as we could. Exhaustion draped over us like damp clothes we couldn’t shrug off.

  “We have company,” Ash called, pulling me to a stop. He eased his angelblade out of the scabbard strapped to his back.

  Max and I followed suit, our blades tight in our hands.

  The sand in the distance moved like a small dome. Then a dozen figures emerged from behind the dome of flying sand.

  Max squinted. “It’s the Thorn Rose rebels.”

  He put his angelblade back into the sheath.

  “But we sent them to escort the women,” I said anxiously, worrying about my brother, Octavia, and all the women. “What are they doing here?”

  Max took off into the sky, his wings spreading to their full, magnificent length.

  Ash and I sprang forward. Killian raced beside me.

  Max landed before we reached the group, tugging in his wings.

  “What are you doing here, Guy?” I demanded.

  The leader of the raiders removed the leather mask that covered the lower part of his face.

  “We are here to aid you in any way we can, Queen Calamity,” Guy said, the scar on his face deepening as he took in our condition.

  We were battered and bloody, our clothes hanging in shreds, though our wounds were mostly healed, thanks to the serum Max and Ash brought from the Upper Realm.

  “What about the women?” I asked anxiously. “Their safety is important!”

  “We met Team Omega Pure inside the tunnel and had them escort the women to Nightingale,” Guy said. “Did the demon army block the portal to the Upper Realm?”

  I put on a blank mask to conceal my devastation. I’d failed in my major task. I’d let down everyone who was depending on me. I’d taken their last hope away. And pain bubbled to the surface as both Merlin’s and Elijah’s images flashed before my eyes.

  It wasn’t Merlin’s fault that the leyline was sealed forever; it was entirely mine. But I had no choice. But it was Merlin’s sin that he’d stolen me from my parents and robbed me of my chance to carve my own destiny.

  You can still carve your own destiny, a small voice sounded in my head, but I shrugged it off in my anger.

  I’d also lost Elijah, my first lover. He’d turned on us, though not by choice.

  “The leyline was sealed because we got there too late,” I said.

  Guy looked regretful. “So there’ll be no great army coming down from the Upper Realm?”

  “No,” I said.

  “Elijah’s army is coming,” Max said. “He’s a formidable foe. We need to move out of here now.”

  Guy surveyed the surroundings and nodded. “Then it’s a good thing we arrived at the right time to escort our queen to Nightingale.”

  CHAPTER 10

  __________________

  We headed toward the disguised entrance of the tunnel, half-covered by the sand.

  Ash fell in steps beside me, the tiger trotting on my other side. Now and then, Ash would touch the small of my back to show me that he was there for me.

  Max was talking to Guy, since I wasn’t in the mood to converse with anyone. Guy didn’t bother me either. He gestured for his fellow soldiers to give me the space I needed.

  Max requested more information about Nightingale, the leadership of the rebels, its social structure, defenses, and the numbers of the Thorn Rose soldiers. I appreciated what my mates were doing. They were always prepared and tried to stay several steps ahead of everything.

  “Hoot! Hoot!” The black owl that had flown too high for me to track him down suddenly returned and shouted his warning.

  Then the next moment, black dots blotted out the sky. The sound of flapping wings grew aggressively, approaching us.

  I readied my Dreamkiss, crimson runes flashing across the blade.

  “Run!” Guy screamed. “We’re only fifty yards from the entrance to the tunnel.”

  We broke into a run as the rebel soldiers led us.

  “I’m getting sick and tired of seeing the demons,” I said.

  Ash chuckled. “Then let me get rid of them for you, Blossom.”

  “Elijah is among them,” Max warned. “I can sense him.”

  My heart pounded in my ribcage, pain and longing radiating through me and slithering over my tingling skin.

  “Please don’t slaughter him, even when we have the chance,” I said, but I didn’t spill my doubt about whether we could even survive a large army led by Elijah himself.

  I’d seen how the former archangel fought. He was equally as mighty as my other mates, and he had the numbers on his side, while Max, Ash, and I were spent and had barely recovered from our wounds.

  I dug into my magical well, but my red lightning was barely a stutter.

  “He won’t have mercy on us,” Ash snorted.

  “Maybe so,” I said. “But I don’t want him killed. We’ll find a way to subdue him, capture him, and then find a cure…”

  “Killing my half-brother would be
a mercy,” Max said. “If he were himself, he’d agree with us. The last thing he wanted was to hurt you.”

  “No!” I hissed. “You won’t kill him even if you have a chance. You two will just have to figure out a way. If either of you went dark, not by choice, I wouldn’t allow harm to come your way either.” I fixed my gaze on my vampire mate. “I want your word on this, Max.”

  He gave me a long, dark look, then he nodded. “I’ll try.”

  “Ash?” I persisted, turning to my right.

  The fae prince’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want to kill him, as he’s my bonded brother, but—”

  “Ash, I need you to promise me,” I said. “I won’t forgive you if you slay him.”

  A muscle twitched in his stubborn jaw. “I won’t kill him unless he’s going to directly harm you. Other than that, I can’t promise you more.”

  I stared up at the sky.

  Ash, Max, and I could probably make it to the tunnel before the demons cut us off, but the rebel warriors would all be slaughtered. Besides, I had no intention of exposing the tunnel that led to the sheltered city.

  I halted my steps and stood my ground.

  “Go, Blossom,” Ash urged. “Go with them. Max and I will hold off Elijah.”

  “If you think I’m leaving you behind, you don’t know anything about your own mate,” I said.

  Ash cursed under his breath.

  “It’s just a fight.” I grinned at him. “It’s just like any other day.”

  Max moved closer to me, and the three of us formed a triangular defensive position, just like before. We’d gotten used to this formation.

  “Run, Guy,” I told the leader of the Thorn Rose soldiers. “Take your men and go. Seal the tunnel unless we call you.”

  Guy flashed me a determined look. “What kind of soldiers are we if we flee instead of guarding our queen? We all swore to give our lives to the promised Queen of the Flame.”

  He raised his angelblade into the air and shouted a battle cry. His men echoed his roar and raised their weapons as well. Every one of them was now equipped with an angelblade, thanks to our raid of the Desert Belle.