Page 4 of Demon Demands

Grim’s whole body tensed as he took in my livid form shaking with barely contained fury. My control was eroding, slipping through my fingers like sand from the deserts of Lilk.

“Yes,” he rasped back. “I was on the receiving end of that rage once. I thought it would cost me my life, but you can’t exactly kill Death. Although, you can make him wish he was dead. Thankfully, Sloane and I can both be forgiving. Her demon, though? Not so much.”

I turned my back to the guys, not in the mood to think about old wounds. “Papi,” I hissed into the flames, my agitation making them lick at my face in a soothing manner.

“Oh, Little Devil. I didn’t see you there,” Papi murmured as he pulled his lantern closer, not bothering to take the hellfire out. He leaned in to take a good look at me and was immediately on edge. “What’s happened now?”

“Jack is gone,” I seethed as I began to pace restlessly across the yard. “Hannibal took him, Papi.”

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes. We’ll find him, Lo.” His rage was palpable through the flames in my hand. They grew hotter with our combined ire, racing up my arm to surround me with their comforting heat.

We didn’t need to find Jack. I knew where he was. “He’s in the Underworld. I need permission to seal five more keys with unlimited access and to create a legion of my choice. Also, I need you to make a new portal straight to Dolyn.”

Five keys. Stone had one already, and Grim didn’t need one since he was a grim reaper.

“Granted,” Papi growled, slinging magical materials into a small bag so he could create the portal. “What are you planning?”

“I’m going after him, Papi. I’ll run everything by you and Dolyn when we get there. He’ll have all the things we need. You and Lucy will have to cover for me until I get him back. I don’t want it known that I’m going after him.”

I sighed, rubbing my hand down my face. “Hannibal is after you, Papi. He’s trying to use Jack as leverage and has no knowledge that I can track Jack or that we have a mental connection. He’s underestimated the Kings, and he’s royally pissed my demon off.”

“Sloane, you need to tell your mates what to expect before they step foot in the Underworld.” His concerned voice made me pause in my pacing.

Turning to watch my guys as they argued with Grim and Stone, I exhaled loudly, blowing my breath through clenched teeth. I knew Papi was right, but it didn’t mean that the conversation would be an easy one.

I gave Papi sad eyes as I nodded my head in defeat. “I’ll do it. It’ll be hard to explain, but I’ll do my best. Grim is here, so maybe he can help. See you in a few minutes, Papi,” I mumbled as I snuffed out the hellfire in my palm and trudged across the yard to bridge the distance between me and the guys.

I dreaded the explanation that needed to seep from my mouth. My tongue felt leaden and dry. My lips pressed into a hard line as the anxiety in my chest built to an all-time high. The beat of my heart reached a crescendo before evening out with my resolve.

I could do this. I just had to spit it out.

“Guys,” I called, waving to the patio furniture for them to take a seat. “I need y’all to sit down and let me explain a few things to you.” I grimaced, waiting with bated breath while they grumbled and tensed for the coming news.

“We’re going to Hell soon, but there are some things I need to tell you first.” I twisted my fingers together as I thought about where to begin.

“As the current Devil of Hell, Papi is able to grant keys into the Underworld. You’ll need this key in order to pass through the protective wards around the realm. It will have the Second Devil’s mark in it. I’ll also leave one of my own on you guys, but mine will be more to show others that you… uhm, belong to me.”

I winced as the words passed over my lips. “My mark will let most demons know not to touch you, but may paint a target on you for others.”

I glanced to Stone, my next words mostly for him. “There are quite a few demons who won’t be happy that I have a demon mate, especially since we haven’t sealed our bond. Having a mate means they can’t use me to climb the social ladder, so to speak. They’ll try to buy me from you, and until we seal our bond, there may be a few who will try to kill you too.”

Turning my attention back to the group and not waiting for Stone to reply, I decided to run through the easier topics first. “I have seven simple rules for you guys to follow once we get there. One: Do not trust anyone outside of the small circle of demons I introduce you to. Two: Do not go anywhere without at least one of those demons with you. Three: Make sure the seal I give you is visible at all times. It shows that you’re protected, and it will likely save us all a few fights. Four: Always keep your eyes and ears open. Five: Always keep multiple weapons on you. Six: Do not drink the green beer. Seven: Do not say hail Satan.

“That’s it. Everything else is irrelevant or can be learned when the need arises. Papi will be here in a moment to give you the keys. They’ll come with unlimited access to the Underworld, which means you can come and go as you please and there won’t be anywhere you can’t get into within the Underworld.”

Vaughn hummed under his breath before asking, “What are these keys exactly?”

Stone snorted at him. “They’re like invisible, magical tattoos. They can’t be seen exactly, but they can be felt. Basically, what Sloane is saying is that not only will she give us her mark for protection, but you’ll also have Sam’s. I already bear Sam’s mark.”

“So, that leaves me one more important thing to tell you guys.” I sucked in a deep breath, knowing the dread I’d been feeling was over this particular part of the conversation.

Grim squeezed my shoulder in comfort and whispered, “Just rip the band aid off, Lo.”

I nodded my head at him, rubbing at my temples as I blurted out, “My demon is an explosive psychopath. To the core.”

“Okay,” Briggs drawled.

Huffing at him, I continued with my warning. “She and I are two sides of the same coin, but I need you to understand the differences between us. While we look all demon, she has some angelic traits from Lucifer that didn’t exactly mesh well with Lilith’s succubus traits and the ones that I picked up from Charlie, Nate, and probably my mother.