16. Damon

Chapter 16

Damon

A fter spending the rest of the night with Nathan catching up on clan business, I felt confident that he'd had enough human blood to think clearly. I didn't feel confident that he'd be able to stay away from Lorna, though. Not just because of his blooming addiction to her blood. I truly believed she was his soulmate, even if Nathan still resisted.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on it. I needed to set my plans in motion to ensure the fae queens would no longer be a threat to my mate. Despite my earlier show of confidence, I wasn't certain that all the players would agree.

I arrived in the Underworld at the same location I'd taken the two fae to interrogate the previous day. It was risky. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't take the chance of being found. But I needed to see the High Commander of the First Order. Attracting the attention of his patrols was a good way to make it happen.

I hoped .

I stood on the rocky ledge and let my gaze sweep over the desolate plain. Most of the Underworld looked like the barren rock below. Only a few valleys were fertile enough to sustain life.

But demons didn't need an entire planet like humans or a huge realm like the fae. Demons didn't procreate, so our population was well managed. Lucifer used the realm's magic to create more demons. The Lord of the Underworld had the monumental task of balancing the population with the realm's needs.

I didn't envy him that task.

The twelve demon orders sorted out their hierarchy millennia ago. The lower orders—eight through twelve—squabbled over resources, but death was rare.

Taking a demon's life had a completely different meaning than taking a human life. Demons were mostly magic, except for the Twelfth Order. When a demon died, their magic died with them. The loss of magic hurt the entire realm. We learned the hard way how much damage a multitude of deaths could do to the Underworld.

My family's failed coup had exposed the realm's vulnerability. Thousands died because of their war. The sudden loss of magic weakened all the demons and crippled the realm. Nearly a third of the lower orders perished due to the lack of magic.

Those least affected were the First and Second Orders because we were the strongest. The Twelfth Order also suffered minimal loss because they were more flesh and blood than magic. Their physical bodies allowed them to survive.

I was exiled immediately after, so I didn't get to see the realm's struggle to recover from the loss. I only caught glimpses of it the few times I returned. Even though I resented Lucifer for kicking me out, I had to respect his strength.

The Underworld was strong again, thanks to his efforts .

I shook my head of the thoughts and searched the area once again. It would be unusual for the patrols to not keep watch on this area. They would've felt my intrusion into the realm yesterday. I scanned the horizon and was rewarded with the silhouettes of two winged demons soaring in my direction.

There wasn't a lot of difference between the appearance of the First and Second Order demons. We were roughly the same size and build. Our horns and wings were all unique, though. First Order demons' wings started out leather on the forward edge, next to the bone, and ended with a trail of fire at the tips. It made them easy to spot.

Might I be lucky enough today to encounter a patrol who would pause their assault long enough for me to make my request?

As soon as they got close enough for me to see, I snarled. This pair had attacked me more times than I could count on previous visits, and I doubted today would be different. I created a portal to my next location, then stepped through and let it snap shut, cutting off their bellowed outrage. While I might be the strongest creature on Earth, it was not the case in the Underworld. Two First Order demons would be able to subdue me—eventually. I was trying to gain an audience with their High Commander, not get into a fight.

My second destination ended the same, as well as the third. My frustration grew with each failed attempt. Why couldn't the Fates make this easier?

Yes, I could send the fae queens crawling back to their realm on my own, but it wouldn't stop them from pursuing Lorna. I needed a show of strength to force them to reconsider their foolish plans to create a dhampir army. The threat of the Underworld's involvement should be enough, but only if I could arrange it.

That arrangement seemed to be slipping through my fingers .

When I arrived at the fourth location, four winged demons awaited me. I tensed and immediately drew on my magic to leave, but clawed hands gripped each of my arms. I prepared to fight, until the High Commander himself stepped forward.

He wasn't as tall as I was, but his magical aura surpassed mine. His strength secured his place as High Commander, and his honor and integrity kept him at Lucifer's side. I could only hope that he would agree to my plan without involving the Lord of the Underworld.

"Traz'damon, welcome home," the commander said. "I'm going to assume that your flitting around was deliberate. You have my attention."

The commander was not my friend, but we'd spoken several times over the centuries. He'd never welcomed me home until just now … Why?

I rolled my shoulders, but the two demons holding me only tightened their grip on my arms. I snarled at them, hating the restriction. No one on Earth would dare to touch me, much less try to restrain me. I flexed my wings and prepared to launch the arrogant demons away from me, until the commander cleared his throat.

"Speak quickly, demon," the commander growled. "I'm losing patience."

I swallowed my pride and focused on the reason I was here. Lorna.

I quickly explained the fae's attempts to experiment on the dhampir and create an army, as well as their intent to imprison the vampires to feed the dhampir. I described Brance's latest efforts and claims, leaving out Kenrid's involvement. I didn't want a target on his back.

The High Commander remained silent throughout my explanation, only raising an eyebrow when I mentioned that I'd found my soulmate.

"The fae believe that my mate is the key to their research," I stated, forcing myself not to pull against my captors. "They will try to steal her from me at sundown tonight." I sucked in a deep breath and raised my chin, meeting the commander's steely gaze. "I'm requesting a squad of First Order demons as a show of force against the fae queens."

The commander just stared back at me. I couldn't read his expression at all, and it worried me. His silence stretched for a full minute. I forced myself not to lose hope, but it was difficult. The longer we stood there, the more I worried that he would imprison me rather than help me.

"You are meeting the queens at dusk tonight?" the commander asked.

My gaze snapped up to his. I hadn't realized that I shifted my attention to the rocky ground. I nodded but remained silent.

The commander retrieved a small black stone from the pouch on his belt and handed it to me.

"You remember how to activate the stone?" he asked.

I nodded again, taking the portal marker from him. It was cool against my palm, but it wouldn't stay that way. As soon as I activated its magic, the stone would send a pulse to the one attuned to it, giving him its location.

"Your request will be granted," the commander said.

I held back my sigh of relief and all the caveats I wanted to put on his support.

"Thank you." I lowered my head in acknowledgment. "What will I owe you for your assistance?"

"Payment is not needed for the protection of a demon's mate," he replied. "I'm more interested in finding out who you found on Earth."

His comment had me lifting my chin once again. A flicker of flame lit the commander's eyes for a moment, but his smile eased the tension in his face. He nodded, and my captors released my arms. I resisted the urge to growl at them.

"Next time, show yourself at the castle."

I grunted. "You know I cannot. Your patrols still try to attack every time they see me. "

The High Commander laughed, something I hadn't seen in centuries. His whole body shook with his amusement. The demons surrounding him shifted uneasily, giving off the same uncertainty I felt.

"If you'd stop dropping off random humans, they wouldn't be so angry with you," the commander said, still smiling. "The Underworld is not your personal rubbish bin."

I shook my head and held back my own laugh. "Please accept my apologies. I hadn't considered their point of view. I was merely trying to ensure the wildlife was fed properly."

"Of course you were. Go home and prepare for battle." He raised his left hand, and the demons with him leaped into the air. "The Underworld will be happy to threaten the fae queens this evening."

He left me alone on the wide outcrop of rock. As I clutched the portal stone in my hand, a sense of relief filled my heart. The fae queens would regret their choices, and I would revel in their fear.