22. Lorna

Chapter 22

Lorna

A n hour later, I was in Damon's living room. For our Underworld travels, I'd chosen a pair of nice slacks and a sweater that Elliott had bought me on our first shopping trip. Damon recommended comfortable walking shoes, so a pair of low-heeled ankle boots covered my feet. The only jewelry I wore was the necklace I'd received from Lucifer.

I shuddered at the memory of the largest, scariest creature I'd ever seen.

Damon was in his demon form in the same leather pants he always wore. My normal appreciation for his rippling scales and muscled torso was subdued by the nausea churning in my stomach.

I didn't want to go to the Underworld. The Underworld! I couldn't even wrap my brain around the fact that Hell was real. Yes, I was standing next to a demon with a vampire, wolf shifter, and fae in a loose semi-circle in front of me. Yes, Damon had mentioned his home realm a couple times before, but the reality of me going to Hell was overwhelming.

I shook my head, equally cowed by the gift from Lucifer. The Lord of the Underworld. Was he the fallen angel from Heaven that Christians believed he was? Was he Hades from Greek mythology? Would Hell be just like humans imagined it? All fiery and desolate?

I had so many questions. Maybe Damon would explain it to me before I had to face Lucifer and his minions. A cold sweat dampened my skin and made me shiver.

"How long will this take?" Elliott's frown turned into a snarl.

I understood his anger, though. We'd be separated, and there'd be no way for him to reach me.

"I hope to be back before sunset tomorrow," Damon replied.

"That's nearly twenty-four hours." Kenrid frowned. "Do you really think it'll take that long?"

I wanted to reach out and hold on to my guys or even take them with us, but Damon said they couldn't come. They wouldn't survive the Underworld's magic for more than an hour.

"Damon won't let anything happen to you." Nathan stepped forward until he was right in front of me. His scent tickled my senses, but I was too nervous to be tempted by his blood. "Lucifer seemed sincere about protecting you. We all know how much Damon reveres his mate. He's said numerous times that all demons feel the same way. I trust that you'll be back." As he cupped the side of my face, I leaned into his touch. "I have some groveling to do for pushing you away for so long."

I didn't think he needed to grovel, but I wouldn't stop him, either. It was nice to be pampered. His hand slipped away, but his deep blue eyes didn't leave my face.

"We won't stay there any longer than is necessary," Damon said. "In order for me to be Lucifer's eyes in this realm, I have to be here . For all his other faults, Lucifer treasures mated pairs. He won't separate Lorna from me."

"I still don't like it," Elliott grumbled before nudging Nathan to the side and pulling me into a fierce hug .

I hugged him back and rested my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Elliott's magic wrapped around us, giving me that sense of protection and acceptance I loved from him.

As soon as he stepped away, Kenrid took his place. I held him tight while the scent of his cool summer rain wrapped me up and took away some of my anxiety.

When Kenrid released me, Damon pulled me tight against his chest.

"I've got you, little d'laej," he said.

"I know you do."

Damon's magic flared to life, consuming us within the dark foggy cloud I'd seen a handful of times but never dreamed I'd experience it. The heaviness of his magic felt the same as always, until Damon's living room disappeared. Total blackness surrounded me, and an oppressive heat washed over me, threatening to scorch my skin. I tried to blink away the burning sensation in my eyes, but it didn't work.

I slid my arms around Damon's waist and pressed my face against the hard scales on his chest. A few seconds later, it felt like I'd gone from a hot oven to a tropical rain forest in the middle of summer. The thick, wet air carried a strange floral scent. It probably wasn't as hot as it felt, but the humidity was awful.

Damon loosened his hold but didn't let go of my hand. His entire body was tense. When I looked up at his face, all the anxiety I'd managed to tuck away came surging back. The demon I'd seen at Alyssa's home glared at something or someone behind me. His thick, furrowed brow shadowed the fire dancing in his eyes. His normally full lips were pressed into a thin line.

I slowly turned around and gasped. Damon and I stood on a small hill next to a wide, cobblestone path lined with tiny glowing flowers. The path ended at a set of enormous wooden gates with a metal cross embedded in the center. The gates had to be at least twenty feet tall. A stone wall extended from each side, continuing on for as far as I could see .

Thick, gnarled trees with purple and orange leaves circled the wall with a fifty feet —or more—expanse of sea green grass between the wall and the forest. Behind the wall, a castle blocked out the setting sun. This place made Nathan's fortress look like a little cottage in the woods. Six towers rose from the main building that must have stretched across several acres.

Numerous other buildings lined the street wandering away from the castle and disappearing behind the wall in front of us — all of it built from the same black stone that glistened in the sunlight.

The sun hung low in the lavender colored sky. I wondered if it was always clear or just today. I also wondered if the sky was always that shade of purple or was it from the sunset?

"I guess it's not all fire and brimstone," I mumbled.

"Not this part," Damon said. "This is Lucifer's home. The environment changes with his mood."

I glanced up at him, only to find him sneering at Lucifer's home. "Will you tell me about your past?" I asked. "I don't really want to go in there knowing nothing about you."

Damon tore his gaze from the castle and looked down at me. The fire still smoldered in his eyes, but he looked a little less angry.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, rather than answering my question. "Your face is pale."

I realized he was asking about the Underworld's effect on me. "This ridiculous humidity is making me sweat like crazy, and I'm nervous about walking in there"—I pointed at the walled castle—"but I'm okay. Are there warning signs that this necklace isn't working?"

"It's not overly hot or humid," he said. "I wonder if the amulet is creating a small bubble of magic around you. Are you having trouble breathing?"

I took several deep breaths, but it didn't seem like I was running out of oxygen. The thought of walking around in my own atmosphere was not encouraging. I was almost tempted to take the amulet off just to see if my demon DNA was enough to protect me from the realm's magic.

"No, I'm fine."

"Let me know if anything feels off," Damon said. "And yes, there are things you need to know before we go."

He led me off the top of the small hill and stopped in the shadow at its base. I guessed there was some strategy in it, but there were more important questions. I should've known Damon would explain anyway.

"We're not as easy to see if we're in the shadows at the base of the hill," he said. "Our silhouettes are obvious up there." He pointed over his shoulder where we'd just been, then glanced back at the castle. "There are twelve orders of demons in the Underworld, the First being the most powerful and the Twelfth being the least powerful. My family was one of several in the Second Order."

My eyebrows rose, but I kept silent. I'd save all my questions to the end.

"The Second Order is responsible for the safety of Lucifer's court," Damon explained. "They used their status to lure the demons they were supposed to protect into their lies. They somehow convinced nearly a third of the court to side with them, then they attempted to remove Lucifer from his throne.

"I can't imagine what they were thinking. The Underworld chose Lucifer to rule and only the Underworld itself can remove him. All demons know this, but some of them let their lust for power make them stupid."

He shook his head and looked at me. "I was on a mission in another realm with a squad of Third Order soldiers when my family attempted their coup. I knew nothing of their plans, which is why I was exiled and not executed with the others. The details of what happened are no longer relevant, but you should know that most demons here see me as a traitor."

There was so much information in those few sentences. While the stuff about twelve orders was interesting, it was Damon's downcast eyes and drooping wings that caught my attention. He was not a traitor. Even if I didn't already know that Damon wouldn't lie to me, his actions screamed that he was too honorable to betray anyone.

"They're idiots if they think that," I said. "You are the bravest, most honorable, unselfish, and compassionate man I know."

He gave me a stilted smile, then scooped me up into his arms bridal style. "Let's get this over with."

Damon took two long strides and leaped into the air. His wings flapped several times, lifting us higher. I threw my arms around Damon's neck and held on tight. My stomach flipped as we gained altitude, but I knew my demon wouldn't drop me. His firm embrace barely gave me enough room to breathe, and I wasn't about to wiggle out of his grip.

The castle grew closer with each second, and its grandness left me feeling small. The black stone covering its facade shimmered in the setting sun but didn't reflect the rays. The stone seemed to soak up all the light. Would it glow like a night light after the sun set? I couldn't restrain my awe at the thought of this enormous castle glowing in the darkness like a beacon.

I hope we get to find out, Mir said.

You've been awfully quiet.

I have no idea how to feel or what to think, she admitted.

I agreed. I hadn't expected any of this, and we certainly hadn't had enough time to sort it all out.

Dozens of demons crowded the streets below us, pointing up as we flew past. I couldn't hear anything they said, but I imagined it was a lot like any other group of people—gossiping about the stranger with a woman in his arms. Surely Damon would be considered a stranger after all this time.

Okay, maybe not the same. The demons below looked nothing like any humans I'd ever seen. They ranged from tall, lanky humanoids to large spider-like monsters to tiny purple creatures that reminded me of imps. None of them had wings like Damon .

Damon landed on the wide stairwell leading up to the castle's enormous entryway and lowered me to my feet. I straightened my clothes and glanced up at my demon. The set of his jaw gave him a look of grim determination.

One of his wings swept around my side along with his arm, and he ushered me forward. Four winged demons similar to mine landed on each side of us, making me jump. Damon didn't even flinch, and the demons didn't impede our progress. They fell in step behind us, trailing us up the stairs and through the arched entry.

I looked up at the shiny stone as we passed beneath it, once again wondering if it would glow in the moonlight.

"Well, well." Lucifer's voice caught me off guard.

I assumed we'd be led to some extravagant throne room and be forced to wait an hour for him to show up. I didn't expect him to meet us at the door. He wasn't supposed to know we were coming; Damon had wanted to arrive early to avoid any fanfare.

My gaze snapped to Lucifer, and I froze, forcing Damon to stop with me. I knew how tall his demon was—I'd seen him the day before in the warehouse—but standing before him now was different.

Lucifer towered over us. He had to be at least ten feet tall. No wonder the ceilings were so high. Two sets of horns curled up and over his head. His dark eyes flickered with fire, just like Damon's. A deep purple cloak hung from his bare shoulders. The dark scales covering his chest shimmered like the castle's stone walls. A pair of black linen pants hung low on his waist and ended at his hooves. Not feet. I'd seen a pair of fiery wings at the warehouse, but they were nowhere in sight now.

Wow, Mir whispered.

Yeah.

When Damon's warmth left my side, I almost panicked. I spun around, only to find him on one knee, kneeling before Lucifer. The other winged demons were doing the same. Was I supposed to bow? Damon would've grabbed my hand and tugged me to my knees if that were true, right?

"Rise, Traz'damon," Lucifer said. "You're lucky I anticipated your early arrival. It's good to know that some things have not changed."

I gaped at the Lord of the Underworld. He'd known that Damon wouldn't wait?

Thank you for the reminder about Damon's real name, Mir whispered. Do you think he'll let us call him Traz?

Shut up! I hissed. How can you be joking right now?

I wasn't joking!

Rising to his feet, Damon grabbed my hand, effectively shutting down my conversation with Mir. Lucifer had already turned and strolled down the long corridor. I had no idea where we were going, only that I was being led through an enormous hall with long tapestries hanging on the walls. Each tapestry portrayed a different type of demon.

When we walked past one that looked just like my mate, I glanced back and started counting. Yep! Twelve tapestries. Was it one for each of the twelve orders of demons? It made me wish I'd taken more time to study them.

I wouldn't get time. Lucifer had stopped in front of another large archway at the end of the hall.

"Welcome to my home." He extended one arm, gesturing toward the room beyond.

Damon pulled me closer to his side and we stepped past Lucifer. My jaw dropped—again.

Are they …? Mir's voice trailed off.

I think so.