Chapter 2Sasha

Chapter

Two

SASHA

A s soon as the door closed softly behind me, I reached under my shirt for the heavy parchment paper. I strode over to the bed, tossed the cream-colored paper on the duvet, and stared at it. Then I spun around and paced the length of the room.

The mansion had more rooms than I cared to count and each of them had been lavishly furnished. The room I was given was larger than the suite I’d had at Brimstone for the last couple hundred years. Hell, I could fit most of the suite in my private bathroom.

I walked over to the sitting area next to the French doors leading onto my private balcony and flopped ungracefully into one of the plush armchairs. I tapped my fingertips on the arm of the chair as I stared over toward the bed where the letter was waiting for me. I snapped my head around, forcing myself to look through the glass doors and out onto my balcony, seeing the riot of greenery waiting for me outside.

I had taken to gardening years ago. It was a little-known secret about myself that I didn’t care to share with outsiders. I loved plants. I loved watching them grow. I would find one on a rack at a store, any store, that was near death and carefully, patiently nursed it back to health. My balcony sported many of those once-dying plants, their glossy green leaves lush and full of life. I would have to leave strict instructions for the staff that tended to my room, or else I’d return to nothing but brown, withered stalks.

I sighed. I couldn’t continue to put off the inevitable. I had to read whatever was written in that letter. If I understood correctly, it was sent by the brother’s mother. As I stood and moved closer to the parchment lying there so innocent and unassuming, I wondered who their mother was. She had what I assumed to be a personal royal guard, so she must be someone important, right? Why was she just now contacting us… me? Was she a victim of the spell that had robbed everyone of their memories?

Once standing in front of the letter, I knew I had stalled long enough. I reached out slowly and picked it up with just my forefinger and thumb, and that was when I realized that my hand was shaking. I let out an annoyed huff at myself. I wasn’t this person. I didn’t get worried or scared. I was trained to be a killer, someone who could take down demons twice my size without receiving a single scratch. I wasn’t afraid of a simple message from the Underworld.

Right .

Swallowing hard, I slid a fingernail under the edge of the wax seal, careful not to damage it. I figured once this ordeal was over, Varek might want to see it. Maybe he would know who the seal belonged to. Once I had carefully pried it open, I smoothed the thick sheet of parchment open. It was unlike any paper we used here on the Earth realm, at least not in the last hundred or so years. I had to admire the weight and thickness, then finally focused on what was most important.

I had to read the words twice before closing my eyes and letting out a long breath. Fuck. Was I really going to do this? I had to go back to the one place I swore never to return. It wouldn’t be a quick or safe journey, but what worried me the most was… what if my father caught me? There was no way he would let me walk away. I’d be dooming myself to being another one of his prisoners for the rest of my life. If I even survived.

I read through the note another time much slower, taking in every word and letting it settle in my heart. There really wasn’t a choice given, nor would I say no anyway. The elegantly scrawled words swam in my vision as I let one moment of fear and anxiety race through me before I folded the note back into its neatly pressed lines. As I went into my closet and pulled a small bag from a shelf inside, the urgent words repeated through my mind.

My Dear,

I have recently consulted the Fates for divination of the Underworld. Their words were clear with the ominous conclusion that were you not to succeed, the future of all demonkind lies in ruin. Make haste. Time is at hand.

I must urge you to enter the Underworld through the Northern Forest portal. Find your way to the High Dungeon. There, you will find one of the Four. He must be set free to join his brothers. This is a journey you must take alone. May the Divine be with you.

A friend

Did I want to go on this quest? No, I absolutely did not. Did I like that I was personally chosen to do this? Fuck no. Did I believe every word in that letter? Unfortunately, yes, I did. One of the first things young demons were taught was to respect the Fates. You couldn’t run from a predetermined destiny. If you tried, it always spelled certain disaster, and not only for yourself. I couldn’t stop the tremor of fear in my gut that if I told someone else or even thought to ignore the instructions given, the brother in my father’s dungeon could die.

I looked down at my satchel, and a memory of a very similar one had tears swimming in my eyes. I didn’t stay to see that Sein was buried properly. I just ran away without a backward glance like a coward. My sweet little sister died because I was weak and couldn’t protect her. Well, I would do anything within my power to protect Varek and Valen’s brother. I would free him from the High General’s dungeon and bring him back here to be reunited with his brothers.

I didn’t know what kind of shape he would be in, but he was a demon, and we healed quickly with only time and rest. If he was in bad shape, it would be hard to navigate the forest, and we would have to find a place to hold up for a short time. Thinking of the terrors of the Northern Forest, I filled the bag with more weapons than I already had. Blades would be essential. I found a small first aid kit under the sink in my bathroom and added that as well. We would survive the journey. We had to.

With what little room I had left in the bag, I packed an extra set of clothing for myself and frowned. The demon would likely need clothes as well. I glanced toward the door and thought of how I would get a change of clothes for him. Talon’s brother was currently back at Brimstone, and he was similar in size to Varek, if slightly shorter. I could grab a pair of pants and a T-shirt from his drawer. I doubted he would even notice, nor would he care once he found out why I had done it.

With my mind made up, I quietly cracked my door open and peeked out, checking to make sure the hallway in our wing of the mansion was empty. I didn’t like sneaking around, but I didn’t want to have to lie to anyone if they caught me and asked uncomfortable questions. Everyone in this house was a friend of mine, and it already felt like a betrayal to keep such a monumental secret, like knowing where one of the two remaining brothers was.

I walked on silent footsteps down the hall until I came to Rake’s door and tapped on it just to make sure it was actually empty and that he hadn’t returned unexpectedly. When nothing but silence met my ears, I turned the knob. The door swung open on well oiled hinges, not even making a sound. I wrinkled my nose at the disaster that laid out around me. I knew he was a slob, but the mess that greeted me was ridiculous.

I stepped over a boot that was laying on its side and side-stepped a pair of boxers. It was no wonder the staff stopped cleaning his room if that was what they had to face every day. Once I made it to the tall dresser across the room I slid the third drawer open, expecting to see pants. Why wasn’t I surprised to instead find it full of video games?

With a quiet huff of annoyance, I closed the drawer, wincing when something wobbled on top of the dresser. Before it could crash to the floor, I darted out my hand to catch it.

“Oh, gross! Gross. Gross. Gross!” I whispered, immediately shoving it back onto the wooden surface and wiping my hand vigorously on my jeans. Why the fuck would he have a pocket rocket just laying on top of his dresser out in the open? What was he? Twelve? Too bad I couldn’t bleach the memory of touching the thing from my mind. I gagged and did a full body shiver. “Ugh!”

The next drawer I opened luckily had a handful of garments wadded up and shoved inside. They weren’t even separated by type. Just shirts and pants tossed in together like a heathen. I grabbed a black T-shirt and a pair of black jeans and had to hope that they would fit the demon I was about to rescue. If not, he was just out of luck. The Fates never said I had to dress him, and I damn well better get bonus points for the horror I just faced.

I didn’t even bother to shut the drawer all the way, I just gave it a shove then glared at the black silicone monstrosity that should be lit on fire, before turning to tiptoe my way back across the landmine that was Rake’s bedroom floor. I felt sorry for whoever his mate ended up being. I hope she had the patience of a saint, and a stomach made of iron.

Once I made it back to my room, I collapsed against my closed door and let out a relieved sigh. I had faced some pretty sketchy situations. I’d killed demons that oozed puss and ones that pissed themselves with fear. But never had my stomach turned as much as it did when I’d realized what I was holding in my hand.

I rushed over to the bed and tossed the borrowed clothes onto the satchel before making a mad dash to my bathroom. When there, I pumped enough soap into my palm to wash a whole classroom of five year olds and proceeded to scrub my hands with water as hot as I could stand it. Then I did it all over again.

Once the sink was clear of bubbles and I felt like I could breathe again without gagging, I dried my hands on a towel and then carefully hung it back up onto the rail. I adjusted it until the sides and bottom were even, thankful for the cleanliness of my quarters. Then I sent a little prayer to the Fates that my mate wasn’t anything like my friend because, eww.

Walking back into my room, I allowed myself one more moment of trepidation before squaring my shoulders back and hardening my jaw with determination. If the fate of all demons rested on my shoulders, I was going to stride into the Underworld like the badass I was and save this brother. I ignored the jolt of pain that struck my heart at the memory of the other demon I attempted to save from my father.

I slipped my leather jacket on over the sword sheath I strapped to my chest and secured my weapons in all the hidden spaces that I had designed to hold them. Once all my knives were in place, I slid my favorite dagger into my boot and added a few smaller throwing knives into the pockets on the thighs of my jeans. I wished it was overkill to add so many weapons, but instead, I worried it wouldn’t be enough. Lastly, I picked up my sword and looked at it, studying the blade and the demon glyphs Varek had marked into it decades ago. It was spelled for protection, strength, and accuracy. At the time, he had assured me that he didn’t believe I needed it, but one could never be too prepared for battle.

I carefully slipped the sword behind me, easily finding the scabbard under my jacket after years of practice, and let out a sigh of relief at feeling the comfortable weight there. I stretched, bending and twisting, checking for mobility, and was pleased that my jeans, made with a stretchy spandex, allowed for movement. It wasn’t as if I had full range like yoga pants would allow, but thanks to modern advances, the material for denim no longer remained stiff and unyielding. Long gone were the days of having to wear hot, sweaty leather pants. Even if they had made my ass look great.

I picked up my bulging satchel and swung it over my head to hang on my left side to allow access to my weapons with my right hand. If the need arose, I could use the quick release clasp on the long strap to allow the satchel to drop to the ground. I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary, but I knew it was likely I’d be utilizing it far more than I’d want to.

I quickly scrawled a note to the house cleaning staff with explicit instructions on how to care for my leafy babies and placed it on the end of my bed where it couldn’t be missed. Then I typed out a quick text to Varek explaining that I had a few things to take care of and would be back in a few days before turning my phone off and setting it on my nightstand. I wouldn’t be needing my cellphone where I was going. As far as I understood it, technology still hadn’t made its way to the Underworld. Even if it had, Earth electronics wouldn’t work there anyway.

Once I was sure I had covered all my bases and that no one would be worrying about me in my absence, I made my way over to the balcony doors. I slid the glass pane open and took a deep breath of the fresh air and the scent of my potted plants. It was my happy place, where I could relax and enjoy the sounds of the night, knowing that everyone I cared about was safe inside.

I swung my leg over the edge of the brick and metal railing, easily fitting my boots into the rungs of the trellis that led to the grass below. I didn’t make a habit out of sneaking out of my room. I was a grown woman and didn’t need to explain myself to anyone, but I didn’t want to have to answer any questions if I came across someone in the house. They would know with one look that I was up to something. This way, I could leave without any raised eyebrows, and they would assume I simply left without saying goodbye.

Once my booted feet were planted firmly on the thick carpet of grass, I headed for the corner of the house without looking back. I didn’t want any regrets to cloud my resolve to head into the Underworld, so I kept moving forward, determination in every step I took. I knew deep inside that if I hesitated for even a second, the fears that the young seventeen year old girl I had once been would try to break through. I was scared of the High General; there was no denying that. He’d been cruel and evil to everyone, more so to his own family. But there was another part of me, a part I hadn’t examined too closely yet, that knew there was more to this mission than simply retrieving a long lost brother.