Page 25 of Releasing Darkness

I finally let the tension leave my body, allowing my sword arm to drop. Strong arms encircled me from behind, and I could feel Varos’s heart racing as fast as mine.

“Gods damn it, Sasha. Tell me you are unhurt!”

I was spun around as hands glided over every inch my mate could reach. I took several long, deep breaths and let him examine me. His hands ran over my face, down my arms,and caressed my belly, searching for any sign I hadn’t escaped unscathed.

“Fuck,” he whispered hoarsely as he pulled me into his arms and held me close. I lifted my free hand and gripped tight to the back of his T-shirt. I couldn’t tell if the shaking of my body was from me or Varos, but as he ran his large fingers over my face, brushing back strands of hair that had escaped my braid, I could feel them trembling.

“I’m okay, Varos. I promise I’m okay,” I whispered into his warm chest.

He let out a harsh breath. “Fuck, princess. I thought I was going to watch you die.”

I tilted back my head to look up into his black eyes. “Your brother taught me everything I know,” I said with a smile.

“Remind me to thank him for that when we see him again.”

“We’ll send him a fruit basket.”

Varos furrowed his brows. “Is this something he likes?”

I laughed, pushed away from his hold, and looked toward the dying animal. “I don’t know. But it would be funny to see his expression when he gets it.” I walked over to the beast. “Do you know what this creature is?” I asked quietly.

Varos walked up beside me and took the sword from my hand. “It’s a levianthma, and one of the most dangerous beasts that roam this forest.” He gripped the sword in both hands and brought it down with swift force along the creature’s neck, easily severing the spine and ending its torment. “They hunt in pairs, as you saw. The second one blocks the prey’s escape as the stronger one attacks. I’m not surprised the second one ran away. They don’t usually get involved more than as a distraction and to keep the prey from getting away. You probably shocked it when you took down the leader so easily.”

“What are the chances we will come across another pair of these?” I asked as I stared down at the massive beast.

“Not likely. They have a pretty large hunting area they protect from others of their kind.”

“Good. That’s good.” I wasn’t sure if I would get lucky with my defensive move a second time. I glanced over to the beelennya plant, surprised to see it hadn’t been harmed, but it was waving the thorny vines around in warning. All the ground shaking had likely put it on high alert. “We still need water. We could also use a little food to keep us going at the pace we need to stay at if we are going to make the portal before nightfall tomorrow. Or today. I have no idea what time it is.” I looked up at the sky to see the two moons had almost reached their zenith, their dimly glowing edges just beginning to touch.

“Here,” Varos handed the sword back to me as he gestured to the now dead animal. “You get what flowers you can. I’ll take some of the meat from the levianthma. There will be a lot of very sated creatures in the Underworld this night once we leave.” At least, that was something. I hated killing the creature, but it wasn’t in vain. Many would eat well.

I had to slice off a few of the waving vines in order to get the rest of the flowers from the plant. By the time I was done collecting an armful of the beelennya flowers, Varos had a small stack of meat sliced and resting on a broad leaf. As we walked back to the path, Max peeked down at us from a tree branch and gave a soft trill.

“Thank you, sweet boy. Your alert gave me the time I needed to prepare.” I reached out to hand him one of the flowers, which he took readily. With a louder, happier trill, he hopped off the branch to land on one of Varos’s broad shoulders. I expected my mate to put him down, or grumble at the very least. Instead, he began to walk.

“He’s earning his keep. Let’s find a clearing so we can cook this meat.” With a hand stroking the little fur baby’s fluffy tail, Varos gave me a wink, effectively melting my heart.

Chapter

Fifteen

SASHA

It didn’t take long to find a spot to stop for a small fire. Varos thoroughly scouted the area for any lurking predators before we both gathered a few dry branches. As we sat down to roast our late night meal, Max sat patiently for his.

Varos handed Max a piece of bloody meat before looking at me with curiosity. “What should I expect from the Earth realm?”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought of his first reaction to seeing a car. Or even a regular building made of brick and mortar. Even wooden structures would seem strange to him. “I can’t even begin to stress how much of a shock its going to be for you.”

He tilted his head, studying me with a thoughtful expression as he turned his stick over the fire. “It’s much different then?”

“The two worlds are so different it’s like comparing a tree to a rock. There are machines that fly in the sky as large as a hydra that carry people to different places. Cars that roll across huge paved roads on four wheels and run on fuel that humans made from the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals. You’ve already seen that the clothing is different,” Isaid as I waved my hand toward my chest, indicating my leather jacket with the zippers and metal buttons, something that the Underworld didn’t have. They still used natural materials for buttons and looms to make cloth. Though, they did use the leather from animals.

"When we first cross through the portal, we will arrive in the basement of the building Varek created for the demons on Earth. It’s a huge building, though the humans don’t know that. Varek uses wards to hide the true size from the humans. Hundreds of years ago, he recognized the need for demons to have a safe place where their true natures could emerge. There are floors hosting different activities demons can participate in. There is a dance club for humans, but through a doorway they can’t see due to more wards, is an elevator leading the demon clubs. There are many varieties of entertainment, including a place to gamble, a bar, a fight club, and even a sex club.”

I didn’t want to overwhelm him with all that he would eventually see, but he looked intrigued by my words. “An elevator is this metal box that you stand in. It takes you from floor to floor with a press of a button.” I thought for a minute, trying to think of what he should know. There was just so much. I was having a hard time trying to pick a subject. “One of the first things you will notice is that the buildings aren’t made of stone like they are here. Humans use wood to build many structures. It is actually a problem, though, since they are stripping the natural resources from their realm to make all the structures they need to house their vast numbers. There are billions of humans.”

I shook my head and then took a tentative bite of roasted meat. “There is beauty in both lands, and the advancements in technology on Earth are amazing. But I forgot how nice it is to see a land that is still pure and largely untouched by demon hands. Though, I can't say the Underworld smells allthat delightful.” I wrinkled my nose at the faint sulfur scent. There was likely a sulfur spring nearby. I eyed him as he looked around, taking in the brutal yet beautiful nature surrounding us. “You said the land felt wrong earlier. Do you still feel that way?”

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