Page 6 of Releasing Darkness

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 keepsuch 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 hiddenspaces 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 faras 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.

Chapter

Three

SASHA

Ipulled my motorcycle to a stop outside the doors leading into Brimstone. With a nod of my head, I tossed the keys to the demon posted on the door, confident that he would have it moved to a more secure location. I ignored the looks of the hopefuls waiting to gain access to the nightclub. I wasn’t worried about what they would see as I walked past them. I was loaded with weapons, all mostly hidden, but that isn’t what they would be seeing as I strode past.

I was a succubus, and as such, I had a natural allure, and sex appeal was literally oozing from my pores in the form of pheromones. I couldn’t turn it off, no matter how much I wished it were possible.

There had been many times over my life that I wished more than anything to be normal. To be any type of demon other than what I was. The number of times I’d had to fight both men and women off of me, those who were so drawn to my allure that they believed they could take what hadn’t been offered, had me swearing off any form of sex. Witnessing my fatherusing his natural sex allure as a weapon against others had only strengthened my resolve.

Ignoring the glances, the whispers that could be heard over the loud, thumping music, and the hands that reached for me, I strode straight to the door that humans were warded against. They wouldn’t see the door against the far wall, for them, it was nothing more than a blank wall, their eyes automatically skipping over it without interest. It allowed demons to enter into the passage that led to the elevators.

What humans also couldn’t see, was their favorite nightclub wasn’t just a single floor, large building where they could dance and drink the night away. Instead, it was several stories tall and much wider. Not only was there a nightclub where demons who needed to feed off of the energy of humans, but there was also other entertainment for the demons on the Earth realm ranging from a casino, a demon nightclub, a fighting ring, and even a sex club.

I used to work in the building, absorbing and feeding off the sexual energy that emanated from both the humans and demons alike. I didn’t even need to be in the sex club to get my fill. Just being near it was enough. I wasn’t going upstairs, though.

As soon as the heavily warded door closed behind me, the heavy bass lowered to a low thumping beat. I walked away from the muffled sound and headed for the first elevator. Nodding to a guard that was walking past, I pushed the call button and waited, staring at the metal doors. I was about to do something that I had never expected to. Once the doors slid open and I was able to step onto the thankfully empty lift, I raised my hand and let my finger hover over the button marked with a B. Then I pressed it.

Within seconds, the doors slid back open, and I was in an unfamiliar room. I hadn’t been in front of the portal in three hundred years. Not since the day I stumbled through and right into Varek’s arms. I had been grateful every day since that hehad been there. If someone else had been the one to find me, my life would have gone in a much different direction.

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