Page 40 of Another Underworld

It was time to roll the cameras and call action. The plot was unfolding before our eyes. I was ready to stick to the script but with the flexibility to improv if needed. No fake God was going to usurp Pandora and me. We were the two rightful rulers of the Darkness, and we were about to take back what was ours.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Poppingeight hundred evil Demons was no walk in the park. It also didn’t work. I’d only been able to take out about five hundred. Impressive, but not the result I was going for. The green goo of the slain was oozing from everywhere—including my hair and my clothes. If I thought about it too hard, I’d hurl. The scent of sulfur was almost debilitating. Any other day, it would have made me pass out. This was not just another day. It was the day that would determine the rest of the days for eternity. Passing out or puking was not on the schedule.

The scream that left my lips before I popped the bastards had come from the bottom of my gut and had shocked even me. Pandora had jumped a foot into the air when the sound rocketed out of my mouth, then played it off as if it was nothing. If it hadn’t been so frustrating that I hadn’t met my goal, I would have laughed at her jump-scare reaction. However, having the three hundred remaining irate flaming assholes charging at us meant there wasn’t a moment to waste for any kind of levity.

“My people. NOW,” I bellowed.

Like a perfect and deadly symphony, my loyal Demons stampeded from the tree line surrounding the castle like demonic avenging Angels. It was an oxymoron, but I stood bymy description. The remaining three hundred didn’t stand a chance against my three thousand strong. It was no surprise to me that Fifi led the assault, lobbing grenades left and right. My self-proclaimed bodyguard defined the words batshit nutty badass.

“Go, go, go,” Abaddon shouted over the sound of clashing swords and screams. “Take the opening. We can make it to the castle.”

He was right. My Demons had formed a path leading to the ornate front door that would put us exactly where we wanted to be. Tiny had dropped back and joined the fight. It was Abaddon, Pandora and me going in—three of the most powerful Demons alive. Chub Chub Wang had no clue what or who was coming for him, but he was about to find out.

“Throw a fireball at the door, Stinky Whore,” I insisted to Pandora as we wove our way through the masses toward the endgame. “Five bucks says it’s locked and bolted. I didn’t bring a key.”

“Five million says your correct, Bitch,” she replied as she clapped her hands and created a blazing orb of fire.

She might have missed when she was trying to off me, but she certainly didn’t miss the door. It exploded on impact when hit. Shards of wood and metal flew like a detonated shrapnel grenade. I put my hands over my head for protection and continued sprinting to the charred-out opening.

“There will be guards inside,” Pandora huffed out as she ran by my side. “Keep your eyes open and kill anything that moves.”

“Right,” I said. “Just don’t decapitate Irma, Jonny, Moon, Stella or Corny. Got it?”

“You really think they’re still alive?” she asked, ducking a flying beam.

I didn’t answer her. I had doubts but didn’t want to voice them. All I could do was hope… and I was hoping really hard.

We’d reached our first goal. The opening was still on fire, but there was room to squeeze through.

“Motherfucker,” Abaddon bellowed in frustration as he was magically thrown back as he tried to enter the castle. “It won’t let me in.”

His eyes blazed red, and his fury was hotter than the fireball Pandora had thrown. If glares could destroy, the entire castle should have disintegrated to dust. That wasn’t the case. A game was being played by Chub Chub Wang. The Goddesses of the Darkness were the only two who were able to pass over the threshold. Even the evil guards who’d bypassed my people were thrown back like Abaddon.

Pandora was breathing like a rabid dog. “That bastard wants us to play? Fine. We fucking play.”

I turned to Abaddon and blew him a kiss. His fury had not abated, but he returned the gesture. It was terrifying but somehow right. The two rightful Goddesses of the Darkness had to be the ones who took the false God down. It didn’t matter if I liked it. It didn’t matter if Pandora liked it. It was what it was.

The minute we entered the grand foyer, the screams from the battle outside disappeared. Pandora’s alarmed gaze shot to mine. We could still see the battle raging through the broken door, but the soundtrack had been silenced.

“What the actual hell?” Pandora whispered, pulling on her fire sword and glancing around cautiously. “I think Chub Chub Wang is more powerful than originally thought to be.”

“Word,” I said softly, pulling on my own fire swords. I had grenades that would probably be useless other than buying time in my back pockets. The toothpicks were in my front pocket. I had both Cher’s and Fifi’s boxes with me as well. I had a bad feeling we would need them.

“Precautionary pick,” Pandora ordered, pulling out a toothpick and clamping it between her teeth.

I didn’t question her. It was a smart move. If we got hit with death magic and couldn’t get to the antidote we’d be screwed. I popped one into my mouth and looked for a mirror. “I say we get to the tunnels and find the center of the castle from below.”

“Agreed,” she said tightly. “There!” She pointed to a large mirror down the ostentatious hallway on the right.

Staying low and alert, we made our way quickly down the hallway. Trying to pull the mirror off the wall was not working.

“Crap,” I grunted as I pulled on the stupid thing. It didn’t budge. “Is it superglued to the wall?”

“Magic,” Pandora said. “We’re going to have to break it.”

I really didn’t need seven years of bad luck for breaking an ancient mirror, but it didn’t look like we had much of a choice. I didn’t see another mirror anywhere in the vicinity.

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