Page 15 of Another Underworld

Dagon gingerly touched his face and winced then glanced at Shiva. She shook her head.

Finally, he shrugged. “We don’t know.”

Candy Vargo spit out her toothpick and crossed the room. She didn’t say a word as she examined the two Demons. She waved her hands in a circular motion above their heads. Sparkling orange crystals rained down from the ceiling and covered them. As soon as the crystals hit their skin, they turned an inky black. The smell was foul, and Shiva cried out as she doubled over in pain.

“Death magic,” Candy spat with disgust. “Who in the fuck did this to you?”

Shiva’s chin fell to her chest. “We don’t know. We couldn’t see the enemy.”

“The air,” Dagon added. “The mist was so thick.”

Candy Vargo whistled and put six fresh toothpicks into her mouth. She turned to me. “Well, badass, you got way the hell more of a problem in the Darkness than getting those treasonous fuckers to like Pandora again.”

Dagon’s gaze jumped to mine. “We’re trying to get Demons to accept Pandora?”

“I’ll explain later,” I told him. I threw my arms into and air and snapped, “Could this day get any worse?”

“Yep,” Candy Vargo replied. “It can always get worse. So, here’s what we’re gonna do. You finish up whatever you Demons need to talk about then I’ll split these two open from sternum to groin and pull the death magic out.”

“I’m sorry. What the hell did you just say?” I asked, hoping I’d heard her wrong.

“You like these fuckers?” she demanded, pointing at me with a spit covered toothpick.

“Yes.”

“You want them to live to see tomorrow?”

“I do.”

“Then I gotta get that shit out of their system, pronto. You have a half hour to yack and then I start cuttin’.”

“Umm… they’ll survive that… the cutting?” I asked, glad that I hadn’t eaten a sandwich since I felt like I was going to puke.

“Probably,” she said casually. “What they won’t survive is death magic.”

Shiva stood and bowed to the Keeper of Fate. “Thank you. I shall be in your debt.”

“Dang right you will,” Candy shot back.

“As will I,” Dagon added. “Thank you, Keeper of Fate.”

Candy Vargo pointed at Abaddon. He gave her an affirmative nod. She then turned to Pandora and glared. “You in or out,” she asked tersely.

“In,” Pandora said reluctantly.

What the heck was going on? This was freaking nuts.

“Talk,” Candy Vargo barked. “Time’s tickin’, badass.”

“Right. So umm…” My thoughts raced and for a hot sec I forgot what we’d been discussing. The visual of Candy Vargo slicing open Dagon and Shiva and ripping stuff out of them was forefront in my mind. Pinching my weenus would not help this time. Shockingly, it was Pandora who got us back on track.

She crossed her arms over her chest and addressed Dagon directly. “Tell us what’s happening in the Darkness.”

The wounded Demon shook his head. “I’m not sure. Our people are worshiping a different God.”

“God?” Abaddon ground out. “A man? Our society is matriarchal. That makes no sense.”

“Agreed,” Dagon replied. “At least I think it’s a man. We didn’t see him, but felt a distinct masculine presence. He’s damned Pandora for killing Lilith, and he’s damned Cecily for being half-human.”

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