Page 17 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

No, he couldn’t. But instead of admitting that, he ignored the little demon. Osiris had no control over the fire of the light or dark elementals, a fact he often lamented. That power was from Mother Gaia herself. His realm was not of the earth at all. It was a completely separate realm, aspiritualrealm.

“Do you think this mortal has anything to do with why the young pharaoh is here?” Crescious asked.

Orisis’s brow rose. He hadn’t considered that. This particular descendant of Ramses had contacted his ancestors before, around a decade ago, so he thought nothing of the boy entering the underworld. A part of the young king's soul belonged to Osiris simply because it was his legacy. His ancestors had worshiped Osiris, and so they had reaped what they had sown. Though their suffering wasn’t nearly as horrible as those in the lower levels, it still wasn’t what they had thought they’d receive for their years of service. The fact that they had thought they were worthy to share in his glory simply because they worshipped him just proved how unworthy they were. Stupid mortals, always seeking a way to glorify themselves.

“Perhaps,” he finally answered the demon. “Go find the young pharaoh. Find out what he is up to. He is in the burning city where his ancestors reside.” Osiris thought it amusing he’d placed Ramses and his people there. They wanted to be a part of the underworld, thinking they would live in a city of riches. So, he gave them the city, and now they repeatedly watched it burn to ash. That is what their greed earned them.

“I hate the burning city,” Crescious muttered. “It’s not bad when the city is in the final stage, but when it rebuilds and starts over, the screams get annoying.”

Osiris agreed. He only ever visited the pharaohs when the city was simmering at the end of a cycle. “Go,” Osiris barked at the whining demon.

Long after Crescious had left, the king of the underworld continued to stare at the female. He wasn’t sure if it was her that he desired or just the idea of companionship. After all, having a bride wasn’t all hellfire and passion. He hated listening to them moan about how hot it was, how the screams kept them awake, and blah, blah, blah. It was hell, not a bloody resort in the Caribbean. But, if he didn’t like her, there was always the chance that she’d stumble into the lake of fire. It was easy to do. Somehow, many of his brides just seemed to overlook it as they wandered around the underworld trying to find something to do when he was occupied.

Osiris could feel the eyes of the level-one demons peeking at him from behind the dead trees in the Forest of Frost. He glanced around and heard them shift, trying to hide their presence from him.

“Step out,” he growled.

Three level-one demons and two level-four demons stepped out from behind the trees and bushes.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked the level-four minions.

“We … we … we …”

“Are you a damn toddler telling me you have to piss? Spit it out already before hell freezes over.”

The other, non-stuttering demon hit the idiot in the stomach and then said, “We heard about the mortal.”

“And so you just thought, hmm … let’s wander around hell to find this mortal because we are lords and can do whatever we want?”

“Who's going to miss a couple of demons from level four?” The demon, who apparently had a pair of balls, asked. “I mean, how many demons does it really take to torture a few souls? The rest of them can handle it.”

Though the demon had a point, he wasn’t allowed to defy Osiris. So, point or not, he would suffer. “You both will have your tongues cut out. You”—he pointed to the idiot—“for being a simpering fool, and you”—he pointed to ballsy—“for having the nerve to question your lord.” With a thought, he sent both level-four demons back to his hall and instructed the tormentors there to remove the tongues. There was a pile of those in hell somewhere, too.

Osiris looked at the level-one demons. “What has the Beast assigned you to do?”

“We go to the upworld, topside,” the smallest of them said, pointing up as if Osiris couldn’t possibly understand what upworld meant.

“We are the pesterers,” the one in the middle said.

“Then why are you here and not there”—he pointed up, glaring at the smallest one—“pestering the mortals that need to be pestered? And if you tell me that it’s because you heard about the mortal, I’m going to have you staked to my firing wall.” Osiris had a thing for flaming arrows. They were fun.

The three demons stared at him, blinking in tandem like a trio of robots with their mouths clamped firmly closed. So, they weren’t complete idiots. Good to know he had some semi-quality workers going out into the mortal realm.

“Leave. Do what you’re meant to do, or I will end your existence.” A second later, the place where they stood was empty.

Osiris folded his arms across his chest and tapped his chin with a long, sharp fingernail. He didn’t like the idea of leaving this mortal girl here all alone, but he liked the idea of staying in level one even less. Coming to a decision, he called two of his most faithful demi-lords.

“My lord,” they said in unison and bowed. Their big black wings tipped down in deference along with their heads.

“Rise,” he said.

The two creatures stood up straight. They were over six feet tall, though still a few inches shorter than Osiris. They each bore seven foot tall leather-like wings that rose up over their shoulders like protective shadows. The demons' faces looked much like the depicted gargoyles in human mythology, with bright yellow eyes with vertical pupils. They had forked tongues, pointy bat ears, and slits on the front of their faces that served as nostrils. The bodies of the demi-lords were muscular and black as pitch, with clawed toes and fingers. They scared the fire out of the inhabitants of hell whether souls, mortals, or other demons. Granted, any power they had was because Osiris graciously bestowed it upon them.

“You are to guard this mortal. No demon gets near her. If anything happens to her, or she leaves my realm, I will strip you of your titles, your power, and your wings, and I will feed you to the level-six souls.”

The demi-lords nodded and then took up sentry next to the burning mortal. They didn’t ask questions about her or even show surprise at his request … which was why they were demi-lords and why the other idiots who questioned him were not.

Now, Osiris just needed to wait to hear from the Beast and Crescious. His day was looking up. Perhaps he needed more burning mortals and young kings to visit him. He chuckled as he appeared back in his throne room and sat down with a satisfied sigh. Yes, things were definitely looking up.

---