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24
BREE
“All right,” Bree whispered from where she had her back pressed against the dank walls of the tunnel beneath the castle. It led out onto the field, where the demons were waging their war against the dark fae. She peered around the corner. Torchlight flashed against their angry faces, and smoke curled up into the cloud-studded sky. Swallowing hard, she ducked back inside the tunnel and winced. “This is going to look so suspicious.”
“Just do it, Bree,” Taveon said.
“What if they hurt you?”
“I don’t think they will. They’ve come to take me back to their realm, not kill me.”
That didn’t settle her nerves at all. Why did they want him? That was one piece of the puzzle they’d never been able to find. The demons wanted him, enough to destroy an entire realm. She understood the rest of it, why they wanted to fight their way through to Underworld and beyond. But why did they want Taveon so badly? Why had his father come to mate with a dark fae female in the first place?
The questions haunted her, especially when faced with their impossible task.
What if they just killed Taveon the second she handed him over to them?
“Bree, I can feel your hesitation and fear through the bond,” Taveon murmured to her, his voice barely heard over the demons launching their spears at the castle walls. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m immortal, remember?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I know. I just...I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you, especially if I was the one to lead you to that. Even if they don’t kill you, there’s a lot they could do to harm you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Bree wasn’t so sure, but as much as she wanted to turn back, she knew she couldn’t. So, with a deep breath, she stepped out of the tunnel and led Taveon across the field, dragging him along by the rope.
The demons did not see her for a good long while. It wasn’t until she was a few feet away from the left flank that a few of the warriors stopped their rage-filled shouts and turned her way. As soon as their glowing eyes landed on her, Bree’s stomach bottomed out.
“What’s this then?” the closest barked out. He nudged the demon beside him. Both were tall, hairy, and horned. Bree supposed she was, too, but she still felt like an ant before them.
The second demon whirled her way and growled. “Who the fuck are you and...is that the fucking king?!”
Bree wet her lips and puffed up her chest. “It fucking is. I caught the bastard sneaking out of that there tunnel over there!”
She had no idea if she sounded right or not, but they both turned their eyes onto the cave hidden across the field. When they spotted it, they swept their gaze back her way. The taller of the two, with crimson hair, narrowed his eyes.
“Now, wait a minute. This don’t seem right. Why would he try to sneak out by himself? He’s their king.”
Taveon opened his mouth to say something, but Bree rammed her elbow into his side. “Guess he’s an idiot king then. ‘Cause I saw him, and I fucking caught him. The, erm, overlord is going to shit himself.”
Overlord?!
Bree wanted to kick herself. There was no way in hell the demons actually called their master the overlord. But she hadn’t known what else to say. Who was in charge here? Did they have a king? She knew it was Taveon’s father who wanted to take him back to the Realm of the Dead, but that meant nothing to her. Who was he to these people?”
A few of the other demon warriors had noticed her while she’d been rambling about overlords, and a crowd had begun to gather around her, the western flank ceasing their attack on the castle for now.
“You look like one of the Fire Eaters,” one of the demons said, poking her. “How come you were over here on the western flank?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just was. Are you not seeing what I have here? It’s the king. We got him. Time to celebrate!”
That had been the wrong thing to say. They all scowled at her. Did they not have celebrations in the Realm of the Dead?
The nearest one snatched her arm and started dragging her through the crowd of warriors. “I’m taking you to Master Andmno.”
Andmno? What a weird name. Bree made a mental note to call him Master.
Bree clung on to Taveon’s rope and clenched her jaw. Her feet almost twisted up beneath her with the demon hauling her so quickly through the parting crowd. Silence descended upon them. The army went quiet; the enemy castle was forgotten now. A strange demon was striding amongst them with their captive in tow. Every eye bored holes in her illusioned skull.
The demon led her to a cluster of leather tents that had been erected at the rear of an army. Light blazed from inside, and smoke curled through the crack in the flap. The demon yanked back the material and tossed her inside. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees before...
