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I let out a sigh of relief and continued to help him clean up. If that were the case, then I’d be safe. And I had to admit that I was extremely curious about what the underworld was like.
Not to mention it’d make me feel that much closer to Lucian, seeing where he came from.
Chapter 16
Lucian
The next morning, Zoeand I entered the underworld through a portal Baptiste had opened for us in the pantry of the fire station. He’d be nearby if we needed help, but would otherwise be focused on guarding the entry.
We stepped in, and as soon as I passed the threshold, my beast form took over. Glamours and human forms had no place here, if one was a demon or monster. As such, humans stood out in any crowd.
I knew Zoe was untouchable, however. As dark as the underworld could be, the one rule nobody crossed was harming an innocent.
The portal opened up to a back alley in a crowded city that I knew had bustling markets. Zoe looked around as we stepped out, her eyes wide.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“Welcome to the underworld,” I replied, my voice sounding more gruff in my monster form.
She looked at me, taking in my appearance. She had seen it before, but it was still quite a sight, I knew.
“Wow,” she breathed, her eyes raking over my body.
I smiled at her reaction. “Come on. We should get going. We don’t want to linger.”
She nodded, following me closely as we made our way through the dark streets, lit up only by a perpetually red sky. There were creatures of all shapes and sizes roaming around, each one more wretched than the last.
I kept Zoe close, my arm wrapped protectively around her as we navigated the crowded streets. We passed by taverns and brothels, casinos and gambling halls, all of which were filled with sinful revelry.
To my relief, all creatures, both demon and monster, made way when they saw Zoe, knowing the price of harming a pure mortal down here.
Zoe seemed to be enjoying herself, though, taking in the sights and sounds. It was definitely a unique experience, one few humans got to have.
We soon entered a street market, which was busy with activity. Vendors hawked their wares, selling everything from exotic spices and herbs to forbidden ancient treasures. There was a sense of excitement in the air as monsters from all walks of life mingled and haggled, eager to get their hands on the best deals.
Zoe murmured as she took in the sights, “This place is awesome.”
I smiled at her childlike wonder. “There’s a lot to see here, though perhaps we shouldn’t stay too long.”
Zoe picked up on my discomfort. “Okay. Where do you think we might find the peppers?”
“Well, I know of a few vendors, but one in particular comes to mind.”
I led her through the throngs of monsters, weaving in and out of the crowd as we made our way to the stall of a merchant I trusted. The crowd was thick, but eventually, we made it to our destination.
“Ah, Lucian! It’s been too long,” the merchant, a goat demon, greeted us.
I gave him a small bow of the head. He and I had gotten into our share of trouble back in our younger days, though had grown apart when I decided to integrate into human society. “I hope you’ve been well.”
“Here on business?” he asked, cocking his head.
“We’re looking for a rare ingredient.”
The merchant’s eyes landed on Zoe, and he grinned. “I see. What exactly do you seek?”
“Do you have any hell peppers?” Zoe asked, her voice a little tight as she tried not to stare at the demon.
“I sure do,” he replied, reaching for a jar. He rattled the fresh peppers around, a good amount in the container. “These are the hottest peppers in the underworld. It’ll put hair on your chest, that’s for sure.” He eyed Zoe before adding, “Yes, even a girl like you.”
