That’s more than he’s let on since we met. “You’re here for the Council? Is that what the Devil’s doing in his palace?” I blink several times. “Why were you invited, anyway? Are you important?”
He doesn’t respond, instead snapping his gaze back to the road and the little house next to it. Someone is standing by the door now, watching us. Fear squeezes my heart. I can see the horns in the distance.
“Stay close,” Zaki hisses under his breath, tugging me on. “Don’t let them see fear in you. There is nothing demons enjoy more than fear.”
I stumble forward like a fool, having problems keeping up with his pace. “Wait. What’s the plan?” I ask him in a low voice.
“You keep quiet and go along with what I do,” he replies, his fingertips digging into my arm painfully. “I know what to say.” We close the space between us and the barrier, Zaki’s pace is hard to follow. “Sorry about that,” he whispers, so low I almost don’t hear it. Then his face changes. His eyes go hard, a look of disgust on his handsome features. I pull back, but his hold on me tightens, and he keeps me in place. “Keep quiet, filthy human,” he roars, loud and clear. A shiver of fear races down my spine, but it’s perfectly mixed with lust. He manhandles me as I stumble ahead, tripping on my feet. To stop myself from kissing the ground, I land a hand on his stomach, the ripples of his abs against my fingers. I swallow hard, pulling my hand back as my panties grow slick. How freaking annoying. Zaki roars deep in his chest, eyes darkening as if he noticed I’m horny, but he says nothing.
Good. Because I shouldn’t be horny for a man insulting me. But again, I think it’s about time I accept that my tastes are rather odd.
Zaki drags me down the road, hissing with impatience every time I stumble. I whimper against his hold, then smother the moan threatening to escape me. This is so not the time to figure out a new kink.
A second guard joins the first near the road, both watching us. Tall, with small horns sprouting from their foreheads, both are decked out in black, with daggers to their sides. I try not to look afraid, but it’s hard when the ratio of humantodemons is growing. They look at me for a mere second before snapping their gazes at Zaki. My heart thunders in my chest, expecting the two to stop us, question us, maybe call reapers to send me back to where I belong.
Instead, the two drop in a low bow. They say nothing as we pass them. I shoot Zaki a doubtful glance, but I can tell he wants me to stay quiet. We make for the dark barrier, the thick blackness suddenly real. I slam my eyes shut, waiting for a zap of energy, pain, anything, but nothing touches me. We cross as if we were crossing smoke, tendrils of cold slipping past my exposed arms. When I open my eyes again, everythinghaschanged.
The permanent dim light of the Underworld disappears here. Instead, everything is red. Craning my neck, I look up and up, my jaw dropping. The sky is thunderous, the color of blood, with orange clouds traveling back and forth in the warm breeze. Though the place is cold, the breeze blowing is almost hot, making it uncomfortable and confusing. Black flying shapes cross the skies, and no matter how hard I squint, I can’t make them out.
The road here is well paved, and the trees rising on both sides are strange and fearsome. I wouldn’t touch them. The gnarly branches are vivid purple, a warning, like poisonous frogs. Unlike the Underworld, this place is covered in vivid colors, but every hue is full of threats.
Zaki’s hold on my arm relaxes. His fingertips stroke my skin for a moment. “Sorry,” he whispers. “We needed to—”
“Excuse me,” someone calls out, making my blood freeze. We halt. Zaki whirls around, but I do it slowly, afraid of what I’ll see.
On this side of the barrier, there’s also a small house for guards. From the inside comes a guard, but he’s not a demon. From the obvious lack of horns and the glowing scythe, I can surely say he’s a reaper.
Demons protect the entrance into the Abyss,while reapers protect the one into the Underworld. It’s obvious now that I think of it. Frustration fills my mouth with a bitter taste,and I swallow hard. No. There’s no way I’m giving up now. They won’t take me back.
“What?” Zaki spits, narrowing his eyes. He’s pulled his shoulders back, taking a small step closer to me. Shielding me.
The reaper cocks his head, looking between us in confusion. “Do you have permission to take a soul with you?”
Permission? We should have brought permission? A contract, a signed form? My stomach plummets. I call for my powers, but of course, they don’t come. My heart threatens to burst through my ribcage as I stare at the ground, pretending I’m just a victim here. Does Zaki have a plan? What is he going to tell them?
Zaki says nothing. He just roars. I look up, finding his teeth bared, sharp canines making his face threatening, pairing up with the darkness in his eyes. A shiver rattles my entire frame, and I close my hands intofists to avoid showing it.
Another reaper leaves the house. Shit. Now we’re done. We’re so freaking screwed. I take a step back, getting ready to run, but the second reaper widens his eyes and rushes to the first one, pulling him back. With a hand on the man’s back, he forces him into a low bow, then does the same.
“I’m very sorry. He’s new. Pay him no mind, Your Highness.”
Zaki scoffs, then turns around and grips my arm again. He drags me ahead for several steps until the road dips and we’re out of sight. Then he lets me go.
My mind works a million miles per second. I gape up at him. “Your Highness?” He doesn’t reply, his gaze darting from side to side. “Zaki. Why did he call you that?”
He shoots me a look as if he’s trying to gauge my reaction. Zaki parts his lips and takes a breath, but then something catches his eye ahead. He puts a hand on the small of my back and guides me out of the road and up a jutting rock. Is this his way of avoiding explanations? He can’t be royalty. Is there royalty in the Abyss? Thoughts swim in my head, and all he does is help me up the rock and...
Holy shit. The view from here. We’re high up, the entire place below us. It stretches out into the horizon, the scenery dotted with dark forests and electric-blue lakes. Two, no, three castles with pointy towers create a triangle, embracing the thousands of smaller buildings. And I finally understand the reason behind the name Abyss.
In the middle of the three castles, a hole drills straight into the earth, bigger than anything I’ve ever seen. A road spirals on the inside, descending into the darkness, into places unseen, hidden from any light. My jaw drops as I gape at it, marveling at how absurdly big the place is. How they built civilization at the edge, around, and inside this abyss.
“Welcome to the place where demons are born,” Zaki says, but when I look at him, there’s a regretful look on his face. “Come on. We have to hurry.” And he jumps down the rock, turning to offer me a hand.
I accept it. “Why? Is there someone behind us?”
He opens a sad smile. It’s the most honest emotion I’ve seen on him since we met. “Definitely. Those demons will tell my father I’ve left.”
Great. So we’re not done running. “You said you didn’t have permission to come back. But what is he going to do?”