Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
DEMITRIA
F our days.
Demitria had been on her own for four days with no idea if she was heading in the right direction. She just rode. She wanted answers no matter what, but was quickly reaching a point that the only thing she cared about was putting distance between her and Solis.
Glancing up at the bright blue skyline above, she guessed it must have been near noon. The sun was high in the afternoon sky as it beat down on her and Atlas. The day had grown hot, muggy, and she could feel as Atlas began to slow beneath her. They’d been pushing so hard with little to no water. She knew he’d need to rest soon if they were to continue the journey to the angels.
“Whoa boy, let’s rest for a little while.” His hooves dragged along the dirt before slowing to a stop, letting out a huff as he did so. Demitria swung her legs from the stirrups as she dismounted, loosening the girth around his stomach to give him a bit more room to breathe. Gathering the reins in her hands, she led him on foot for some time. Despite the current heat, they’d been rained on the night before. There had to be a source of water somewhere, a puddle from the rain that hadn’t evaporated yet. Demitria shook the flask at her hip, letting out a sigh as it rattled. Already half empty. She’d blown through the water faster than she’d liked. They would need to find a spot to refill if they were to continue any further.
They walked for another ten minutes across the barren land with watchful eyes, scanning for anything before spotting the shimmer along the surface of the shallow puddle several feet away. Demitria quickened her pace, Atlas trotting alongside her. Closing the remaining distance, the water was murky with dirt and gods knew what else. Perfect for Atlas, but her flask would have to wait. He gratefully lowered his head and drank, the cool water soothing his overheated body. He stayed head down for minutes, drinking his fill as if he knew they probably wouldn’t find more for some time. Once he was done, they resumed their journey. Continuing on foot for the next little while, pace slower than before. The break had been nice for them both, and it felt good to stretch out the aching muscles in her legs.
Alone . She was completely alone.
The thought hit her, weighing heavy on her chest. She had struggled most days back at the community. They may have had more food than most, but you were never properly fed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d truly had a proper meal, and it had grown harder and harder to stay hydrated. Living was hard enough, but they’d always had each other to help weather whatever storm came their way. Now? Demitria didn’t know what the hell she had been thinking. Finding food was a near impossible task. She couldn’t grow anything. Didn’t have the time, as staying in one place long enough to grow something wasn’t an option. She could try to hunt like she had with Kellan, but it was clearly obvious she was no good at it. Out there, beyond the wall alone, was a death sentence. She couldn’t protect herself from all the creatures that lurked, not at the rate they’d been attacking the other communities. Not that many at once.
She should have left with Kellan.
Demitria ran a hand down her face as she groaned. What had she been thinking, leaving like she had. She wasn’t prepared to be out like this. Sure, she’d survived beyond a community before, but never alone. Jace had always been beside her every step of the way. Now? She didn’t know the first thing about survival on her own.
Her destination was unknown. Where had she truly planned to go? They had never been able to find the angels exact location, only the areas they tended to frequent. What if she couldn’t even find it? So far, she’d really only managed to get as far away from Solis as she could. She could see the canyon in the distance and could probably make it by nightfall if she pushed, but it would more than likely be later than that. To preserve whatever strength she could, and let Atlas recover from their grueling pace of the last four days.
She should have just gone with the Horseman and reunited with his siblings. They probably would have killed her upon first glimpse. Maybe that would have been for the best . Maybe then she wouldn’t have had to worry about her home every waking minute of every gods damned day.
Leaving alone had been stupid.
“I’m an idiot.” She whispered, head hung in defeat. Atlas nudged her back softly, but it did nothing to lift her souring mood.
Demitria lost track of how long they’d been walking, but her feet drug along more and more with each step. They were completely and utterly exhausted. She knew they would need to sleep at some point. Having been on the move since leaving, never stopping for more than a few hours each time, neither she nor Atlas had gotten much rest. She weighed her options. She would need to risk sleep no matter what, but the timeline was another story. She could wait it out, sleep when it was dark. Or they could find a nice, hidden spot and nap while the sun was still high, and move again after dark. It was an easy choice. Easier than she’d anticipated.
A sea of rocks was some twenty feet off in the distance. They could rest there for the next several hours. The tall outcropping was semi shaded, and it would be nice for both of them to get out of the heat. She left the saddle on Atlas in case they needed to make a quick getaway, but kept it loosened slightly for his comfort. Hoping she would be able to take the two seconds to tighten should it come down to it.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Demitria’s body lowered to the ground. It was hard and uncomfortable beneath her, but her body welcomed the rest. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she glanced at Atlas who was already dozing a few feet away. Unbuckling the sword at her hip, she sat it down beside her. Within minutes, she followed into a much-needed sleep.
The impact to her stomach was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Coughing. Gagging. Gasping for air as Demitria tried to calm her breathing. It was nearly dark outside, and she knew she’d fucked up and slept longer than she’d intended.
Demitria was met with something she’d hoped to never see again, its haunting body hovering over her.
“I told you I’d find you again.” Acrid bile rose up the back of her throat as her body threatened to be violently ill as the demon’s deep voice rumbled through her. She gagged and finally took a breath, too consumed with fear to do anything more than lay there as her eyes blazed with terror.
“What do you want?” She gasped, the sound of her own voice weak. Pathetic.
The creature smiled, showing a mouth full of those razor teeth. The image of her mother’s blood dripping from his mouth flashing before her. Hurried eyes tore across her surroundings, the dark shadows of the large rocks around her, but nothing familiar caught her gaze, Atlas nowhere to be found. She was really, truly alone now. Demitria hoped to whatever gods were out there that he’d gotten away safe.
“Your Horseman is not here to protect you.” Those glowing, crimson eyes tore through her. Anchoring her to the spot. It extended a taloned claw toward her, brushing along the smooth pale flesh of her throat, but it didn’t break skin. The shiver worked through her body at the thought of those claws. At the poison that had coursed through Kellan’s body from them.
She regretted leaving. Regretted thinking she could even do this on her own. Why the hell didn’t she just wait for Kellan. He was right . Humans were completely and utterly useless. Stupid. Every decision she’d made since meeting him had been absolutely stupid.
“He will be so pleased that I’ve found you alone.”
Somewhere. Somehow, she found the courage to speak again, despite the trembling of her body. “Who?”
“The Dark King.” It whispered, flashing another sinister smile.
Had she been standing, her body would have collapsed as another wave of fear rushed through her. She didn’t know who the demon spoke of, but the name alone invoked a wave of fear through her. Someone else had put a price on her head. Someone seemingly important.
“He’s been looking for you. We had hoped your Horseman would cooperate, but there’s still time.”
Kellan? Cooperate with what?
“He will join us in due time.”
Kellan must have known that she was gone by now. Would he be able to track her? How far had she actually made it? Would his desire to find answers push him enough to look for her in the first place? Demitria knew she couldn’t count on the Horseman to rescue her again.
She felt the weight of the weapon at her side. In a moment of blind fear, she ripped it from its sheath and swung. Not caring where and what she hit. His clawed fingers parried her sword easily, knocking it from her hands as if her blow had been nothing more than a feather in the wind. The scream ripped through her as she bore his weight on her chest, pinning her to the cool rock below. The deadly points of his claws danced along her skin in a taunting manor, inciting a new wave of terror. Poisoned. If he broke skin, everything would be over. Knowing full well she wouldn’t last nearly as long as Kellan had. Her heart would probably stop beating almost instantly. Demitria didn’t struggle, her body giving up before her mind did.
The weight lifted, only to be replaced by a swift kick, the air rushing out once more as he pulled her to her feet. To her right, the sword lay a great distance away. She couldn’t risk making a dive for it, and somewhere in the scuffle Demitria knew her dagger had come loose by the weight missing on her thigh. She couldn’t fight back. Couldn’t do anything, so she walked, obedient, and she could just make out the looming shadows of the canyon in the distance. At least they seemed to be going in a similar direction. She couldn’t discern if that was a good thing or not.
“What does he want with me?” Her voice shook, despite the strength she willed into it.
“Your soul, for one.” He spoke. “Me? It’s the delicacy of human flesh.”
She wished she hadn’t glanced behind her, catching him licking his lips at the thought of it. Whatever happened, she hoped she wouldn’t meet the same end her parents had. Not by this same creature. Their sacrifice would have been for nothing.
“If you’re going to kill me, just do it now.” Turning on her heel, Demitria faced the creature. The blow caught her shoulder with such force she reeled backward in pain. The blood welling beneath her clothing as the panic set in. Eyes darting to the wound, her fingers prying at the fabric of her shirt, she nearly let out a sigh of relief. She was bleeding, but hadn’t been poisoned. He’d hit her so hard, the power behind the blow had broken the skin.
Her arm ached. She could feel the blood dripping down her finger tips, falling to the dirt as he pushed her on. She didn’t dare speak another word, knowing that if she did, it would only end in pain.
The silence was awful. It was giving her more time to think than she’d ever wanted, really. About life. The people in it, including the fucking Horseman. Her upcoming death. That was something she didn’t want to think about, even though it seemed inevitable at this point. She truly didn’t know who this monster spoke of. So many beings that she hadn’t experienced, and, keeping track of them nearly made her head spin. The price on her had from the council was worrisome, but a price from this unknown? A Dark King? The thought alone was terrifying, more so after the talk with Kellan back at the community. If he didn’t know who— what else was in play…she was petrified.
How would her death happen? When would it happen? Demitria didn’t know the answer to either, and probably wouldn’t until it was too late. Without weapons, she was useless. Against their power, she was useless. As a human… she was just utterly useless. Always so fucking useless.
At some point they veered away from the canyon as the shadows seemed to change. They’d been walking for hours it seemed, and instead of the wide path and those tall canyon walls looming over her, the demon looked to be leading her toward an opening at the base of a mountain, instead. Under the canyon, perhaps? She didn’t recall anything of the like when they’d initially been tracking the angels, and wondered how the hell it got there.
“Down this way.”
The demon gave her another shove and she stumbled to her knees. Feeling the bite of the uneven rocks beneath her as it tore into her flesh. She wanted to cry, wanted to cry so badly, but she refused to give the damned creature the satisfaction. Curling her hands and taking a deep breath, she willed her body to calm.
“Get up!” Another kick sent her stumbling forward, but she hadn’t been ready to get up. Hadn’t had a chance to steel her nerves. Just a few moments, that was all she needed to regain her composure. The air emptied from her lungs at the second kick, head colliding with the rock. Demitria lay there, gasping for breath as the creature laughed, grinning as she fought to breathe.
It grabbed at her arms, yanking her up to her feet like she was nothing more than a doll. He shoved again, and they ventured into the cavern. Much like the one her and Kellan had stayed in what seemed like a lifetime ago, when it had really only been a little more than a week. This one was massive in comparison. Demitria wasn’t familiar with the area anymore, and she stumbled over her feet at the new terrain. Had they created it somehow? She wondered if they’d been converging down below. It would make sense for the rise in attacks on the surrounding communities. Why so many had fallen?
They continued down the tunnel, and nothing but darkness invaded her vision, as if she’d gone completely blind. Her feet slowed, but the demon held on by the back of her cloak, yanking her around as he guided her down, his talons almost imbedded into the fabric at her neck.
No supplies, no water, no food, no weapons, and held hostage by the creature that had killed her family.
There was no coming back from this. Not this time.
The tunnels were scarily quiet the further they went, the only sound their feet crunching on the loose rock beneath them as the floor dipped in a slight decline. The smell inside the cavern was stagnant. Musty. What she wouldn’t give for the crisp night air to fill her lungs as she gazed up at a sea of stars.
The demon pushed further down into the tunnels. They must have been at least a hundred feet below ground, she was sure of it. After what seemed like hours, they came upon a large gap before them, lit up by the glow of flames from beyond the opening. Thick claw marks dug deep gouges into the wall as if the demons had broken through themselves. How long had they been down here?
The cavern opened up into another large room, the red-orange blaze of the fire causing a ripple of shadows that danced along the walls. Demitria didn’t want to think about how they might truly be alive as they writhed around the outskirts of the room.
“We’ve found her, my lord.” Behind her, the demon spoke. “He will be pleased.”
From the shadows, another figure emerged. The being looked disturbingly human, but she knew better. Ever since the war started, things had not been as they seemed.
He wore no helm, but the dark metal of his armor reflected the luminescent glow of the flames, like a raging fire in the night. Large hands held a massive sword that curved into a perfect, lethal point. She knew he wasn’t truly human at all.
“Demitria Collins.” His voice held a deadly edge, a shiver working its way through her body at the mention of her name. She hated how they knew her when she knew nothing about them. The skin along her neck itched, and she squirmed uncomfortably at the feeling. “We’ve been looking for you.” Something told her that he wasn’t the Dark King that she’d been told about, and another shiver coursed through her at the thought. But with the armor and the blade, she knew he must be important. The demon lord’s inky eyes watched, roving up and down, giving her a once over, making sure she was truly who they were looking for. His gaze held no color, and it was like looking into deep pools of the abyss. Empty. Black. Void of anything .
Using up whatever courage she had left, Demitria’s body straightened. “Why does he want me?” She said, unsure if she was ready for the answer that awaited her.
“Many want you dead.” The demon took a step closer.
Demitria instinctively stepped back. She became painfully aware of the others as those dancing shadows closed in around them. She’d been right about them. Her fingers itched to grab the sword she didn’t have. The sword Evan had so expertly crafted. Demitria felt that emptiness hollow her. The blade had become like an extension of her own arm. Her safety, and she’d give just about anything for the weapon right about now. Would pray to whatever gods she could to get it back.
“You’ve killed for both sides. Maybe you’re here to exterminate both races?” Another step.
With each foot forward she took another one backward until the cool brush of taloned claws caressed along her back. She truly didn’t know what this demon spoke of. Her only goal had been to survive the fucking onslaught of the planet.
She didn’t want to be here. She needed to get out. She just didn’t know how.
“I’m sure you’re aware of the powers of a human soul.”
Demitria wasn’t. She had no idea what any of it meant. The demon circled in a taunting manner.
“He wants to break you, then take your soul. Eliminate you from this world.”
Kill her. She’d figured that much.
“Who is he?”
“You’ll find out in due time.” The being waved her off with a toothy grin, each one ended in a pointed tip. “We have been prisoners for far too long. For over a millennia! It is time for a king to reign.” At his words, the cavern exploded with sounds. Cheering, as the demons around her roared in agreement. The sound haunting.
Gods, there were so many of them. “He is coming for you. For all of you. Then this forsaken planet will be ours!” The being—demon lord, whatever the fuck he was, threw his hands in the air for effect. More cheering. Eerie voices chanted something she couldn’t make out.
She shook her head. “I am worthless. I am nothing.” The words weren’t a lie. She’d felt them time and time again and knew them to be true. “There is nothing that I can give to help whoever your king is.”
“On the contrary, Demitria. Your soul is powerful, and it is the key to setting us free.”
“They’ll stop you.” She blurted out. Kellan and his siblings. They had to. It was their job. Balance. They needed balance.
“Who, my dear girl, is going to stop us?” He was in front of her again, dragging a sharp nail down her neck. The bile rose in her throat as he trailed it down her chest where it stopped, resting just below the collar of her shirt. “That little friend back at your home?” The demon gave her another wicked, toothy smile. Jace…they knew about Jace.
“Get your hands off me.” She spat. That spark coming to life as a fire awakened. She’d been complacent long enough.
“And if I don’t? Your Horseman isn’t here to hear you scream.” Demitria’s eyes darted around the cavern at the shadowed beings surrounding her. Dozens of eyes in varying shades of crimson staring. Waiting. The one who’d captured her was smiling again, the amusement clear on its face. Even among more of his kind she’d been able to pick him out in an instant. His very being engrained in her mind, no matter how many times she’d tried to forget it.
Kellan wasn’t coming, she knew that. Had accepted it when she’d been kicked awake.
“I said get off me.” She made a grab for his throat, but he was faster. Much faster. Her back bit into the stone wall feet away as the breath caught in her throat. Darkness exploded around her, vision fading as what little light had been in the cavern slowly dimmed.
“Pathetic.” His body hovered over her crumpled figure when she lunged. Willing whatever strength remained into her limbs. Unwilling to give up just yet. No matter what pain riddled her body.
She rolled the two of them to the ground. The demons watched but did not interfere as they grappled. But he was quick to gain the upper hand, pinning her to the rock floor by the weight of his body. She’d caught him off guard and nothing more. It was the only reason she was able to roll him. Demitria knew she wouldn’t be able to do it again.
His hand enclosed around her throat, cutting off her air supply. She only had seconds. The demon smiled with a deadly grace, like the act itself had cost him no effort at all.
Ten seconds.
She struggled beneath him. Kicking out, scratching at his arms, but his grip never wavered.
Three seconds.
He smiled again, pulling them both to their feet.
Two.
She could feel her heart slowing with the lack of oxygen. The world around her fading into a thick mist. If this was how she’d go, Demitria would take it. Her arms fell limp to her sides and she closed her eyes, willing it to happen. Willed her body to just let go .
“Not today.” The air returned in a rush as his grip loosened. Demitria had just enough time to open her eyes as he smashed her head into the rock before darkness overcame her.