Chapter 13 Get Ready
Get Ready
ROGUE
This damn ride to the core of Luca’s temporary lair is insane, and even Angelo looks a bit surprised.
I guess whatever he’s attended before hasn’t been this elaborate, and it makes me wonder why this event has been set up so spectacularly.
Turning to the demon, I tilt my head as I give him a curious look.
“Ang, what is with this meeting? Even you look a bit shocked by the opulence, and there are people being attacked. It’s like all this shit is a distraction from something, and I don’t think it’s the actual meeting part. ”
He scratches his chin, his eyes darting to Damon before they come back to me.
“Honestly, Princess, I’ve been wondering the same thing.
I’m not saying the Apalachins aren’t fancy normally, but this seems over the top.
The Fae royalty are tricky, but their reps aren’t likely to side with people trying to upset the power balance across the realms. That Prince’s comments about a rebel faction lead me to believe that maybe this wasn’t called for by the actual leadership in Bay City.
Someone must have sussed out their protocols and used them to fake the request.”
Rebel nods, his expression serious as he adds, “It’s something I’ve been toying with since we met with the folks from the university as well.
They came to use underground contacts to peek into the criminal world and find out if there’s a problem—no one could have predicted that.
Same goes for your sneaky royal heirs—they don’t want Hell knowing they’re here, either. ”
“So neither of those groups was lured here, which means their intervention wasn’t planned.
It foiled a plot that involved the representatives from Faerie.
” I tap my fingers on my lips as I consider that.
“The demons didn’t say if they found everyone who should have been in the area that was attacked.
They must have busted ass to leave before official security for the event arrived, and likely, Morgana’s group did, too. ”
Damon pulls his phone out, his finger flying over it with impressive speed.
He frowns for a moment, then looks up at us.
“There isn’t a damn thing on the supe-net about the attack.
They’re keeping it under wraps, which I bet means a lot of memory fiddling.
We won’t be able to track down witnesses who have accurate memories easily. ”
“Man, these fuckers all value maintaining appearances more than they do protecting their people. Doing that kind of shit is not only borderline against the treaties, it’s, like, counter-intuitive to figuring out what really happened,” Archie grumbles. “Why would your people want that?”
I exchange glances with Rebel and we shrug simultaneously.
Archie looks puzzled, so I say, “You know we don’t interact with them much outside of those who are also Guardians.
Speaking with the Daybreak Prince was the most formal conversation I’ve ever had with someone who’s spent most of their life in our former home. ”
“She’s right. I mean, I was older when they brought me here, but like her, my memory is fuzzy in a way that begs the question of whether those almost illegal methods were used on me.
” He sighs and rakes his hand through his bright green locks.
“It would be nice to know more, but we’re not the ones to ask, man.
We have as much general knowledge as any other Guardian. ”
A fact I hate with every fiber of my being because knowing more might help me figure out what the hell happened to Reck.
“That doesn’t help much, but neither does our lack of knowledge about what’s going on below since we came back to the surface after Discordia all those years ago.
” Angelo cracks his knuckles, his jaw gritted as he ponders for a moment.
“I’m sure the shit going on at the core level will be astonishing, even to me.
Luca and Lola have never held back when I was present before and this shit is catering to the most scandalous bits of demon culture, even in public view.
We should prepare for things we will want to intervene in—but we can’t. That goes double for you, Princess.”
His warning makes me shudder, but I nod. “Yeah, I figured as much. Most of it will be illegal or really fucking close, which will make Reb and me want to exercise our authority. It won’t be easy to fight that ingrained response; they’ve been drilling it into us for so long it’s second nature.”
“Fight it, Sparkles. The Society’s rules apply in demon territory, but you’d be on your own enforcing them in an underground compound full of the worst people our parents employ or are allied with.
It would be foolish to assume that something fucking awful wouldn’t happen before your fellow Guardians could break through their security. ”
Damon looks worried as hell, so I reach over and squeeze his hand. “I promise I’ll do my best not to interfere with things that don’t involve me. I won’t like it and it might make me a bit… difficult, but I will do my best. Reb will too, right?”
“Whatever,” he says grumpily. “I’ll just memorize their faces for later and we can deal with it after this mess. Sound good?”
Damon shrugs, and Angelo rolls his eyes, but they finally say, “Sounds good.”
I’d prefer that to have been more enthusiastic, but they weren’t raised to be Society agents like us.
“Glad that’s settled, but what about Luca and Lola?” Archie crosses his arms over his broad chest and I lose my train of thought for a moment. “If they don’t push everyone’s boundaries, I’ll eat a puck.”
My lips quirk as he scowls. The big guy sees different angles than the twins or Reb and me—it’s a good thing because I wasn’t even thinking about what the assholes-in-chief might demand. “A good question, Arch. What can they possibly do besides be shitheads, guys?”
The twins share an uneasy look before they turn back to us.
Damon ducks his head and Angelo coughs, obviously trying to find his voice.
When he finally does, it’s very quiet. “As the representatives on the surface and the head of our ‘family’, they have absolute authority to ask things we may not want to do. Their hold is less on Archie, Reb, and Javier because they don’t know you’ve mated with them.
But for you, me, and Damon? It could be uncomfortable. ”
I squint at him suspiciously. “Uncomfortable how?”
“They could assign us tasks of varying difficulty to prove our allegiance,” Damon mumbles. “But that’s not really the worst possibility.”
“They could make us sit with them and watch the depravity,” Angelo adds, then coughs again. “But I think what D is hinting at is that they can demand we confirm the mating in their presence.”
What.
“Are you saying they can make us fuck in front of them to prove ourselves?” I blink, then my temper spikes inside of me.
I don’t care about exhibitionism; I had a room at the bondage club.
However, I do care about having to perform for their goddamned parents.
It’s weird, and I will lose my fucking shit if they command it.
I’m not supposed to use the wings and dust, but I might do it if they force that shit.
The punishment for going outside of my guidelines would be worth taking those perverted fuckers out.
“They could,” Damon says softly. “I don’t know if they will. More likely, they’ll make us watch shit we don’t want to. Our parents are sadists, so they prefer to do lasting damage. Violating principles and values does that better than simple humiliation.”
“I’m going to need a lot more help keeping my fury in check,” I growl as I let go of his hand and wrap my arms around myself. “You guys need to be on your toes.”
And the motherfuckers running this show better watch their asses if they cross me—I have people to protect now.
The ding of the elevator finally reaching its final destination is ominous.
We all pause, waiting for the doors to open with grim focus.
This won’t be pretty, and a brief flicker of hope that my new demon friend headed for the higher levels is doing okay races through me.
I didn’t get the feeling that we’re in danger of being killed here, but I’m not running around with the heirs to the royal throne of Hell sniffing for traitors.
Hurting that kid would set me off, too, so the Gemini and their lackeys need to be careful.
“You okay, Sparkles?” Damon asks as the doors open. “It’s game face time, after all.”
My expression goes blank and my posture shifts into my usual pose when I’m on Guardian business. He grins a little and I shrug. “Fine like Faewine, little D. Let’s get this over with.”
Angelo steps out first, holding his arm out, and I take it.
I’m not a fan of such gallant throwback stuff, but I assume this is how it’s done amongst his kind.
Damon falls into place on my other side, leaving the other three to follow behind us.
“We’ll head straight for wherever our parents are to limit the exposure. ”
“Thank fuck,” Rebel mutters. “I’m getting disgusting vibes already, and we’ve only taken a few steps into the antechamber.”
Looking around, I notice that he’s right; it’s a match to the room we were in upstairs and there’s an enormous set of dark, ominous doors in front of us.
This is meant to be intimidating, but it seems clownish to me.
Truly terrifying villains don’t need the trappings of evil like this—and they look just like everyone else.
It’s the one thing humans have gotten right with the universe.
All this overblown shit means no matter how puffed up the Geminis are…
They’re not the ones in charge of anything outside of this silly fiefdom, I bet.
“You’re thinking pretty hard there, Wheels,” Archie murmurs low. “Worried about the view when we do an Aragorn on those doors?”
I snort. “First, I’m not throwing those things open like I arrived at Helm’s Deep because it’s stupidly unstealthy. Second, I’m much prettier than him.” Turning to look at him over my shoulder, I wink. “But thanks for seeing me like a warrior princess, babe.”
“A Xena costume…” Javi breathes and they all stop short, making me almost trip over my feet and crash to the ground. “That’s the image to hang onto in there.”
Fucking dudes, I swear to Mab’s merry mischief.
“Okay, fine. If we make it out of this without getting humiliated, tortured, or violated in some way, I’ll swing a sword and make all your dreams come true, guys. For now, let’s stow the dicks and get this over with.”
Rebel smirks at me, his eyes flashing with magic. “And that’s a deal, little sis. You will not wiggle out of it now.”
I roll my eyes, striding towards the enormous doors with the demon twins in tow.
My stepbrother is an asshole; we didn’t need a formal bargain cemented for such a silly thing.
But he obviously likes the idea, and that alone makes me grin as we enter the vast room.
My joy is short-lived as I look around, listening to the cacophony of screams, moans, snarls, and roars echoing off the vaulted ceilings.
Everywhere my eyes land, there’s something going on that makes me want to heave.
They weren’t kidding about the debauchery.
“We should head past that bloody orgy,” Angelo says. “I think the path to the highest ranking demons is that way. It feels like the most power is emanating from that direction.”
“Agreed,” I reply as I breathe through my mouth to avoid the smell coming from the writhing mass of demons and fluids. “And shake a leg, boys. This place smells like death.”
Of course, that’s because he’s likely here fucking a fallen angel or something.