Chapter 3 Kai
Kai
“Go back to our room!” Hulder stood firm and rolled his eyes. Oceans alive, the troll had a death wish. I tried again. “Seriously, dude, demons are dangerous. If you die, I’ll have no friends.” He rolled his eyes some more and shook his head.
“No. I help.”
For fuck’s sake. “Fine, but stay behind me.” Given a choice, I’d prefer not to battle demons, but my sweet witch mate was out there, and I couldn’t abandon her.
I ran from the marquee, shoving my way past everyone else fighting to leave. Several students had shifted into their wolves and were yipping in excitement at the thought of a fight. I pitied them for their lack of intelligence. What sane creature thought battling a demon was fun?
Not me, that was for sure.
I’d seen a demon once before. Back when I was small, my mother took me swimming with her mates. We’d spent the day at a small, hidden cove nestled at the foot of a mountain on one of the northernmost islands. While Mom and her mates were talking and eating, I’d wandered off to explore a cave.
The deeper I went, the more it smelled of sulfur and death, but I plowed on, determined to push past my fears.
Mom had repeatedly told me I needed to be brave. Nobody wanted a pathetic prince. She’d sneered at me while tapping her foot in irritation when I lay on the ground, crying after another brutal punch from my combat tutor.
I tried to tell her I wasn’t a coward, but she never listened.
Today I vowed to be a brave prince, like the males in the storybooks my nurse had gifted me.
My parents’ voices faded as I brushed my fingers along the damp stone wall. The passage twisted and turned, grew narrower for a stretch, and then opened up into an enormous cavern. Light twinkled from a million small glowworms on the glistening stone ceiling.
Thick stalactites dangled above my head, large enough to kill me if they fell. Although I prayed they didn’t. Mom had healing powers, but she might struggle to repair an immense hole in my head.
My mouth gaped in wonder until the awful smell hit me.
I inhaled and nearly choked on the stench of rotten flesh. Ugh. Something must have crawled in here and died.
Curiosity drove me forward. As I picked my way across rocks and debris, using the muted light from the glowworms to guide my path, the craggy walls glittered. My eyes adjusted fast, and I hurried on, hoping to find gems I could prize out and take back for my mother.
Just as I reached out to touch a small lump that caught the light, something moved in the farthest reaches of the cave. A bulky monster rose and stretched. Broad wings brushed the walls, extending sideways by several meters.
My legs wobbled as fear slithered up my gullet, tasting like acid. Would Mama even hear me if I screamed? I had no idea how far I’d walked. She might not come looking for me yet. Not until more time had passed.
By then I’d be dead. Eaten by whatever dragged itself toward me on clawed, scaly feet. Limp wings brushed the floor behind. One seemed bent out of shape while the other looked ragged and torn.
It hissed in excitement the closer it got while I stood frozen in horror.
A snake-like tongue slid from between fleshy lips and tasted the air. The thing chittered and hissed some more.
My instincts told me to run, but I couldn’t move. So much for being brave, I told myself as tears slid down my cheeks. I wasn’t like Mom and her mates.
The sound of voices from the tunnel behind me distracted the thing and broke my paralysis. I spun and tried to flee, but a claw snagged my shorts and I tumbled to the floor, breaking my nose. Pain exploded, and I cried out.
I was too late. The thing would eat me.
Would being eaten by a monster hurt?
I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.
The creature shrieked in fury. When I dared to look, one of my fathers had his net in hand while pinning the creature to the floor with his trident. My mother appeared, calling my name.
She ran toward me and grabbed me by the arm, yelling at me like this was all my fault before pulling me up and away. Daresh and Krillian attacked the creature with tridents. It howled and hissed before I heard a sudden wet thud. Silence fell over the cavern.
A grinning head rolled toward me, its eyes glazed in death. I stared in horrified fascination for a moment before vomiting up every morsel of the fish I’d eaten earlier.
The memory of that awful day had faded over time, but seeing the creatures we faced now brought it all back. Fear threatened to paralyze me once again, but I shoved it down and stiffened my shoulders to prepare for what lay ahead.
I couldn’t afford to be afraid. Not today.
We followed the path around the side of the main building, stepping over the body of a decapitated witch. When we turned the corner, I saw the bear shifter PT instructor battling two ugly-as-fuck demons. I was relieved to note the bear appeared to be holding its own.
Hulder growled and flexed his brutish arms. He seemed unafraid, which I was grateful for. I had a feeling I’d need my friend’s help.
There was no sign of my witch. The tether in my chest told me she wasn’t far, but I could see nothing through the thick shadows cloaking the trees.
“Kai!” Hulder’s urgent warning made me look up. A small, winged demon with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth dove toward us. I summoned my trident and thrust it up, skewering the thing. Black blood rained down on us, nearly blinding me.
Before I could yank my trident free, Hulder had torn the creature’s head off with a grim smile.
“Score one to me,” he said with a smirk, like this was a beach volleyball tournament.
“Asshole,” I muttered, but he just grinned.
I wiped the gunk from my face and focused. Two more winged demons headed our way. What the fuck was happening, and where were the security mages?
Gripping my trident and summoning my net, I stood my ground and waited for the winged monstrosities to get within throwing distance. Seconds later, I had the first trapped in my magical net, shrieking in rage. The second flapped around desperately, lashing out with its claws and barbed tail.
Hulder caught a blow, but his armored skin protected him. I wasn’t so lucky. My shoulder tore open, but I ignored the pain. I’d heal. And if I didn’t, then at least my mother could boast I’d not died a coward.
Once both demons lay dead with their heads removed, I finally dared relax for a moment, only to see the bear diving into the shadows. The tether tugged me forward, urging me to follow him.
“Go,” Hulder grunted, grimacing as he swiped a chunk of demon entrails off his chest.
“Stay safe,” I said before running at full pelt into the swirling mass of inky-black shadow.