I was so awed that I didnt realize someone had come up to us until I heard Adrian speaking in that poetically guttural language. My gaze snapped to his left, where a dark-haired, muscled man now stood. It wasnt the metal breastplate over his brown camouflage clothes that caught my attention, although that fashion mistake should never be repeated. It was the mans face. Light rolled over his eyes like the passing of clouds, and inky black wings rose and fell beneath his cheekbones, as if he had a tattoo that could magically appear and disappear.
My staring seemed to annoy him, so I looked away. He said something sharply to Adrian and then grabbed my wrist hard enough to bruise me. Adrian moved with that lightning quickness, putting Camo Guy in a headlock with his arm bent at the wrong angle before I could even say, Let go.
I told you, she goes straight to Mayhemium, Adrian said, speaking English this time. And if you delay me again, Ill rip your head off.
I didnt know if it was Adrians dangerous tone or how quickly hed broken Camo Guys arm, but he grunted something that mustve been an agreement. Adrian let him go, smiled as though theyd exchanged a friendly hello, and then half dragged me through one of the openings in the wall.
Lots of stone steps later, we reached the pyramids lower courtyards. At first glance, it looked like an average street market. Vendors hawked various wares inside their booths, food cooked on open grills, and people milled around, either buying or window shopping. But every other person had that strange roll of light over their eyes, and when I got a closer look at some of the vendors wares, my legs abruptly stopped working.
Keep moving, Adrian whispered, half lifting me so it wasnt obvious that shock had frozen me where I stood.
I forced my suddenly numb limbs to keep working. It helped that Adrian took us quickly through the market section and into a side alcove that had a drain in the floor. Even though his large frame blocked most of my view of the courtyard, I still couldnt stop the grisly images from replaying in my mind.
Along with a few slabs of cow and pig, food vendors also sold human body parts. For customers who wanted fresher meat, their human selections were slaughtered on the spot.
Why? I choked, unable to say more because words couldnt make it past the bile in my throat.
Theres no sunlight here. Although Adrians tone was matter-of-fact, something haunted flashed across his expression. That means no grass, grains, vegetation or animals. Minions and pampered human pets get to have regular food imported from the other side, but the slaves have only one thing to eat. Each other.
That bile turned into vomit that I couldnt hold back. At the same time, I was shaking with rage. Now I knew what all the leather garments and doorway flaps were probably made of, too.
Adrian didnt mock me for puking, or tell me to pull myself together. He held back my hair, his other hand moving over my shoulders in a comforting caress.
We can leave, he said low. The realms not going anywhere. Well come back another day to search it.
Laughter drifted down from one of the pyramids balconies, its sound an abomination. No one should laugh here. No sound should be made except screams of horror at what was going on in this lightless pit of evil. I wanted to run back to my world as fast as I could and never, ever return, but if I did, Id be condemning Jasmine to spending the rest of her life in a similar hellhole. Id rather die than do that.
Resolve mixed with my rage, helping me get control of my stomach. I wiped my mouth with a gloved hand and gave Adrian a look that reflected the new hardness creeping through my soul.
Take me deeper inside this place. Im not leaving until I check every frigging wall for that weapon.
I learned more about demon life than I ever wanted to know as Adrian guided me through the pyramids many levels. First, generators supplied heat as well as light to the massive structure, so my extra clothes were now slung over my arm. Second, the inside looked like someone had taken the Great Pyramid of Giza and pimped it out with modernalbeit barbaricamenities.
The large stadium section was for gladiator-style fights to the death, a popular form of entertainment here. Pets, which was how Adrian referred to humans whod caught the eye of demons, lived above the courtyards. Minions lived above them in condo-styled units, and of course, the best, most luxurious quarters were reserved for the supernaturally sadistic rulers of this realm. Adrian said wed be avoiding those places unless I sensed something, but so far, I hadnt picked up a hint of anything hallowed in this opulent, stone-and-brick nightmare.
I also found out how Adrian was able to escort me around without arousing suspicion. For one, he spoke the language, and every light-show-eyed guard who stopped us only used that to communicate. For another, Adrians cover story was that I was a newly arrived pet for Mayhemium. From the knowing looks that garnered, whoever Mayhemium was, he had a lot of pets.
Id figured out Adrians final trick after noticing how quickly every human looked away from him when we passed. The only other people they treated that way were guards, and since they didnt all dress alike, that left only one other thing.
Zach glamoured your eyes to shine like the guards eyes, didnt he? I whispered once we had a moment alone in one of the pyramids many stairways.
The barest smile cocked his mouth. Thats right.
Why do theirs do that? Also whispered, but wheezier. I mustve climbed two miles in steps by now.
Part of the perks of being a minion. Along with increased strength and endurance, demon marks give them the supernatural version of tapetum lucidum. At my raised brow, he added, The extra layer of tissue in animals eyes that allows them to see in the dark.
That explained the odd shine, but... You dont have that, and you see as well as they do. And move faster, I mentally added.
I couldnt read the look he threw me. Ive already told you why.
Right, his mysterious lineage. He mightve told me some of the whys, but he hadnt spilled the what yet. The more secrets he revealed, the more I burned to know his biggest one.
Thats the gift that keeps on giving, then, I said, trying not to sound like I was probing, which I was.
His jaw tightened until I swore I heard cartilage crack. Id give anything not to have this lineage. Sapphire eyes seemed to burn as they swept over me. Especially after meeting you.
If we werent inside a demonic version of the Luxor hotel, I wouldve demanded that he elaborate. Hed already told me more since wed arrived than he had in the week leading up to it, but bad timing didnt begin to cover our current situation.
Of course, that meant it was about to get worse.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose before I saw her. Apparently, my hallowed sensor could also pick up on the presence of pure darkness, because with one glance, I knew the woman coming down the staircase was a demon.
Its not that she had Evil! stamped on her forehead, or obvious supernatural indicators like Demetriuss shifting shadows. Maybe it was the way she moved, as if every muscle instantly coordinated with the others, turning her walk into a graceful, predatory glide. Maybe it was her hair, each wavy lock either midnight black or a burnished copper shade. Her pale skin was also telling, but it was her face that sealed my suspicions.
No one could be that incredibly, perfectly beautiful unless theyd had a million dollars in plastic surgery or had made a deal with the devil, and my money was on Option B.
Even Adrian couldnt tear his eyes away, which hurt in ways I didnt even want to acknowledge. Yes, she was gorgeous, but did he need to stop walking and stare like hed been transfixed? He hadnt been affected enough to pause in his stride when they were slaughtering people in the courtyards!
I either made a sound, or my instant hostility caught her attention because dark topaz eyes slid over me as she passed. Just like with Demetrius, I fought the urge to wipe my clothes, as if her gaze had left a tangible trail where it landed. She said something in what I now referred to as Demonish and Adrian responded, his voice much raspier than normal.
He couldnt even talk right around Her Evil Hottiness? I quietly seethed, but when she disappeared down the stairwell, Adrian let out a sigh that almost blew the lid off my temper.
He was actually sighing after her. Guess when he said he hated demons, he meant only the males or the ugly ones.
How much more ground do we have to cover? I whispered acidly, hating him and hating myself more for caring.
His attention snapped back to me. You still dont sense anything?
Only your hard-on for evil incarnate. Nothing.
Then were done. You sensed the burial ground at half the distance from what weve covered, so it must not be here.
Good, we could leave. Not soon enough for my tastes, either. This realm wasnt where the weapon had been hidden, Id already have nightmares from the horrors Id seen, and now I wanted to punch my only ally in the face. Lose-lose all around.
We made it out of the pyramid without incident, and I looked down as we exited through the courtyards. No one stopped us at the stone gates, and we navigated the pueblo-like village with nary a word spoken in acknowledgement. Once wed cleared the edge of the wigwam village, however, our luck ran out.
Hondalte, a commanding voice ordered.
Adrian paused. I did, too, schooling my features into a blank mask despite the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. When I turned around, I saw that my demon radar hadnt been malfunctioning. The lanky, blond-haired man approaching us had two tall, dark arcs rising out of his back.
Not arcs, I realized when he drew nearer. Pitch-black wings. Then he spoke, causing my stomach to flip-flop in fear.
If she is a new pet for me, the winged stranger said in English, tell me, why are you leaving with her?
chapter fourteen
My lord Mayhemium, Adrian said, bowing formally. I have discovered that this one is too flawed for you.