Kissed By A Demon Spy (3 page)

A deep male voice cut through the noise in the hall. “This way.”

“Ah, the kitchen,” a second voice chimed in. A female voice.

Garnet tensed and frowned. The only females at Stroehm were slaves. They all knew where the kitchen was located. Yet this one’s voice held a note of surprise.

Footsteps again entered the room. One set thudded across the floor. The other set of feet click-clacked. Was the female in…
heels?

“Garnet.” The male voice was calm.

Garnet’s mouth dropped in horror and her heart resumed its panicked tempo. Who knew she was here? She sat, frozen.

“Garnet. It’s okay,” the female said. “We’re here to help you and your son.”

They knew about Dash? Gods no!

“I know you’re sitting over there,” the male spoke again. “You can come out. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

If he was crazy, he was doing a good job of keeping his voice placid. She trusted no one. Almost two hundred years of her life, kept here as a slave, had dissolved her faith in others.

Would he kill her?
Not if I can hurt him first.

She leapt up, brandishing her knife.

And locked eyes with a very tall, very striking Lash demon. A spattering of blood covered one arm and part of his chest. Not appearing hurt, he held up both hands. “Whoa. You can put that down.” He took a step back, though she suspected it was in deference to her fear and not out of concern for his own safety.

Garnet’s eyes shifted to the female next to him. She was beautiful and clean, except for a grubby handprint on her bare arm. Tall, with shiny red locks tumbling in waves down her back. Tiny horns protruded through her hair. Not a slave. A Deserati.

“I’m Bianca,” the female said. “We’re here to get you and your son out of here.”

“I’m Mathias,” the male said. “I’m the Lash demons’ Hunter. You’re safe as long as you’re in my care.”

She’d heard of a legendary tracker among the Lash demons. Her brows knitted in confusion. “Me? W-who sent you?”

Bianca smiled. “Brooke and Kai.”

Shock and humble gratitude collided in Garnet’s heart. The pair had been imprisoned here recently. With her help, they’d escaped with a promise to return for her and Dash. A promise Garnet had listened to with a smile she didn’t feel, not expecting them to be able to succeed. And not for lack of trying. No one ever left Stroehm. “They…are they okay?”

“They’re fine,” Mathias said. “After they got out of this shit hole, thanks to you, they had a few more things come up. Brooke wanted to come back for you herself, but I insisted. She needed some rest, and I’m good at locating people.”

“Are you hurt?” Bianca stepped toward Garnet. “It’s a mass of stinking men everywhere you look around here.” She scowled at the handprint on her arm and rubbed her fingers across it, loosening the dirt. “Pigs. None of them have been around a woman for a while, that’s for damn sure. I had to straighten a few of them out.” Behind her, her long tail twitched back and forth across the stone.

Garnet eyed it warily. Pointed at the end, a Deserati’s tail could snap like a whip, wield a weapon, or kill. “No, Dash—my son—and I hid. No one found us.”

“Thank goodness.” Bianca muttered. “Let’s get out of here.”

Garnet glanced between them, still confused. “How? I don’t doubt your fighting skills, but there are only two of you. Dash and I can do our best but we aren’t fighters. You think we can just walk out of here?”

Mathias jerked his head toward Bianca. “She’s a porter.”

Garnet didn’t even try to cover her shock. A porter? Her jaw dropped. She’d only heard about them and had never expected to meet one, let alone travel with one.

Only about half a dozen were rumored to exist. Porters could travel anywhere in any realm, using only the power of their minds. Usually, spells or transportation amulets were needed to open a portal.

“Oh, my stars.” Garnet laid her knife on the island and clutched the smooth surface, taking a deep breath. “I—”

Four large demons charged into the room, raising swords so shiny she guessed they’d been taken from the armory. As the metal caught the light, she noticed blood coated the blades. Bile rose in her throat. Four against two? She could try—

“Food!” yelled the lead demon, a Serus. All wore the tattered clothing of slaves, and all were predatory species. “And females.”

In a heartbeat, Mathias summoned a ball of demonfire in his palm. The size of an apple, it bobbed gently above his skin. His voice was low with menace. “One chance. Leave this place. Or you’ll wish Draven was still in charge.”

“You’re outnumbered, Lash. And we’re hungry.” The demon’s eyes darted between Bianca and Garnet.

Bianca moved to Garnet’s side, her posture graceful yet coiled with power. “This bunch is dumber than they look.”

In a blur of motion, Mathias hurled the fireball at the Serus, hitting it in the chest. Garnet yelped and jumped back.

Bianca reached an arm out to steady her. “We’re totally safe. He’s a pro.”

As Garnet stared, torn between relief and horror, the Serus demon’s life was quickly extinguished. Mathias summoned more fire, one glowing orb in each palm, and flung them at the next two demons. In seconds, three piles of ash remained on the floor.

The last demon turned and ran, screaming and cursing.

Oh my Gods
. Garnet stared at Mathias. He’d snuffed out three lives in seconds. Yet if he hadn’t…she shuddered, knowing what they would’ve done to her. She knew that look in men’s eyes. Knew the depravity, the lust, and the need to render another creature helpless. “Th-thank you.” Her voice was a cracked whisper.

“Don’t need to say anything.” Mathias folded his arms across his broad chest. “Right now we need to get out of here. Bianca and I can fight, but the numbers aren’t on our side.”

Bianca cast a glance around. “Where’s your son?”

“In here.” A life among those not worthy of trust had only sharpened her vision when it came to those who
were
good and honest. Today she was placing her trust in Mathias and Bianca. Garnet took a deep breath, reached down, and opened the cabinet. Dash’s wide blue eyes stared back at her. “You can come out,
nihjo
.”

He burst out of the cabinet and wrapped his arms around her. Returning his tight embrace, she murmured, “It’s okay. We have new friends who’re going to help us.”

Dash slowly untangled his arms from around her waist and looked up at Bianca.

“Hi, sweetie.” Bianca smiled, a warm friendly expression that almost negated her lethal skills.

“That’s Miss Bianca,” Garnet said.

Dash stared at her, then his gaze slid to Mathias.

“And over here,” Garnet turned, “is Mr. Mathias.”

Dash blinked and tightened his grip on her leg.

Garnet’s heart pinched, hating and understanding his fear. She knew too well how terrifying it was for a child to be caught up in violence. And even though Mathias was a good guy, he oozed menace. “It’s okay, honey. I know he’s big, but he and Miss Bianca are going to get us out of here. Forever.” The word pinged around her mind.
Out
and
forever
were two words she hadn’t dared hope to put in the same sentence again.

“So,” Bianca drew out the word. “Where do you want to go?”

The question momentarily floored her, both because Bianca could take them anywhere, and because Garnet hadn’t allowed herself to envision life outside of these walls. It seemed too much, to indulge the hope of being free. She was lucky enough that she’d survived the first change of leadership with her body and most of her dignity intact.

Where to go?
 
She’d been here so long, she didn’t know if anyone in her old village would remember her. But that was where she’d lived as a child, where she’d helped her family in their fields and gardens. Doubt evaporated as she allowed herself to picture the rolling hills and orchards full with fruit. She took a deep breath and spoke the name of the place she assumed she’d never see again. “Ivydale.”

“I
VYDALE
.” B
IANCA
NODDED
AND
TAPPED
a finger on her chin, as if thinking about the town’s exact location. “That’s one of the plant pixie settlements, right?”

“Yes.” Garnet smoothed Dash’s blond hair. “It’s where I lived…before.”

Mathias gestured to the white apron she wore over her dress. “That’s why Draven put you in the kitchen. You could make shi—er, plants, grow, and then cook with them?”

“Yes.” That was the short version, the partial truth. The rest, along with the awful memories, could remain buried forever. She swallowed and squared her shoulders. “And Dash has never been to Ivydale.”

“What’s it like, Mom?” Blue eyes looked up at her.

“It’s beautiful.” She locked eyes with Bianca above Dash’s head and mouthed
Safe?

Bianca nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Perfect.” Garnet let out a breath as relief washed over her, glad that Bianca’s answer affirmed both her response to Dash as well as her silent question. She didn’t want to return home only to find it had changed to something unwelcome, dangerous, or foreboding.
Like what I’m about to leave.

From the hall, metal clanged and loud male voices boomed off the stone. Mathias cleared his throat. “Time to go.”

“Ready?” Bianca asked.

“Yes. What do we do?” Garnet eyed the other woman, trying to wrap her mind around her ability.

“I need contact with you. It’s best if we all hold hands.” The porter extended her hands, palms up.

Dash shot Mathias a wary look and took Bianca’s hand, while his other clutched tightly to Garnet’s.

Garnet gave Dash what she hoped was a reassuring smile, and clasped Mathias’s hand. “Now what?”

“I’ll start my spell and we’ll be there in less than a minute. You might experience a feeling of weightlessness, which is normal.”

“Okay. Ready.” Garnet looked at Dash. “Don’t let go of me and Miss Bianca.”

Dash nodded.

Bianca closed her eyes and murmured in Demonish. Magic crackled in the room, and gray tendrils of fog swirled around their little group. It thickened rapidly, until all she could see was mist.

“Mom?” Dash whimpered. His hand squeezed hers in a death grip.

“It’s okay,
nihjo
. Just hold on.” Truthfully, she was scared, but the thought of leaving Stroehm behind pushed her fears to the corners of her mind.

Garnet’s stomach fluttered as she realized she could no longer feel the ground under her feet. Thank goodness Bianca had warned them of that. The fog spun around them in horizontal spirals. Dash’s rapid breaths made her want to gather him in her arms, but she had to wait.

They were still wrapped in a cocoon of fog when her feet brushed something. Ground? Bianca still had her eyes closed. The mist dissipated.

Garnet gasped. They stood, all four of them still holding hands, on a path she knew well. Memories crashed together in her mind, a happy jumble of childhood games played on the very ground beneath her feet. Several yards away, a stone bridge arched gracefully across a sleepy green river, and beyond it sat a cluster of buildings. Her hand flew to her mouth. She’d played on and under that bridge hundreds of times. She’d caught fish in that river. Tears welled in her eyes.
I never thought I’d see it again.

Mathias disengaged himself from their group and cleared his throat. “I’m gonna take a quick look around.” Like a shadow, he slipped into the trees along the path.

A breeze rustled the leaves high overhead, in the towering oaks and elms. The squawk of a blue jay echoed and insects buzzed in the wildflowers. And above all, the sun shone, warm and brilliant. Garnet tilted her head back, absorbing the light and heat that filtered down. The sun rarely shone at Stroehm.

As if echoing her thoughts, Dash spoke up. “The sun’s out. And look—a bridge!”

Bianca smiled. “I take it this is the right place?”

Tears clouded Garnet’s vision as she looked at the porter. “Yes. I can’t thank you enough.”

“I’m happy to help. I know what it’s like to be forced to work for a monster.” A shadow flickered over Bianca’s porcelain skin for a brief moment. “No one deserves to be at Stroehm. And no one deserves to be kept as a slave.” She whispered the last word, flicking a glance down at Dash.

Naturally, he heard her anyway. “My mom and I are slaves.”

“Not anymore.” Garnet knelt in front of him. “We’re free, and this is our new home.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

He eyed the bridge, then the trees. “Where’s our house?”

House? Garnet bit her lip. “Well, first we’ll take a look around and then we’ll decide.”

Mathias jogged across the bridge toward them.

Garnet opened her mouth, then closed it again. When had he crossed the river in the first place?
 
She hadn’t seen him leave the trees.

He stopped and set his hands on his hips. “Looks like a typical farm village. Lots of activity. Lotta kids.”

“Anything unusual?” Bianca asked.

“A few Deserati. Couple in town, some working with the pixies. Not sure exactly why, but I’m not getting any bad vibes.”

Garnet didn’t remember any Deserati demons living here while she was a child. But that had been so long ago, anything could have changed. She wasn’t about to get alarmed over it. The Deserati, though powerful, kept out of conflicts unless they were directly attacked. They didn’t instigate trouble.

“We’d be happy to walk into town with you,” Mathias offered.

“Okay.” She didn’t anticipate any trouble, if the town was as peaceful as Bianca and Mathias said. But better to have them nearby just in case.

“Do you have anyone in mind that you can stay with?” Bianca said.

Garnet peered at the outlines of buildings visible through the trees. “No.” After this many years, she doubted her parents were still alive. She had said her mental goodbyes to them long ago, having abandoned hope of ever seeing her hometown again.

Mathias stretched his long arms above his head. “I saw an inn, if nothing else.”

An inn? That was new, at least to her. Though she had no money at the moment, she could find work here somewhere among the pixies. Hopefully, the inn’s owners would allow her to start a tab until she had an income.