Demons Prefer Blondes (Demons Unleashed #1)(92)

“Whatever, Kalli. We need to go. Now.”

“Certainly.” Bowing her head, she raised her arms and shot her hands toward the ceiling. In a swirl of ice, snow, and frost, she vanished.

Summoning the portals, Rafael allowed the frigid wind, ice, and freezing snow to surround him and pull him through the portal. The sooner he slipped through, the better.

Winds, bitter and cold, lapped at his skin. Sleet licked at his face. Ice twined its way through his hair. The tunnel, which normally transferred him in seconds, seemed to be taking minutes… no, hours. Had traveling always taken this long? Bloody hell. Time doesn’t fly when the woman you love is in danger.

Allowing the winds to spin around him and reanimate his human form, he closed his eyes. It was about bloody time. Swiping the ice chunks and frost from his hair and face, he opened his eyes. Kalli, twirling a coil of ratty hair, propped herself against one of the shiny silver-trimmed shampoo bowls. A scowl etched her face.

“We’ve got bigger problems.”

Shaking the rest of the ice from his clothing, Rafael groaned. This didn’t sound good. Should he ask? “What is it?”

“Serah and Squeaky are missing.”





Chapter 26


“Are we there yet?” Lucy asked for the third time, using the same annoying voice a child would use while on their way to an amusement park. But they weren’t going to an amusement park. They were going to a town in the middle of nowhere that just happened to be named Hell. Poor Belial and Lamia. They would be disappointed.

Lamia turned to glare at her and clucked her forked tongue. “Try as you may to annoy me, my dear Lucia. It won’t work.”

She arched a brow. “Are you going to silence me like you did your tool?”

“Unfortunately, no.” A wide smile crept across her face, making her look almost pretty. “Belial needs your voice intact, so you can speak your vows.”

“The only vow I’m giving him is the one where I promise to kick him back to the netherworld… preferably in his nether region.” Lucy flashed her own sweet smile. “After sending you there first, of course.”

Too bad they still had her cuffed. Her fingers curled and clenched. She kicked at the back of the driver’s seat, the silver chains clanging in a rhythmic tone that taunted her, driving her to the breaking point.

The bitch was going down. Lucy angled a glance toward the passenger seat, where Larissa slept, a peaceful expression sweeping across her angelic face. And her little friend too. When she woke up, of course. Lucy wanted her to remember the beatdown she deserved. For the hell she’d put her friends through, but especially for the torment and agony she’d inflicted on Rafe. And that was truly unforgivable.

“Strong, aren’t they?” Lamia threw her head back, her cackle reverberating in Lucy’s ears. “Forged in the pits of Hell. Amazing, huh?”

Poor demon that had to make these things. It probably killed them. “Yeah, amazing, considering demons are allergic to silver.”

“Only on Earth, my dear. When we are in our natural habitat, we can touch silver all day long, if we choose.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Lucky you!” With as much strength as she could, she lugged her shackled legs up onto the seat. If only she and Rafe had had more time. She could’ve gone to see those Fore-Demons and accept the Paladin way. Then these cuffs would be history and she’d be kicking some snake-lady ass. If only her dad would’ve been more honest with her mom and her. Now wasn’t the time for blame, though.

Now was the time to kick Lamia’s scaly ass. With a determined smirk, Lucy pulled her legs up. Luckily for her, Larissa had inadvertently left just enough slack for her to be deadly. And here she used to think the pretty little blonde was smart. Who knew clichés could be so true.

“So, are we there yet?”

Lamia straightened in her seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel like two giant vices.

Lucy’s grin spread wider. She almost had Lamia where she wanted her. “Well?”

One.

“Well?”

Two.

“Are we? Huh? Are we?”

Three.

“Well, are—”

“Shut up you insolent bitch!” Lamia whipped around to face her, her red eyes swirling. Perfect!

Wrenching her legs apart, she pulled herself around. Hopefully she could channel some of those ninja moves she discovered earlier. She arched her back and bent her knees, lightly grazing against the back of Lamia’s seat.

“Why the hell are you squirming? Is the princess scared?” Lamia eyes blazed bright, further fueling Lucy’s ire.

She had two choices: Either sit still in the backseat like a weak-minded fool while Lamia drove her to certain death. Oh, Lamia could try and sugarcoat the whole marriage thing, but knowing Belial, he had no intentions of providing his new bride a life of wedded bliss.

The second option? Surprising Lamia with a swift kick to her head. With a quick shake of her shackled ankles, she hid her smile in the darkness.

Either way, death was imminent. And Lucy would rather go down now, before Belial could do whatever it was he needed to do with the Arca Inferorum. She twisted her wrists behind her and cracked her knuckles.

“I’m not scared, but you should be,” she muttered beneath her breath. She heaved her legs up further and did something she hadn’t done in a long time. She prayed.