Ruby Shadows (Born to Darkness #3)(32)

I bit back a gasp at the warm wet heat of his mouth on the ticklish inside of my wrist. My pulse was pounding but I didn’t want him to know it—didn’t want him to see how much his touch affected me.

“Are you done?” I asked, trying to make my voice sound impatient.

“For now. Delicious,” Laish murmured, releasing my hand at last. I had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about Grams’ homemade jelly.

“I’m full,” I said, rising on unsteady legs. I walked over to Kurex and offered him the rest of my sandwich. I didn’t need to save it for later because the container was always spelled to be full. The next time I opened it up, there would be another sandwich waiting for me. And the time after that and the time after that…

The thought of so many gooey, too-sweet PB&Js looming in my future was a bit depressing but I tried not to think about it. Kurex could always eat anything I couldn’t finish. From the way the huge animal inhaled the little bit I had in my hand, spare sandwich disposal was not going to be a problem.

“It looks like we have a long way to get to the city,” I said as Laish came to join me. “Should we ride for a while?” The minute I said the words, I wished I hadn’t. Riding was going to put me right up against him again and I really didn’t want that—not when my stomach was still fluttering from the way he had licked my wrist.

“We will ride but not because of the distance—the city will be upon us before you know it. We will ride because it is safer to be mounted than on foot.” His voice had a rather grim ring to it and I glanced at him.

“This is only the second level though, right? Is the city of Baator really that much worse than the area we just went through?”

“It’s not nearly as bad as some of the areas we will be journeying through,” he said, which wasn’t very comforting. “Come, let’s mount up.”


“All right.” I took a swig from my Zephyrhills bottle, savoring the pure, clean spring water and then packed it and my spelled Sponge Bob sandwich case carefully away in my bag.

Laish mounted first, as he had before and this time I had a much easier time getting up as well. It helped that I was no longer afraid of Kurex, who whickered softly as though encouraging me when I grabbed Laish’s hand and let him pull me up to sit in front of him.

Reaching around me, he took the reins and kicked the vast horse’s sides. Kurex obediently started forward, moving down the huge slope we had climbed and into the dank and marshy basin that was home to the city of Baator.

It seemed that Kurex had only taken one or two strides when there was suddenly a huge, black iron monolith blocking our path. Looking up, I saw it came to a sharp point several feet above our heads. It must be the iron spike Laish had spoken of—the landmark that showed the way to the city. But it was really big—big enough that I couldn’t have fit my arms around it if I hugged it—not that I wanted to. The point was, why hadn’t I seen it before? How could I have missed it?

“Oh!” I put a hand to my chest, startled by the spike’s sudden appearance. However, neither Laish or Kurex seemed the least bit surprised. The huge horse stopped and stood, as though waiting for some sign and Laish put an arm around my waist. “What—?” I began, shifting in his grip but he only tightened his arm and drew me back against his chest.

“Hold on, Gwendolyn,” he murmured in my ear. “And whatever you do, don’t get off the horse or leave my side.”

“Okay,” I said. “But the city is still miles away.” Indeed, Baator still looked just as distant as it had while we were having our little picnic at the top of the hill.

“It is not nearly so distant as it appears,” Laish said and his deep voice sounded grim. “Hold on,” he repeated and kicked his heels into Kurex’s flanks.

With a snort, the huge horse sprang forward and all at once, we were in the center of a teaming crowd and surrounded by crumbling buildings.

I didn’t know how it had happened but in the second it took Kurex to step forward once, we were suddenly in the middle of Baator.



Chapter Twelve

Laish





The crowd of minor demons, soul strippers, imps, and damned souls surged around us, pressing against our mount’s broad sides like the waves of an ocean. I was glad, now, that I had allowed Gwendolyn to talk me into bringing Kurex with us. He was invaluable for keeping her above the grasping, moaning masses and out of harm’s way. Mostly, anyway.

Despite all I could do, one of the minor demons with bright yellow eyes and a long forked tongue lolling from its lipless mouth, grasped at Gwendolyn’s foot, seeking to drag her from the saddle.

“Oh!” she cried, and grasped the arm I still had tight around her waist. I was prepared for such an eventuality, however. Kicking one foot free of the stirrup, I booted the would-be kidnapper right in the face. He let go at once and ran off howling.

Gwendolyn was no worse for the wear but the little black slipper she wore had been lost in the encounter.

“My shoe!” she exclaimed as I kicked Kurex forward, forcing the teeming crowd to part before us.

“Leave it.” My voice was strained—I didn’t like bringing her among so many denizens of the Infernal Realm at once. But there was no help for it—the central square of Baator is always crowded, day and night—filled with slaves, flesh sellers, dream peddlers, lost souls, and demons of all sorts and classes.