Ruby Shadows (Born to Darkness #3)(75)

A look at the table revealed a single wooden plate with some strips of strange looking, oily gray meat on it. Though I was hungry enough that my stomach was gnawing my backbone, as Grams liked to say, I wasn’t a bit tempted. Who knew what animal—or person—that strange looking meat had come from? I wasn’t about to find out, especially knowing that anything I ate here could tie me to the Infernal Realm indefinitely.

“I’ll just have to go hungry,” I muttered to myself, going back to the fireplace to warm up some more. “I don’t know how I’ll get out of here but somehow I’ll find a way. I—”

Suddenly the door crashed open, letting in a freezing blast of winter wind that rushed through the room and put out half the fire.

“What have we here?” roared a deep, grating voice that sounded more animal than man. “A pretty little girlie come to visit? Good thing old Gorlock is feeling in a welcoming mood.”

“I…you…” I was already trying to move away from the huge shape looming in the doorway—a demon with two curving horns growing from either side of its head. It had a human face and upper body at least, but from the waist down it appeared to be either a goat or a bull or some other hoofed creature. I saw with disgust that its massive shaft was already half hard. As it stared at my naked body, that changed to fully hard in an instant. Ugh! Didn’t anybody wear pants down here?


“And all naked and ready for fun, too,” the demon boomed, taking a step towards me. “Now how did you get out of your pool, girlie? That’s not supposed to happen. Never mind, we’ll have some fun before we put you back.”

So he thought I was one of the drowning souls which had escaped from my pool. Not that it mattered what he thought I was, considering what he obviously had in mind.

“No!” I gasped, taking a step backward and trying to cover myself with both hands while at the same time looking for a weapon. “Look, I swear I didn’t mean to break into your house! I was freezing—I had no choice!”

“If you’re freezing, little girlie, then old Gorlock will warm you up.” The demon took another menacing step towards me, his hooves clunking on the uneven stone floor. He had red skin, like the demons guarding the entrance gates of Hell, and his eyes glowed an evil yellow.

“Don’t touch me!” I said, reaching down and grabbing a chunk of firewood. “I swear to the Goddess I’ll kill you if you do! I’m not just a drowned soul—I’m a witch!”

The demon’s yellow eyes widened and for a moment I thought I’d made an impact. Then they narrowed again and his wide, flat nostrils flared as he inhaled my scent.

“So you is, girlie—a human with a fresh, untainted soul. And right here in old Gorlock’s hut. Imagine that…” He came toward me again, looming over me menacingly. “Ahhh, it’s been years—years—since old Gorlock tasted a pure soul! They don’t lets me up to the Mortal Realm much, ya see. But now, here’s the Mortal Realm come down to me!”

“I didn’t come to you on purpose,” I said, lifting my chin. “I came with Laish—one of the Great Demons—a Prince of Night and Shadow. He’ll be very upset if he finds you’ve, uh, hurt me in any way.”

His eyes widened again and then he laughed—a hoarse, awful croaking sound that sent a cold shiver of dread down my spine.

“A Great Demon, huh—you mean one as can changed his shape, girlie?”

“Well, yes…” I said, still backing away from him with the piece of firewood clutched in my hands.

“Like maybe he can take a wyrm form—as is what some calls a dragon?”

My heart was sinking but I tried not to let it show.

“Yes, that’s one of his forms,” I said, trying not to let my voice tremble.

“So that must be him, then—or his carcass—bein’ picked over by the Skitterlings away up on yonder ridge.” He jerked his horned head at the direction of the doorway. “Saw ‘im, I did—laying there still as you please while they stripped the flesh from his bones. I reckon if he ain’t dead, he’s doin’ a mighty fine impression of it.”

“You…you’re lying,” I said and this time my voice shook—I couldn’t help it.

“Now why would I lie ‘bout something like that?” the demon asked, smirking. “Tis a pity and a sin when one of the great ones goes to meet the Maker, so it tis. But it leaves more for us little fellers…not that old Gorlock could be exactly called little.” He fisted his massive, brick-red shaft and started stroking it suggestively, leering at me as he did.

No, he certainly wasn’t little. He wasn’t as cartoonishly huge as Druaga had been but he wasn’t far behind. I watched with horror as the precum that ran from the broad red tip dripped to the stone floor and hissed and bubbled like acid. That was going to hurt if he tried to get it in me.

“Then don’t let him,” a little voice whispered in my ear. “Fight, Gwendolyn—fight!”

A new surge of courage flowed through me, stiffening my spine and straightening my shoulders. I was determined not to go down without a fight!

I brandished my chunk of firewood at the demon and lifted my chin.

“Get that nasty-ass thing away from me before I knock it off,” I snapped.