“Yeah, she also gave me the notebook she and Sarah Beth made with all the spells to get Kayne out of whatever God forsaken tomb we find him in.”
Still looking at Kyra, Royce spoke directly into Rian’s mind along their unique link. “What are the chances we’re all coming out of this alive?”
“A hundred percent if I have anything to say about it.”
Then aloud with his dragon rumbling in his head, the Dragon Leader mumbled to himself, “I’ll take nothing less.”
9
Audrey had no idea where she was or how long she’d been locked in the darkness. What she did know was that Adramelech had a sick sense of humor and was taking mental torture to a whole new level. The bastard had locked her away in what the princess could only assume was the deepest darkest hole in hell, with only the glow of Demon Lord TV to keep her company.
He’d somehow bespelled a rectangle shaped piece of stone to show her every move that Rian made. It was pure torment to watch the man she loved more than life itself prepare not only himself, but also his friends and family, to come to save her when she knew it was a trap.
Right after she woke up from whatever Adramelech roofied her with, the princess screamed at the screen until she had no voice. She’d kicked it, hit it, threw rocks at it; even beat it with a large piece of wood, but nothing made the images stop. Down on her knees, Audrey prayed to God, the Heavens, the Universe, the Goddess of All, and any other all-powerful beings who were listening, to somehow let Rian hear her. Her only wish was for him to stay topside and not fall into the Chancellor’s trap.
It was a good thing she was on her knees when Rian lost his temper and threw his brother to the ground. It broke her heart to know she was causing him such pain. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she watched the scene unfold, her only thought that had she never gone to that damned beach all those years ago, Rian would be living his life in blissful ignorance.
Trying to scream with only the tiniest of squeaks coming from her damaged vocal chords, Audrey railed against the Demon Lord who’d kept her a prisoner for so many years. “You stupid piece of crap! Why can’t you see you will never win? I hope my mate and his brethren will beat you down in your own backyard! Just leave him alone! You have me!”
Yelling until she had no voice at all, Audrey collapsed in a heap on the soot covered floor and wept until she had no more tears. Dragging herself onto the dirty cot, the princess covered herself with the threadbare blanket and stared at the ceiling, trying with all her might to block out the images on the screen across her cell.
Her eyes slid shut just as the scrape of stone against stone reverberated off the rock walls of her new accommodations. A half-dead lizard man thing walked in, dropped a tray of food on the table, and left. Whatever it was smelled rancid and made her throw up a little in her mouth.
Rolling over, Audrey covered her ears with her hands and hummed in her head. It seemed nothing worked. She was still drawn to the sound of Rian’s voice. No matter how hard she fought it, she wanted to watch his every move. Wanted to be there with him. Hated Adramelech more every minute he kept them apart.
As if on cue, the horrible, screechy voice of the Demon Lord filled her cell. She had no idea where it was coming from but needed a mute button more than she needed her next breath. “What’s wrong princess? Don’t like your dinner? I’m sorry, but that’s all that was left after the hounds finished their evening meal. I see your mate is still planning to invade the Underworld. I would’ve thought a dragon of his stature was smarter than to think he could best the Chancellor of Hell himself.”
There was a long pause. Audrey prayed Adramelech had crawled back under whatever rock had birthed him but all too soon, he spoke and all she could do was sigh. “I’m sure you figured this out but it bears emphasis.”
Again, he paused and Audrey wished she had just a bit of her voice left to tell him to go away, that she didn’t care. But she didn’t and listened as the Chancellor continued. What she heard made her want to scream her voice away all over again. “I now know your mate’s first name is Rian and he has brothers. I’m one step closer, little princess. One step closer to owning not only your soul, but his too.”
His evil chuckle made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Then he said the one thing she’d been dreading since the first time he tried to beat her mate’s name out of her. “I’m betting that big strapping dragon of yours will be willing to make a deal for your soul. Don’t get me wrong, I had a huge trap set for him and his compatriots. I even raised a few dead hunters and wizards to help me take the mighty Dragon Guardsmen down, but then I had thought. Why kill those dirty do-gooders? That would be a hero’s death. Their souls wouldn’t stay here for me to torture. They would go to the Elysian Fields. Their afterlife would be filled with endless pleasure and that I cannot be a party to.
“So, I put my best people on it and they came up with an iron-clad contract. Oh, it will seem to him as if I’m trading his soul for yours. But you see, they wrote a little clause, a kind of retroactive catch, in very fine print at the bottom. It says if you, my sweet Audrey, have ever broken any of my rules—in any way, shape, or form—you will forfeit your soul. And yes, I can assure you that sneaking out of hell is against my rules.
“I know it’s petty and I know you wish you could rip the heart out of my chest, but when you think about it, you did this to yourself. Oh, and your mate. Let’s not forget about him. You doomed his soul to everlasting torture, too. It sucks, but then again, the greater entity will win. I am after all the Chancellor of Hell. I didn’t get here by being a patsy.
“Now, just lay there on your little cot, in your new little room, and watch your screen. I’ve made sure you won’t miss a minute of the action. And there are no hard feelings. I’m even gonna let you have one last goodbye with lover boy before I take him to the Pit. Sleep tight, darling.”
There was a click of some sort and the bastard was gone. Audrey laid in stunned silence. Her heart was broken and she was all cried out. Her voice was gone. And the prayers she’d offered to every celestial body she knew of were going unanswered.
Helpless to do anything but look at the man she loved, the princess rolled back over and looked at the stupid screen. Rian was talking to his brothers. She listened as he assured the middle brother they would all make it out of hell alive. It became hard for her to breathe as tears she didn’t know she had wet her cheeks.
Speaking directly to the pure white light that had illuminated her soul from the first moment she’d seen Rian, Audrey said all the things she’d planned to tell him when they were safe and happy topside.
“Rian, I know you said that the dragons believe a man’s mate is the light of his soul, but I’m afraid they have it wrong. You, my love, have been the single brightest spot in my doomed existence. You have made every minute worthwhile by simply loving me and letting me love you. Knowing you were there for me, no matter the time and space that separated us has been my one true joy. You always said you were better for knowing me, but you have it backwards. I will forever be better having just glimpsed your handsome face.
“I now know what all those silly songs you made me listen to when we were together were talking about. At first, I thought you were crazy, but having known you has made the lyrics come to life. Over the years, some of them actually stuck with me. Singing them and thinking of you made the bad times bearable. Lying here watching you prepare to come save me makes me love you more, if that is even possible.
My mother used to brush my hair every night and ask me what I was thankful for. I listed things like the flowers or my new pony, you know, the things little girls think are most important. I would then inevitably ask her what she was thankful for. Her answer was always the same. She would look at me, kiss the top of my head, and say, “Oh, Audrey, my cup runneth over.” I never knew what that meant until I met you. With you, Rian O’Reilly, not only my cup, but also my heart and soul runneth over. You, dear man, make life worth living, even in hell.
Audrey paused and wiped the tears from her face. She blew out a long breath and looked at the moisture on her hand. It was the representation of her life. A mixture of happy and sad tears, each one signifying the good and the bad that not just she, but every person, no matter where they were, had to endure to truly live.
No one had it easy. Everyone had successes and trials. Audrey was just the one blessed to have a hundred years of unending hope and everlasting love from a mate that could only have been given to her by the One who truly knew her heart. Her dragon had a faith that she truly believed could move mountains. A faith in her, which was something she’d never had before. The Universe had given her the perfect man and somewhere under all the worry and hurt, Audrey believed that same Universe would save Rian. She had to believe. It was all she had left.
Remembering she hadn’t finished what she wanted to say to Rian, Audrey picked up where she left off.
I know you can’t hear what I’m saying, but sitting here watching you with those you love and talking to the part of you that lives within me, I feel like we are together somehow. I know I’ll see you again. I believe that with all my heart. If not in this lifetime, in the next. I refuse to believe in an existence where Adramelech gets to win.
