They did.The sound of people running at them was getting louder, so Dimri signaled his team to follow him.He took twists and turns, making sure not to put too much distance between them and the enemy.They had to have access to the demons in order to kill them.
“Now,” he murmured once the demons stopped moving.They’d found the bodies of their fellow soldiers, and while they were distracted, it wouldn’t last long.
Dimri rushed ahead, knowing the others were behind him.The fight was brutal but thankfully quick.Unfortunately for Dimri and his team, it was only the first wave.They barely had the time to breathe before more enemy soldiers swarmed them.
But Dimri’s team had the advantage of knowing the tunnels and each other.They worked together, using the darkness and the tunnels to strike and retreat.This was the kind of fighting Dimri was good at.He’d always worked best in the shadows, taking his enemy by surprise.It wasn’t usually this bloody, but it was necessary.
“How’s everyone?”he asked during a lull in the fighting.He was panting, but they weren’t done yet.
“Jorik’s down,” Thale said.“He’s fine, but he took a bad cut to the leg.Senna’s hurt, too.”
Dimri knelt beside Jorik to check the wound.He wasn’t a healer, but while it was deep, he didn’t think it was fatal.“Can you walk?”
“With help,” Jorik answered, a grimace twisting his lips.Considering the amount of blood on his pants and the floor, Dimri got it.
“Good.Let’s head back toward the palace.I can’t hear anyone else here for the moment, but I don’t doubt there are more soldiers hiding.We need to regroup and get Jorik to safety.”
Dimri’s phone vibrated in his pocket once they reached the entrance to the tunnels.He let the others walk ahead as he took it out, relieved to see Roque’s name on the screen.He’d probably been trying to call, but there was no signal in the tunnels.
“Tell me you and Berith are okay,” he said when he answered.
“We are.You?”
“A few wounded, but we’re all alive and walking.I don’t know how many we killed, but I’m sure there are more.We’ll be going back in soon.”
“I’ll tell Berith.Stay alive down there, please.”
“You too,” Dimri replied.“See you soon.”He wouldn’t consider any other alternative.“All right,” he said to his team.“Let’s finish this.”The sooner they did, the sooner he’d be back with Roque.
* * * *
ROQUE’S JOB USUALLYconsisted of him standing around watching Berith’s back.Today was a little different.Since he’d grown close to Dimri, he’d been assigned the task of being Dimri’s point of contact.Dimri called him with any updates he had from the tunnels, and Roque passed those updates on.Alternatively, he called Dimri, like he had after the explosion earlier, to check in on him and his team.
It was the only way to know what was happening everywhere in the palace.Mikal was doing the same thing with his guards, and there was someone communicating with the guards outside the palace and those who’d left to ensure that Ramiel would believe that Berith wasn’t here at the moment.This way, they knew everything that was happening, and they could coordinate the forces.
Berith was doing a good job.It wasn’t a surprise.Berith hadn’t always been a prince.He’d taken over from the person who’d been in control of the territory years ago, and while Roque hadn’t been his bodyguard back then, he remembered that it hadn’t been pretty.The territory had lived in peace since then, but people still remembered how things were before, and they were unwilling to go back to that kind of life.Even if Ramiel were to defeat Berith, he’d be in for a rude awakening.People here weren’t just going to give in and bow down to him.They’d make his taking over the territory lengthy and messy.
That wasn’t something Roque needed to think about now.There was a good chance that Berith would win this fight, and when he did, their territory would finally be rid of Ramiel.He couldn’t be allowed to live after everything he’d done, so it was a good thing that Lucifer had declared that anyone who managed to get their hands on him should kill him.The king of Hell didn’t take it nicely when people threatened his throne and his people.He’d already dealt with his sister.Ramiel should have been smart and left when he still could, but being cruel and ruthless didn’t make him smart.
“Dimri’s fine,” Roque told Berith, who was on his throne, his phone in his hand.
He nodded without looking up.Roque had no idea what he was looking at, but it was none of his business.His only business right now was to protect Berith, and that was what he was doing.
He couldn’t imagine what it was like for Berith to have his entire family in danger.He stood to lose much more than almost anyone else involved.It was too easy to imagine what Ramiel would do to Berith’s family if he got his hands on them.
Yakim smiled at Roque.Roque was sure that part of his best friend wanted to be here to protect Berith, but another part had to want to be with Lucifer.Lucifer had wanted to be here, too, but it would’ve made them too much of a target.Everyone knew that Lucifer would be Ramiel’s next stop after Berith.Having him here would make it too easy for Ramiel.
Roque thought it was a small miracle that Lucifer had allowed Yakim to be here today.He was pretty sure that Yakim wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, but still.Lucifer was Hell’s ruler.Hemade the decisions.Hehad the final say in everything.
Or maybe not.Maybe in some circumstances, the person who had the last say was Yakim.
The floor suddenly shook under Roque’s feet.He reached for the throne, briefly thinking that the last thing they needed was an earthquake.
It wasn’t an earthquake, just like it hadn’t been earlier.The sound that came with the shaking made it clear that it was another explosion.The walls shook almost as hard as the floor, and people started screaming.From the sound of it, this explosion hadn’t happened far from the throne room, which was a problem.
Mikal swore and ran to the throne room doors.Roque wanted to go with him, but his place was next to Berith, who’d straightened on his throne and was watching the doors.
“We never considered an explosion,” he murmured.
