Page 10 of Another Underworld (Good To The Last Demon #6)

CHAPTER TEN

Our attacks on the first two of the three remaining camps went as smoothly as any battle could go. Amazingly, we’d suffered no casualties on our side. The same could not be said for the enemy. Their bloody demises had left me emotionless. The way they’d treated my people at the command of their false God was deplorable. They’d gotten what they’d deserved. You play… you pay.

Seeing my followers beaten down and starving had fractured something in my heart. I worried a bit at how little I felt for the slain, but I was living in a different world now. Demons were not inherently good, but they weren’t inherently bad either. At some point in their long lives, they had a choice—mostly good or all the way bad. It wasn’t much different from the human dilemma. The big difference was the Demons had magic and lived for an unfathomably long time. Logically, I knew that some of the guards had gone along with the false God out of fear for their own safety. Hearing their final pleas of “we didn’t know” and “we were only following orders” only made me angrier. They had been complicit in every horrific act that had been perpetrated on our people.

Nothing in the Darkness was black or white, only different shades of gray.

Even so, I tried to remember how important it was to keep my humanity while I protected those who called me their Goddess. If I lost it, I would lose myself. That’s what had happened to Pandora. She hadn’t started out as an evil Goddess who ruled the Darkness with fear, but she’d let pain turn her into an all-powerful being of nightmares. Turning into someone who forsook everyone and everything for revenge, well...that was unacceptable.

Living forever was still something I was trying to wrap my head around. Making sense of it seemed impossible. I was forty. Until recently, I thought I was embarking on middle age. Now? Not so much. I was a baby to the people I kept company with. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to live forever. Outliving man-mom, Sean and Lilith made me sad. I tried not to think about it. If I did, I’d cry. Pandora would have a heyday with that. I didn’t want to give the woman any more ammunition. She had enough as it was.

She was making small strides with our people. I’d made sure the word had spread that the first battle plan to save the prisoners was hers. Pandora was pissed, but it was the only thing that gave the bitch a little positive street cred with the Demons. She still had a long way to go. Her crappy habits were ingrained and difficult to unlearn. Goddess Pandora needed to break them or they would eventually break her. Most of the time, the hope she’d absorbed was difficult to see, but I knew it was there. I caught glimpses in the most unexpected moments.

Onward and upward. There was no going back.

Each camp looked like the last. The statue with the outsized genitals was the featured highlight of each one. My people had destroyed the statue in camps two and three. I was bummed we hadn’t thought about that before we’d left camp one. Whatever. It would be far more satisfying to destroy the real thing.

We’d walked through the night and arrived at the second camp before sunset. The third we’d taken at noon. The assassins had earned their keep. Neither Pandora, Abaddon, nor I even had to wield a fire sword. As expected, after the liberation, the Demon prisoners were suspicious of Pandora, but no one left us because of it. We were at three thousand troops now.

One thousand more to go.

“My Goddess,” Tiny said, moving up to walk with Abaddon and me in the front as we made our way to the final target before we went after the fake dude who thought he was in charge. “Your people have a request.”

The smile on his face was positively naughty. It was all I could do not to laugh.

I paused my forward motion and looked at him. “And what would that request be?”

He chuckled. “We’ve chosen names for the false God. We’d like your take on them.”

I was a little confused, but Tiny’s excitement was contagious.

“What do you think?” I asked Abaddon. “Is it safe to take a quick break?”

He looked up at the red sun in the inky purple sky and nodded. “If it’s for morale, then yes.”

“Definitely would raise morale,” Tiny assured us, bouncing on his toes.

For such a vicious warrior the man was like a little boy. “Then by all means, let’s stop for a bit,” I told him with a laugh.

Demons were such odd folks.

Tiny turned and ran back to the masses. The cheers from the crowd were a little unsettling. What in the hell had they named the God?

“This is absurd,” Pandora huffed with disdain.

She’d been quiet for a while. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but I was curious what was going on in her mind. Asking her would be moot. She’d just sling insults and be the bitch that she was. The pro of her not speaking was that I wasn’t tempted to electrocute her. The con… well, there were tons of cons. I really didn’t want to dig too deep.

“What’s absurd?” I questioned.

“You will never get respect bending to your peoples’ whims,” she informed me. “You’re the Goddess, not their friend. They should be terrified of you. I ruled with fear. No one dared to cross me. If they did, they died. You’re letting them walk all over you. It’s pathetic. You’re just like Lilith.”

“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Wasn’t meant as one,” she shot back. A sneer marred her pretty face.

“Yep. I’m aware of that.”

She was frustrated, and her tone was one that an adult would use with an unruly child. That wasn’t working for me.

“I’m telling you,” she ground out. “Rule with fear. It’s the only way.”

I looked at the once-powerful Goddess and shook my head. “And how did that work out for you?” Before she could say something even more stupid, I turned my back on her and made my way to my people.

Deep down, I believe Pandora was trying to help me, but in this matter, she was the one who needed help. The Darkness wasn’t a democracy. By nature, it was a hierarchy. The rulers were born to the position, not voted onto the thrones. That wasn’t going to change any time soon, but Pandora’s methods had been Machiavellian—ruthless, manipulative, and completely self-serving. Lilith, on the other hand, had been beloved as a Goddess. While she had ruled with a firm hand, she led with a compassionate heart, and as a result, her subjects had been devoted to her for millions of years.

I would follow in my mother’s footsteps with pride. Pandora could get on board with the new kinder, gentler way of ruling, or she could eat shit.

The Demons had gathered in rows. The first row was seated, second on their knees, the third stood. It was a big group. I hoped I wasn’t about to hear three thousand name suggestions for the false God. We didn’t have time for that.

“Okay, my people,” I said, scanning the goofy smiles on their faces. Both the men and women looked like excited kids. The healing fruit had done wonders. “I think I’m ready to hear this… but… I’m not sure. Is it something I’m going to need therapy for after listening?”

The laughs made me smile. The nodding heads made me itchy. Didn’t matter. We’d told dick jokes before battle, and I’d learned more names for a vibrator than I’d ever known existed. I was confident I was in for some more dick euphemisms, but I was going to be a good sport. Happy warriors were loyal warriors. It was my job to take care of my people. This was an odd way to do it, but when in the Darkness…

Tiny was the dude in charge. The Demon was well-liked and respected. I made a mental note to give him a position in my inner circle. Tiny felt like a good fit. He lined up ten exuberant Demons—five men and five women. All the rest of the massive crown leaned forward in anticipation.

“This is nuts,” I whispered to Abaddon who stood by my side. “Like totally insane.”

The love of my demonic life winked at me. “The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.”

“Bruce Feirstein.”

“Correct,” he told me. “And so far, so good on the success part.”

I preened. I didn’t need his approval, but it felt glorious to receive it.

“I hope it lasts.”

He lightly touched my cheek. Tingles shot through my body. “I don’t hope. I know, Bitch Goddess Cecily.”

My instinct was to kiss him silly. However, now was not the time or place.

“Are you ready, my Goddess?” Tiny called out.

“Nope, but that’s never stopped me. Lemme hear the new names for the false God.”

“Hello, Bitch Goddess Cecily. My name is Margizon.” The stunning Demon bowed deeply then stood back up with her hands clasped tightly together. “I would like to suggest that the false God be christened… Colossal Cock!”

I threw my head back and laughed. The badass and deadly Demon’s squealed with delight. The entire scene was surreal, but it was also all kinds of right.

“Thank you, Margizon. I shall take it into consideration. Next?”

A seven-foot-tall gentleman was up to bat. “My Goddess,” he said, bowing. “My given name is Moggekan, but I go by Shorty. I’m quite fond of oxymorons.”

“Word,” I told him with a thumbs up. “What do you have for me, Shorty?”

I thought his grin might split his face. “I’d like to throw Substantially Shitty Schlong into the ring for consideration.”

“It shall be considered,” I told him with a smile. “Next?”

The names came fast, furious and hilarious. I even spotted Pandora trying not to laugh. Sozrauk suggested Prodigious Prick. It did have a nice ring. Sazrumath pleaded the case for Ginormo Ghastly Pork Sword. That was a doozy. I was learning more terms for male junk than I’d ever hoped or wanted to know. Alrath proposed Road Rage Rod. Again, a lovely ring. Drezixen submitted Cumbersome Flesh Cigar. That one got groans from the crowd, but Drezixen stood firmly by his choice. Solvin advocated for Horrible Herculean Sausage. It was nice, but a little chewy when repeated. Onuz recommended Jumbo Knob and Brinnath come in with the unique take of Elephantine Beef Bullet. That one got loud approval from the crowd. Again, it was a little too chewy for me. And last, but definitely not least, Zeken came in with what I considered with winner… Chub Chub Wang.

I almost choked on my own spit when Zeken announced his suggestion. I knew what I liked, but I took a vote. Pandora almost had a conniption when I made the choice democratic, but I didn’t care. This wasn’t a life-or-death situation. It was silly fun.

In the end, Chub Chub Wang was a slam dunk. I couldn’t have been happier. God Chub Chub Wang it was from now until the end of time. And his time was going to end soon.

Morale had been boosted. Seeing my people smile was a far cry from the condition we’d found them in.

We were ready to save the rest of our people.

We would leave no one behind.