Page 109 of Galen

Each of us had strengths when it came to battle and strategy. Daman’s was stealth. His lean, lithe body could move without detection. Mine was brute strength.

Bellamy winked at Kyo as we stepped up to the stone. “When all this is over, we should definitely fuck. I’m curious what that tongue can do.”

“Focus, Lust,” Alastair said.

“Oh. Iamfocusing.”

Daman shoved Bellamy’s shoulder. “Stop thinking with your cock for once.”

Kyo only smirked before readying his sword.

Wrath stirred beneath my skin as we used the portal to transport to the other realm. I ground my teeth to hold him back. Because the longer he had control, the harder it would be to take it back from him.

We walked through the eternal dark skies of the underworld, the two moons illuminating the shadows. The sun never shone there. We entered the enclosure of the forest to the east of the palace. Our steps were light. Soundless. A short hike later, we knelt in the coverage of trees as we spotted demons gathered up ahead.

Laughter rang out, as did the sound of metal clashing against metal. Fights were common among any demon celebration as they fought to prove who was toughest. They also considered it a form of entertainment. Not too different from humans, I supposed.

Smoke rose from fire pits, and music sounded in the distance, the bang of drums and the jingle of bells as female dancers performed. Although the years had changed the human realm, bringing in technological advances and cutting the need for such medieval practices, demons had held on to those older ways of life, at least while in the underworld. The manner of celebration reflected that.

“I’ll let you know what I find,”Daman told us telepathically before crouching low and leaving the forest. He was out of sight in seconds.

Simon was so close to me. He had to be scared.If he’s even still alive.Phoenix had said the ring’s power would kill him.

Nerves took root as I imagined worst-case scenarios. A human among so many demons? My hand squeezed into a fist, my knuckles creaking. Only twenty or so minutes passed as we waited for Daman to report back, but it felt like an eternity.

“Castor is in the fighting pit,”Daman’s voice filled our heads.“He’s holding his own for now, but we need to act quickly.”

“Where’s Simon?”I asked.

“Galen…”

“Tell me!”

“I can’t find him,”Daman answered. A prickling of fear spread through my chest, an echo of whatever my brother was feeling.“But I heard a group of demons laughing about how they dragged a scared human to the kitchens earlier.”

The kitchens.

I lost my balance and fell forward in the grass, the trees around me blurring as I struggled to focus. I tried to drag in a breath, but my lungs had turned to stone. Just stopped working.

“Galen,” Alastair whispered, touching my arm.

I shoved him away from me and jumped to my feet, seething. Trembling. That single thread Alastair mentioned once before? One that frayed more and more each day?

It finally snapped.

Kill. Punish.

Wrath roared inside of me as searing hot anger spread through my chest. Through my heart. I focused on the demons across the small field, my vision going red… and then I set him free.

Chapter Twenty

Simon

“You are not putting me in that pot,” I said, staring at the massive pot of boiling water over the fire. “I don’t care if itishuman-sized.”

The demon chef chortled, which had a creepy raspy edge. “Human will boil tonight.”

“No. Human will not.”