Page 2 of Resurrection (Daemons & Lumens #2)

CHAPTER ONE

Seraphina

A low voice whispered to me in my dreams. Or was this real?

“Don’t give up on them,” the shadow murmured. “Trust what you feel, not what you see.”

Something sharp pricked my skin, and the endless darkness returned.

For about the millionth time in my twenty-three years, I was certain death had come for me.

My brain felt fuzzy, and my limbs weighed a thousand pounds.

I didn’t dare move, knowing someone was likely watching me.

I took a long, slow breath. The air was damp and smelled of dirt.

I was definitely underground. Water trickled from the ceiling somewhere nearby, the sound of each drop hitting the gravel echoing in my brain like a church bell.

This was so much worse than a hangover. Why wasn’t I healing?

How long had I been out? My mind raced with questions as memories flooded in.

Devon. He looked furious. And he shot them.

Ty and Levi. Their bodies crumpled and bleeding.

Everything had gone so horribly wrong. And where was Tibby?

Andras? I needed to heal and get the fuck out of whatever hole I was tossed in.

Dev shot me with something, some kind of tranquilizer.

The drug flowed through my veins, subduing me.

It must have been strong, because even my natural ability to heal was taking too long.

The vague memory of the voice came crawling back.

I moved my arm slowly, feeling for the sore spot on my shoulder.

A needle prick, but not the one from Dev. What did the shadow give me?

“Is she awake yet? I brought another dose,” a voice bounced off the walls around me, sounding far and close all at once. Was I in a tunnel? Footsteps echoed on the uneven ground.

“She was murmuring in her sleep, but doesn’t seem to be fully awake.” Another male voice. Neither recognizable.

The first male whistled. “She sure does go through this shit fast. I’ve never heard of someone waking up after that many doses.” He sounded impressed, and the part of my brain that worked felt entirely too smug.

Darkness surrounded me, just deep enough to make it difficult to take in my surroundings. Light filtered in as the voices grew closer. I was definitely in a tunnel or basement of some kind, and I needed to get out the fuck of here before they drugged me again.

I wiggled my fingers and toes, willing my body to move and the drug to fade from my veins.

Whatever the shadow shot me up with seemed to be counteracting the other drug.

My insides buzzed with adrenaline. The footsteps were much closer.

I opened my eyes fully, trying to adjust to the near pitch-black room.

My hands and feet were only tied with rope, but the knots came apart easily.

I stumbled to my feet and braced my weight against the wall, feeling my way toward the tunnel entrance where the two males drew closer.

The rope scratched my skin as I wrapped it around my hands and waited.

I might not have been at full strength, but I could handle two low-level cult guards easily enough.

“Let’s get this over with,” the first one grumbled. “She’s just over—”

The asshole had no time to finish his sentence before I wrapped the rope around his neck as soon as he appeared.

The flashlight he carried fell to the floor as he cursed and scrambled for the rope tightening around his throat.

I turned and tugged hard, strangling him as the other one drew out a weapon.

Probably more of the tranquilizer. Forcing his body in front of mine, he took the shot and the dart slammed into Guard Dumbfuck’s gut.

I released the rope and snatched the baton at his side.

I leapt over his limp body and smacked Guard Asswipe in the head with the metal baton.

A loud crack of bones sounded as he dropped to the floor, probably dead. Maybe not. But probably.

Well, that wasn’t as difficult as I expected.

I snatched up the flashlight and took the knives from their belts, stuffing them into my boots.

Thankfully, I was still fully dressed in my leggings and sweater.

I had no idea how long I’d been out, but the way my body ached told me it was at least a couple days.

Leaving the idiots behind, I followed the tunnel the two males came out of, hoping to find an exit and some daylight.

At the end of the tunnel, a massive wooden door blocked my path.

But these guards were stupid, so when I turned the handle, the door swung open, unlocked.

Bright fluorescent lights shone down from the long set of concrete stairs.

I dropped the flashlight and took out one of the knives, the baton still in my other hand.

There was no telling what I would find at the top of those stairs. Hopefully, more bad guys to kill.

Blood thrummed loudly in my ears in the silence and I held my breath as my head popped up over the threshold.

This was some kind of…dungeon? Jail? Several rows of cells, no bigger than small bedrooms, with thick metal bars to keep prisoners locked up lined each side.

I closed the heavy as hell door the guards left open, locking it and looking around.

My eyes adjusted to the low lighting running down the center of the room.

A much more secure looking door stood at the far end.

I started toward it, glancing into the cells as I went.

My breath caught when I peered into a cell about halfway down and found my monster man curled up on the floor.

I darted to the cell and reached through the bars. My outstretched hand could barely brush against his arm. “Ty? Ty, wake up.”

He murmured something but didn’t budge. I had a feeling he was being dosed like I was.

“Seraphina?” a deep voice that made my insides warm called out from a cell across the room, and I sprinted to Levi.

As soon as I slammed into the bars, Levi pulled me close, crushing me to him as much as he could with the barrier.

His hand gripped my hair, and his mouth found mine before I could say anything.

His tongue demanded entrance, and I opened for him, my heart melting for this man of mine. The kiss was rough and passionate.

My body relaxed a fraction now that they were here before me. I pulled away and stared into his navy eyes. “You’re alive.”

He smirked. “As if a few bullets could keep me down.”

“You looked very dead.” I pinched his shoulder through the torn fabric of his shirt.

Levi shrugged, brushing the loose hair from my face and examining me closely. “A flesh wound, diabla . Are you hurt?”

Relief flooded my system at his teasing tone. “No, just a little woozy from the drugs, but it’s fading. I left two guards down there.” I flicked my eyes to the heavy door. “One of them is dead, I think.”

“Should have killed them both.” Ty’s voice was rough and harsh.

I let go of Levi and ran to him, reaching for his muscular arms.

“Ty,” I choked out his name. I was not a weepy girl, but these men did things to me I didn’t fully understand. “You okay, monster man?”

“Are you? You’re absolutely filthy. It’s getting my dick hard.” Ty’s arms barely fit through the bars as he gripped my waist and growled, his eyes fierce and ravenous as he pulled me close. “I’m going to rip Devon’s head from his body.”

I squeezed his arms and shook my head. “No, you are not. Something’s not right here. He would never have done that unless he was forced.”

Ty’s grip tightened, and he shook his head. “There is nothing on this Earth that could force me to do what he did to you and my brothers. He betrayed us.”

He wasn’t wrong, but something in my soul just couldn’t believe Dev would do that to me, to us, without some kind of catalyst. I reached up and placed my hands on his face, bringing him closer and kissing him slowly. His unkempt beard tickled my cheeks.

I pulled away before he could deepen the kiss. “Let’s at least try to figure this out before we kill him. Alright?”

Ty frowned but nodded his acceptance. “Fine. I’m still going to punch him in the face for shooting Levi and me.”

“Fair enough.” I blew him a kiss as I turned away to look down the hall and survey the other cells. “Is Andras here?”

A voice suddenly called out from the speakers in the ceiling. “Andras is with me, Seraphina. Guards will be down shortly to escort you upstairs. If you choose not to follow them, Andras will be punished.”

I stuck out my tongue at the speakers the voice bellowed from. I knew that voice. I’d heard it plenty of times in my nightmares, reciting incantations while my sister screamed. Laszlo Blackbyrn.

“Fuck you!” I shouted into the air as footsteps echoed behind the door at the end of the hall.

“Seraphina.” Ty’s voice was strained, and I turned to him instantly. He rarely used my name, and I didn’t like his serious tone. He was afraid. “Don’t do anything stupid. Play along for now. Alright?”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms like a child about to throw a tantrum. Because I so was.

Levi chuckled behind me. “ Diabla . Don’t make me spank your ass. I’ll have Ty bind you up, and we’ll really make it hurt. We cannot protect you locked up down here. And only we are allowed to make you hurt.”

“Fine! I won’t do anything stupid. Yet,” I huffed. They were such downers.

Ty growled and slammed his arms into the metal bars. “I will do more than spank you if you get yourself killed. I’ll bring you back and strangle your pretty throat myself.”

I blew him a kiss and crossed my arms over my chest. “I know the assholes above are listening, but figure out how to get out of those cells soon, you got it? I need backup.”

The heavy wooden door opened, and six guards walked in with tasers. They all wore skeleton masks and plain black clothing. Fucking sheep.

“Six big and bad guards just for me? I’m flattered. Or should I be insulted? I could’ve taken ten.”

The guards didn’t speak as they caged me in and turned back toward the wide staircase leading into the unknown above.

I didn’t have a clue how I would get out of this, so I would play nice.

For now. But when the opportunity came, the Kings of The Obscuritas and those who betrayed me would suffer my fucking wrath.