Page 1 of Taken to the Deadlands (Stolen Demon Brides #1)

Chapter 1

Mia

S ometimes seeing ghosts had its perks.

As soon as the elderly lady hobbled out of my run-down shop, I started counting the massive wad of cash she had slipped me.

All I had given her were a few words of comfort. A tale or two of her deceased husband living it up in the afterlife. And a couple of far-off stares, and just like almost everyone that found their way into my shop, she believed it.

I had made a name for myself in the small town. The town of Fallhurst had only about two thousand people and had only grown a few handfuls in the five years I’d been here.

I was poor when I arrived—still was if I was being honest—and had no way of making money. But it only took me a few days to realize the small quirks of this town.

This town loved the supernatural.

And with this money, I have enough for monthly rent on this shop, and I can even afford a treat for myself.

A part of me felt bad for taking advantage of some of these people in their grief-filled states, but money was money.

A high-pitched whine drew me from my thoughts.

I looked back to my desk where my cat, Momo, sat looking at me with her big green eyes. Also a customer favorite. She would often sit on the laps of customers as I went about my show, soaking up all the attention and warmth. One could almost think she was the perfect accomplice. Putting everyone at ease while I worked my magic.

I bounded toward her, letting my hand run across her smooth, black fur. She leaned into my pets, her purr filling the quiet shop.

“Maybe I can get you a treat too,” I whispered to her.

When she looked up at me and meowed as if understanding my words, I couldn’t help but smile.

“For an ex-stray, you sure are spoiled.”

Not that I minded. I would spoil that cat with everything I had. After all, she was all I had besides this shop.

I had been lucky to find her one day behind my dumpster. At the time, she was all skin and bones and hadn’t gotten her nails trimmed in what looked like years. When I took her to the vet, they rushed her into emergency medical care.

She fought to survive, and after that, there was no way I would have been able to leave her behind.

The doorbell chimed behind me, causing my heart to speed up.

Another customer? Maybe my luck is finally kicking in!

I turned to greet them but jolted back when I instantly came face-to-face with a person— no, not a person . I gripped the desk behind me with all my might for fear that I might faint if I didn’t.

She could have been confused for a person if it weren’t for the bright red horns jutting from her forehead. They poked out of shiny white hair and circled backwards and out. Dark black veins trailed from them, running down her forehead and sticking out against her pale skin.

Wide red eyes filled my vision, looking at me with a playful expression. What should have been the whites of her eyes were completely black.

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Fear had taken hold of my entire body.

“Spirit seer,” she breathed. Her voice was husky and held a bit of a growl to it. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of your kind.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tilted her head to the side and took a step back. Only then did I notice two things.

One, she had brilliant red wings sprouting out of her back. They were so large, the tips of them brushed the ceiling of my shop.

Two, she had barely any clothes on. She was covered in a red, shiny, spiderweb-like material that covered her breasts, parts of her stomach, pussy, and legs, starting mid-thigh.

“Can you not speak?” she asked. “You were just talking to the old lady? Maybe I should get her?—“

She turned back to the entrance, and whatever panic had been holding me back now forced the words out of me.

I might have been a scammer, but I wasn’t about to put that lady’s life in danger.

“Wait! I just—what the fuck are you?”

She turned to me, her black-painted lips turning into a wild smile. Her clawed hands came up to rub her chin.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she cooed. In a flash, she was in front of me again, invading my personal space. Her hands spread across the desk behind me, and I had to lean back so our lips wouldn’t touch. “Guess for me, spirit seer.”

I swallowed thickly. Her entire demeanor was playful, but something eerie radiated from her and had dread taking root in my stomach.

It was like she was dangerous but trying to play… innocent?

What the fuck is happening? Am I really playing a game with some sort of monster?

“You look too evil to be from heaven,” I murmured. “From hell?”

Her smile was so wide, it was like it split her face in half.

“A spirit seer should know that it’s called the Demon Realm now.”

I couldn’t help the huff that forced itself from my lips.

“Well, excuse me .”

She leaned back with a laugh. I quickly thought about grabbing whatever was left on my desk and hitting her over the head with it, but her eyes were back on me in milliseconds.

“The others will like you,” she said through her laugh. “A bit of an attitude is always fun in the beginning.”

In the beginning? What about the end? What is she going to do? Beat it out of me?

Not that’s a terrifying thought.

As she turned to look at the entrance, my gaze shot toward the back. There was another entrance there, but I had boxes of shit piled up in front of it. A total code violation, one I was now regretting. But if I could make a run for it?—

Clawed hands grabbed my hair and yanked my head back.

“Not so fast,” she threatened. “Can’t have the goods running off so soon, can we? Your buyer may like a bit of a chase, but I don’t.”

Ice cold fear filled my veins.

The fight-or-flight response kicked in, and I pushed her back as hard as I could. To my surprise, she actually stumbled. Maybe someone of her power wasn’t expecting their prey to fight back, but no matter. I would take it.

I used her stumble to my advantage, crawling over the desk, and bolting straight for the back door. All the papers, pens, and cups were flung across the floor. My heart felt like it was going to burst in my chest and blood rushed through my ears.

Faster. Go.

I stumbled, falling to the floor, but managed to push myself up and made a break for it.

I skidded to a halt when the shrill sound of Momo’s pained screams hit my ear.

My head whipped back to see the demon with Momo in her claws. She had her dangling by the scruff on the back of her neck. Momo was giving a hell of a fight, but the demon didn’t even blink. Not even when Momo sank her claws into her forearm.

“Run and I eat her.”

All my hair stood on end.

Run. My mind begged me. Run. Live. Forget the fucking cat.

I gritted my teeth.

What? Now you want to be a good person?

I hated that I was being weak.

I didn’t struggle all those years or fight like hell to make my place here, just to have it blow up in my face because I couldn’t leave the goddamn stray I had picked up.

But regardless of what my mind was telling me, I couldn’t run. Not when the sounds she was making caused my heart to crumble and not when it felt like she was begging for me to save her.

Each moment I paused, the louder her screams got.

“Give her to me,” I ordered.

The demon gave me a look.

“You won’t need her where you’re going.”

She held out a hand for me. Going against every survival instinct I had, I walked toward her but didn’t place my hand in hers. She clicked her tongue and threw the cat to the side.

I snapped my head in her direction just in time to see Momo land on her feet. The demon took the chance to grab me.

It was useless to fight her off this time.

As soon as her hands were on me, light burst forward from her chest, and the entire world fell around us.