Page 2 of Taken to the Deadlands (Stolen Demon Brides #1)

Chapter 2

Mia

O ne would expect to wake up with a headache when they are kidnapped by a demon, but when I opened my eyes next time, it was quite the opposite.

It was almost as if I was being pulled from the best sleep of my life. My body felt light, and there was a thrum of heat spreading throughout my limbs.

With a sigh, I turned over, trying to grab the fluffy blankets around me and pull them closer.

Just a few more minutes… When was the last time I had slept this well?

That’s when the whispers broke through the thick haze of my still sleep-ridden mind.

“It’s been too long. Maybe we should wake her?”

“The longer she sleeps, the better.”

“But maybe we can think of a way to escap?—“

There was a rustling not far from me.

“You know that’s not an option,” a girl hissed. “Just let her be blissfully unaware of our situation. I’d join her if I could.”

“What if they come?—“

I groaned as I pushed myself up. Their voices had begun to buzz around my head like two incessant flies.

“I’m awake, Jesus H. Chri?—“

I lost my train of thought when I pried my eyes open to look at the girls.

Both were sitting on a bed that had been placed right next to mine and dressed in the same outfit. A thin slip that covered nothing.

My bed was high off the ground and decked out in furs and comfortable-looking pillows. From what I could see, the same was true for theirs.

No wonder I felt so cozy.

My gaze darted around the room as images of my encounter with the demon filled my mind.

Kidnapped. I was kidnapped.

Or at least that’s what I thought, but looking at the room I was in, it looked more like a place for royalty than prisoners.

The walls showed exposed brick, but they were draped in beautiful, glittering tapestries. The floors were covered in rugs of a similar material. Above our heads was a large chandelier that reflected light onto everything around us.

“Are you okay?”

I looked at the girls in front of me. The one I assumed had spoken looked at me from under her thick lashes. Her skin flushed the longer I stared. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of purple I had never seen before. That, combined with her fair skin and white hair, made her look ethereal.

“I’m… as good as I could be after getting kidnapped.”

The girl next to her threw her head back with a loud laugh.

Her hair was dyed a deep blue that caught the light as she moved. When she moved to wipe the fake tears from her eyes, I was met with an amused stare. Her brown eyes took me in with obvious interest, and she leaned back onto the bed with a small smirk.

“At least your brain’s working,” she said, then nudged the girl next to her. “This is Iris. I’m Eve. There are a few other girls, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen them. I assume they’re dead.”

“ Eve!”

I gave Iris a forced smile when her panicked eyes caught mine. They roamed over my frame before she visibly relaxed.

“I’m Mia, by the way.”

Iris gave me a nod before turning to glare at Eve.

“We don’t know what happened to them, but you shouldn’t scare her,” Iris muttered.

I didn’t know how long they had been cooped up here together, but they seemed to be particularly close. So much so that a bit of envy wormed its way under my skin.

“Can’t you tell if she is or not?” Eve asked.

“I’m not that good of an actor,” I answered her question myself with a small laugh. “I’m still trying to digest everything, so I’m not sure my mind knows how to be anything but confused right now.”

Eve sat up straight, giving me a devilish smile.

“No, that’s her thing,” she explained. “She can see it, can’t you, little mouse?”

“Don’t call me that.” Iris visibly puffed at her nickname.

I couldn’t tell if their casual attitude was helping or hurting in this situation. I gripped the bedding, trying desperately to calm my racing mind.

All of this was too much, too fast, yet I still needed answers. Ones I wasn’t sure they were willing to give.

“See what?” I asked, desperation seeping into my voice. “Please. I’m losing it here.”

“I can read emotions,” Iris said after a moment. “ See them. Kinda like an aura.”

I swallowed thickly. “So, what can you… see?”

Eve looked at her as well. Iris shifted her eyes, looking down at her hands.

“You’re confused. It’s frustrating you. You weren’t scared… until I told you about my gift. Sorry.”

Panic rose in me.

“It’s not you. It’s just this whole situation?—“

“It’s okay, I was freaked out about it too,” Eve said. “I don’t like people seeing into me like that. Which brings me to you. What can you do? Read minds? Fly? Teleport?”

I gave her a look.

“What do you mean?”

She rolled her eyes.

“It took a lot of talking, but we figured it out between us and the few that came before you,” she offered. “We all have something. Iris is auras. I can tell when someone lies. And you?”

I stilled. The two girls in front of me looked normal. Like any other humans walking the earth.

What do they mean they have special powers? And why do they think I have ? —

No.

Realization, closely followed by horror, hit me like a truck.

Seeing ghosts was a lie!

The townspeople believed it, but… That demon? Was that the reason she kidnapped me in the first place?

I’m going to throw up.

“She’s having a breakdown.”

“ No. ” My voice came out harder than I meant it. “It’s just… She called me a spirit seer.”

I looked up sheepishly. Both of them looked at me with varying degrees of hesitancy. I prayed to whatever power was out there that Eve wouldn’t catch me in my lie.

Because it wasn’t technically a lie. The demon did call me that… But whether that was true or not was a whole different story.

I’m obviously much worse of an actor than I thought.

Eve relaxed a bit. “Well, then maybe you can spot the one that comes into our room to deliver food.“

Iris didn’t say anything, but she wouldn’t look me in the eyes either.

Can she tell? Even worse… Will she tell Eve?

“Food?” I asked. “How long have you been here?”

“Almost a week,” Eve said. “Iris is on day three.”

Without warning, the door burst open. I jerked back and pushed myself to my knees, eyes trained on the door.

“Oh, it’s the food,” Eve commented. “Don’t try to run. That’s how the last one disappeared.”

I had been lying the entire time. I had not once seen a ghost. But the thing that walked through that door?

It was the most twisted, grotesque thing I had ever seen in my life.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t a ghost. I had nothing to compare it to, but my gut feeling told me that thing was far worse than any spirit.

Its body was skeletal-like, with skin that looked more like leather than anything human. Chains were wrapped around its body, and low moaning sounds came from its disfigured mouth.

It didn’t look our way as it set the plates down on the floor, nor when it turned to leave. The door shut behind it automatically.

“So… did you see it?”

I swallowed thickly and looked back to the other two.

“That wasn’t a ghost,” I murmured. “Whatever it was…” I shuddered, unable to finish my sentence.

“It’s angry and in pain,” Iris whispered. “Maybe another type of demon?”

Eve shook her head. “If that was the case, we would see it.”

I wanted to tell them that there was no way that was a ghost either because I couldn’t see ghosts, but I kept my mouth shut.

I’m not sure what the demon wanted with us, but I knew that if I wanted a chance at surviving this, I needed to play my cards right.