Chapter 103
BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon
103 â Welcome Back To The Underworld ADAN STONE.
My throat was parched as I stood beside Lucius, about to enter the portal to the underworld. Aside from traversing a world unknown to me, I would be on my own.
Patrea had put Beast to sleep to avoid any demons, especially Lucien, from detecting or sensing my wolf once we were outside the tower. Lucyâs cleansing would be held in a cove somewhere far from their abode, which was better since Lucy would be able to let Angel surface in case she needed to. As for me, I had to rely on my own strength and on the demon power that Lucy shared with me. couldnât be stubborn at this point. We needed to stay hidden as much as we could.
âWould you like to join me in the underworld, Patrea?â Luciusâ eyes blazed red as a devilish grin crossed his features. His hand extended, reaching out for her to take it. It took a while before Patrea gave him her hand and responded, âI do.â
âAre you sure?â
âYes.â
Lucius clasped his hand with hers as he motioned for me to hold on to his shoulder, and the moment I did, my body was immediately sucked into limbo, and I just found us in a different place.
I wanted to cough because everything was so warm and constricting my breathing, but I tried to suppress it to avoid drawing attention to us. Lucius disappeared but reappeared in an instant and shoved something over me and Patrea.
It was the invisible cloak that Patrea owned and that Lucius took from her cottage. The same one that Lucy used when she ran away from this realm more than two years ago. The cloak would be able to hide us, including our scent and auras, as long as we remained under it. But we would not be able to use it in the middle of a crowd. We were invisible under it, but they would still be able to touch us if we bumped into them.
I held Patrea closer to my body under the cloak, hunching my back a little so we could be of the same height and our feet would not be visible. We held on to Lucius â clothes, and we were immediately transported to a small cottage. I assumed this was Patreaâs home in this realm.
We needed a place where she could start her enchantments, and this was the only option in this area.
âFather has a dark witch with him, so I was assuming he would not be bothered if he sensed a witchâs aura near him, but we still need to be careful. I will be leaving you here for now since I need to speak with Lucy. After this, I will not be able to talk with her.â
Luciusâ eyes shifted to me. âIf you feel one more pain, just bear with it. I can assure you she doesnât want to do it.â
âIâm putting my whole trust in you, Lucius. But if you go back on your word, I wonât care where my soul ends up. I will be the one to end your life.â
âYouâve threatened me with that a hundred times, Stone. Iâm still not worried.â He said before he threw a light punch at my arm.
âBesides, weâre brothers.â
âIâm an only child.â I scoffed at him, but a smile was slowly tugging at my mouth.
âWell, if you take Lucy, it means youâll take me as well.â
âSays who?â
âFuck you! Iâm her only family.â
I chuckled before responding to him. As much as I initially loathed him, I did like the Lucius I was seeing and interacting with lately. âI didnât know demons knew what family meant.â
âI know youâre both overjoyed upon realizing you are brothers-in-law, but that wonât be a reality unless we save Lucy. So get your asses up and stop fooling around because we have many things to do, especially you.â She pointed at Lucius, and the demon just looked at me, suppressing an evil smirk that crossed his face.
So I answered on his behalf, âYes, Mom.â
Patrea rolled her eyes at me but remained quiet as she continued to gather vials and liquids from her stash.
âDamn, Iâll be your Dad if youâre calling her Mom. Luciusâ words dug into my head.
âDo you seriously fancy Patrea?â I asked, leaning back in my seat on the couch.
âYeah, but sheâs still not warming up to me. Care to help a brother out?â
Seriously? Now? You know Iâm here to save Lucy, right?â
âJust kidding.â He chuckled before he stood from his seat and spoke to us. âI will go ahead. I will meet Lucy. And then we will go with the first plan. Just be ready.â
âWhere are you?â I asked Lucy as soon as I transported my body to the cove, where the first stage of Lucyâs cleansing would be held later. 2 âJust walking out of the great hall. Guillermo is there, I tried to start up a conversation with him.â
âDid you two fight?â
âNo. I was rather sweet with him, but he was not pushing himself on me. I guess my ice made him realize I could actually hurt him.â
âGood. And father?â
âHe hasnât left his chamber.â
âHe was probably checking on Stone to make sure he wouldnât interfere with your cleansing.â
âWhat can Adan do against him?â
âYou donât trust your own mate?â
âI donât trust my own father. Adan could be the strongest and smartest man alive, but match him with a devious devil and he would still come undone.â
âI agree. Meet me up in my chamber.â
âYour chamber? Iâve never been there.â âI know.â
âi donât think I like that idea. Why not in mine?â
âFather can pop up there anytime. He canât on mine. I requested decades ago that he not be able to enter my chamber via teleportation.â âAnd he agreed?â
âHe doesnât care about me. And you were not born yet at that time, so you are not included in the enchantment that prohibits my brothers from entering it.â
âNow thatâs something I should be concerned about. No one can save me from you in case you are planning to sabotage me.â
âDidnât you just tell me Guillermo backed off after you shot ice on him? What makes you think I can overpower you if Guillermo himself was afraid of you?â âThatâs what a predator does-boost their preyâs ego.â âShut it, Lucija. We are running out of time. I need you in my chamber right now or Iâll let Guillermo have his way with you. âIâm not scared. And before you keep blabbing there. Iâm already outside your bedroom. I couldnât get in because I had no idea what the inside looked like.â I was not even finished with my words when the double doors to his room opened and he motioned for me to come I walked inside and tried to sense if there were any dangers, but there was nothing I could sense.
Either I was safe here or Lucius was just good at this.
âAre you going to tell me everything now? â I asked as I turned my body around to face him.
âYes, and I want you to hold your tongue until Iâm done.â He answered, pointing a finger to the section where the couches. were.
I nodded my head and took a seat on the single sofa in the corner of his receiving area before flicking my fingers to light up the candles around the room.
âDid you ever wonder why Father was so adamant in taking you to his side? In making you the next queen of this place?
Why was he still protecting you despite your defiance of him?â
âNo. Except that he is so afraid of his own. sons that he chose his weak daughter instead. Or maybe I was just his favorite.â
âErn!â He chuckled, mimicking a buzzer for a wrong answer. âHe was actually afraid of you.â
âMe?â My eyes widened, as disbelief crossed my face.
âOnce upon a time mind you, this is not a fairy tale, but we can still get a happy ending. Anyway, our father went to meet Orpheus. Orpheus is the seer, or the third eye, in this realm. He asked if Orpheus could see the future of Kalmerus. He went back there too many times, but Orpheus could never force herself to see the future. Her visions just happened, and one time they did. She foresaw that the next ruler of Kalmerus would have a stronger aura than Father and that his life would be linked to the rightful heir to his throne.
âWhat do you mean linked?â
âIf the rightful heir dies, so does Lucien. I always thought Father was invincible, akin to Hades. But this prophecy proves he could be taken down.â
âBy killing the rightful heir...â My chest heaved as the hair on my skin raised. I slowly stood up from the couch, my hands clutching the armrest tightly. âIs it me? Are you ... planning to kill... me, Lucius?â
I was stuttering. I understood when he said the rightful heir had a strong aura but did it mean it had strength as well? Because I didnât think I was strong enough.
âLucius... answer me,â I said while gritting my teeth.
An evil smirk crossed his face as he swiped his tongue slowly over his upper lip while his eyes blazed red. His gaze never left mine, and I could feel my heart thudding so loudly that it felt like it would jump out of my chest.
Coming here in his chamber was a big mistake. I was sure he planned this, and if he wanted to, I could never get out of here. I was scared of my father and Guillermo, but it was nothing compared to the fear brewing in my chest at the moment.
Lucius would never betray me. He was different from them. Or was he?
Fear and betrayal. Was everything he showed me a lie?