Chapter 30

OLIVE

I’m standing next to Zeke in a wide clearing, the sun just starting to peek over the treetops that surround us. Max and Daisy are on my left, Dinah and Idris on Zeke’s right.

Behind us, the warriors of the Dark Wood Pack and the Royal Pack are lined up, ready for battle.

Beta James, much to his disappointment, was ordered to stay behind and watch over the pack. Amber, Alice, and a few other warriors are with him. We thought it best to keep some back in case of an ambush. Alice was relieved to stay behind. She hates the sight of blood and the violence of war. Amber, on the other hand, was annoyed at missing out on a big fight.

Dinah steps forward and closes her eyes. She starts to chant, her hands moving in smooth, flowing motions as if she’s drawing symbols in the air. It’s mesmerizing, almost hypnotic.

Her hands start to glow purple, leaving a trail of light as she continues to draw symbols. She throws both hands in front of her, blasting her purple magic onto an open space on the ground.

The magic swirls around itself, forming an arch. The middle of the arch turns into a pitch-black void.

Dinah walks up to the portal and chants again, touching the portal. The black void shimmers, slowly revealing a picture.

It’s a vast expanse of nothing but rubble, ash, and charred remains. No signs of life or nature anywhere. Ash floats through the air, like the aftermath of a huge fire. The other realm is a depressing sight, devoid of any color but gray.

Idris walks up to Dinah and wraps his arms around her. She’s tiny compared to him. She looks up at him with love in her eyes, and he looks down at her with worry.

“It’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me,” she reassures him.

“Please…stay here…where you’ll be safe,” he begs.

“My place is by your side and protecting my king. I won’t stay behind and wait when I can help,” she insists.

Idris sighs and holds Dinah’s stomach. “I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” she promises, reaching up on her tiptoes to stroke his face.

Idris sighs in defeat. “If you have to come, at least stay close to me.”

Dinah smiles softly. “Always.”

I turn away as Zeke approaches me. He cups my face in his hands, kisses my forehead, and rests his forehead against mine.

“Are you ready, Little Wolf?”

I sigh nervously. “Ready as I’ll ever be!”

“That’s my girl!” He grins.

He straightens up to his full height.

“Warriors! Remember the plan and stick to it. As soon as we enter the portal, we’ll be greeted by patrolling demons. The plan goes into effect immediately.

“Now…most importantly… Who’s ready to tear into some demons!?” Zeke shouts.

The warriors cheer and holler in response.

He looks at Dinah, Idris, Max, and Daisy, giving them all a quick nod.

Zeke takes my hand and pulls me close as we all step into the portal.

In an instant, we’re on the other side. The air is thick and humid, and it smells of decay.

In the distance, I can see the realm’s “palace.” The stone walls are charred, but the building is still standing—ugly and creepy, but intact. It looks out of place amidst the destruction of the land.

The realm is quiet, no demons in sight. We use this quiet to move toward the palace in silence.

I glance nervously at Zeke. “Shouldn’t the demons be here by now?”

“Hmm, something is off. Stay alert,” Zeke advises calmly.

We continue walking in silence until the palace is just a short walk away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. ~“We’ve got company,”~ I mind-link to Zeke.

I see him nod subtly in acknowledgment.

I look toward where I saw movement and see demons scuttling down the sides of the palace.

Suddenly, the gates of the palace are thrown open, revealing just thirty demons.

~I thought we would have more company. We’ll be done with them in no time,~ I think to myself.

The largest demon steps forward.

“To what do we owe this pleasure, princess?” he sneers, his sharp teeth showing as he grimaces.

I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve come to kill Asmodeus, of course,” I say, trying to sound confident, even though I’m terrified.

“Ha! Good luck, puny creature! Do you really think something as weak and pathetic as you cou—”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. A knife made of pure hellfire is lodged between his eyes.

The demons look at their leader as he slumps to the ground, black, tar-like blood oozing from his body.

“KILL THEM!” they scream in unison, charging at us.

Zeke and I let the warriors run past us, engulfing us in the army.

Daisy meets us in the chaos.

“Are you ready?” she asks.

Zeke and I nod at her. She looks up at the sky above the palace.

Before I know it, we’re in the sky above the palace.

I grab Zeke and summon my wings—the transition is easier and smoother with practice.

Daisy blinks away, back to the chaos below to fight with Max.

Two guards are left on the rooftop. I throw Zeke toward one guard and land on top of the other, quickly snapping his neck.

Zeke takes out the other guard just as quickly, and we head inside.

The palace is dark and dusty. It’s even more depressing than the land outside, dirty and smelling of mold and rotting flesh.

~No one would ever come here and think “home sweet home!”~ I think to myself.

I stifle a gag, covering my mouth as we navigate the labyrinth of corridors and spiraling staircases.

No demons in sight. Hopefully, they’re all out on the battlefield.

Finally, we arrive at what appears to be the room we’ve been seeking.

The massive door, made of black wood, is weathered and rusty, but it still exudes an aura of “throne room.” We slip inside and blend into the shadows.

We’ve found the right room. Like everything else in this realm, the walls are either black or gray; the drapes that shroud the large windows are also black.

The ceilings are so high they disappear into darkness.

There’s a raised platform made of gray stone, and atop it sit two thrones. A large figure occupies one of the thrones.

It’s him. Asmodeus.

He lounges with his legs spread out, looking almost bored.

His hair, black as a raven and slicked back, reaches his shoulders. His pale skin looks like it hasn’t seen sunlight in ages.

His features are sharp and ratlike. I don’t look anything like this man.

I stand tall, taking Zeke’s hand in mine as we step forward, emerging from the shadows.

His green eyes lock onto mine, and a chill runs down my spine as he smirks at me.

“Ahh, here she is, my dear granddaughter, Olive… I see you’ve brought your ‘mate’ to offer as a sacrifice as well. How delightful!” he says, clapping his hands together.

Rolling my eyes, I step forward. “Stand down, ~Grandfather~,” I spit, “and we might spare your pathetic life.”

We inch closer to the demon king when the doors burst open. Max, Daisy, Dinah, Idris, and Eddie rush in with the pack and hybrid warriors.

They fall in behind us, ready for battle.

Asmodeus shakes his head. “Tut-tut, my dear. Aren’t we family? What would your mother say? …Ah, why don’t we ask her?”

He snaps his fingers, and three figures emerge from a separate room.

One is my mother, though she’s barely recognizable due to her drastic weight loss.

Her dirty, tattered clothes hang off her frail frame. Her skin is marred with filth and bruises in various stages of healing, and she’s sporting a nasty black eye.

The figure next to her guides her with…care? They stop before me, and I understand why.

This is Dominic. This is him. This is my dad.

He’s holding a small girl in his arms; she’s clinging to him as if her life depends on it. This must be Idris’s sister.

“Lola!” Idris calls. “I’m here, baby. I’ll take you home soon!”

Dominic gives me a kind, sympathetic smile. As he gently rubs my mother’s back, he mouths, “It’ll be okay,” to me, nodding encouragingly.

“Now that we’re all together, it’s time to decide, Olive,” Asmodeus interrupts.

“Your mother…or your mate. Choose one to live,” he says, a sickening grin spread across his face.

“No! Olive, choose Ezekiel! I’ve lived a good life. Now live yours,” Mom rasps out weakly.

Asmodeus delivers a harsh slap to her face, and she crumples to the floor.

Dominic quickly lifts her up, cradling her face in his hands, checking if she’s okay.

“No!” I shout, reaching out for her. “Don’t you dare touch her!” I scream, a tear slipping down my cheek.

“See, weak. Just like your parents, and you think you can defeat me, ME? Don’t make me laugh,” Asmodeus says, taunting me.

“I’ve lived for thousands of years, and no one has ever bested me!”

Zeke takes my hand in his, his thumb tapping against my finger.

~This is it.~

“You’re outnumbered, Asmodeus. Surrender now and save yourself the humiliation of defeat,” I say, trying to appeal to his ego.

“Oh, child, do you really think I don’t have more tricks up my sleeve?” He laughs.

Suddenly, a fragmented mind-link infiltrates the pack link.

~“Ambushed…set up…traitor is A-…Amber…help…they have…pups,”~ Beta James’s words come through like a cell phone with poor reception.

Everyone’s eyes meet, all thinking the same thing.

~Amber. She’s the traitor.~

I should’ve seen this coming given her past behavior towards me, but I honestly hadn’t. She had become such a friend to me. My heart aches with the betrayal.

I glance at Eddie who has been filled in via Zeke’s link. His heart is breaking. I can see the pain in his eyes.

He shakes his head slowly, unable to believe what he’s hearing. But how could he believe that his one true mate is a traitor? I know I wouldn’t want to believe it either.

In the midst of the shock and confusion, Asmodeus seizes his moment.

“Time to play.” He smirks, opening his arms to welcome his demons who crawl down the walls from the darkness above us.

~It was a trap, and we walked right into it. He knew all along what we had planned.~

Amber had kept him informed from the start. We were never going to be able to surprise him. Amber made sure of that!

Goddess, I feel so foolish! We never had the upper hand at all… We’ve led all these people to their deaths.