A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 3)

“Just knock the idiot out and carry him,” Denski grumbled, facing front again.

“They should,” Govam agreed softly, nearly at the end now.

A moment later, the screaming cut off. They’d done exactly what Denski said.

I blinked my watery eyes and looked away, hating all of this. Hating my fear and the stink and the magically induced desperation to fall to my death and end it all. I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with oxygen.

The second Govam crossed the threshold onto solid ground, the clenching fear dried up. The swimming, wobbling vision straightened out. Courage surged within me, and I had a mad desire to fight. To cradle Govam’s head like a lover and crack his neck. It would be so easy. Effortless, really. They hadn’t cared about killing Luru; would they care about losing another demon? Ressfu might even thank me. He’d been waiting for us with what was clearly annoyance.

“Get her off,” Govam shouted suddenly, jerking backward. “Quick, get her off, get her off!”

Denski ripped me backward, throwing me to the ground. My butt hit stone, and I just barely kept from rolling onto the Bridge of Doom. The heel of my bad leg hit the ground and pain vibrated up, not quite so bad as before. I did benefit from faster healing, even if it didn’t produce miracles.

Govam turned and looked down at me, thunder clouding his expression. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He’d somehow known what I was thinking.

“I wasn’t going to do it,” I said quickly. Defensively.

My dragon snickered.

It might be true! I told her. I honestly wasn’t sure.

I struggled to get up. “I realize there’d be no point, even if no one cared.”

He leaned down, wrapped his fingers around my upper arm, and hoisted me to my feet. Denski resumed his place by my side, and they walked me away from the mouth of the bridge. The others followed us, bringing Jedrek across.

“Come on. Time’s wasting.” Ressfu scanned the demons before turning and continuing down another hall.

“How’d you know?” I asked Govam softly. I took notice of a few pockmarks in the wall before we turned right.

He didn’t comment.

We left the tunnels, and the chamber opened up around us. The smell intensified, if that were possible. I felt the breath leave me as I took in my surroundings.

Stone lined the floor like it had in the halls, but the ceiling was much higher, spanning the height of two or so levels. A main walkway led down the center of the space, and steps on either side led up to raised platforms. The steps broke around large, bulky stone columns that were amazing to look at and reached up to the smooth stone ceiling. Multiple arches were embedded in the walls in the raised areas, closed off with bars. Cells. But I didn’t see any faces pressed against the bars, looking out. No hands gripping metal.

“It looks like dwarfs built this,” I said in a hush.

Ressfu looked around as though expecting someone. He raised an irritated hand to keep us put before walking briskly down the center path.

I glanced at Govam, stoic at my side. “Not much of a talker, huh?”

He pretended not to hear me. Wondering if he’d crack, I decided to harass him a little. “Are you a screamer? You pop a nut and sing out your praise of the mighty orgasm?”

Almost as one, Govam and Denski turned their heads toward me slowly, wearing identical expressions of confused bewilderment.

“No one’s ever asked you that before?” I gingerly touched the ground with my bad foot, testing it. Better, but still not good enough to walk on. “Probably because they’ve already heard you screaming. I bet you really get into it, huh? You act all calm and stoic now, but when you get your hump on, you’re singing soprano. I’ve seen your type before.”

Govam tilted his head to the side as though suddenly noticing a strange, brightly colored, possibly poisonous bug. I turned to Denski, also staring at me with a tilted head.

I lifted my eyebrows and nodded knowingly. “You know what I’m saying.”

A crooked smile worked up his greenish skin, revealing slightly pointed teeth I hadn’t noticed before. A smile from a lighthearted jest was a good sign. It meant they weren’t all monsters—not all the time, at least. I didn’t know if that would help me, but the more information, the better.

“Well, well, well.”

The booming voice filled the space, drawing my attention. A slim demon sauntered down the center aisle, a white silk robe hanging off his bony shoulders.

“What have we here?” His voice was singsong. From the way he was moseying in, moving slowly, it was clear he had some power in this place. The message was clear: he wouldn’t be rushed.

Maybe I should be freaked out, but I couldn’t get over the sight of him. His face was discolored, like someone had tried to tie-dye his skin, fucked up, dabbed at it, and left it in a warm, moist place. I assumed it wasn’t actually mold growing out of the side of his lips and down his neck, but I couldn’t be too sure.