A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 3)

“A bunch of lustful, grabby dragons aren’t any easier to move,” Tamara said, still staring in the direction of the stairs as the guards descended.

“I think it is actually something to do with their hierarchy,” Micah said in a low voice. “I’ve asked out of curiosity, but no one’s given me a direct answer. The sex demons are somewhat looked down upon, it seems.”

“I’m not complaining,” Vemar said.

The guards filed into the dungeon, three to five guards each congregating outside of the various cells.

“Looks like we have a lot of new faces,” Vemar called out. “Do we have a new captain leading a new team, perhaps?”

Govam didn’t spare Vemar a glance, nor did he walk as far as my cell. He stopped outside Micah’s cell and stared in for a moment, not speaking.

“I get this one, then?” A sallow-skinned demon with two large horns curling from his head stopped outside of my cell, looking in. He gave me a once-over, pausing for a long moment on my sword. When his eyes met mine again, there was something not quite right with the gleam in them. Something hostile and unbalanced. Heat sparkled there, too. Desire. “Just a pretty little girl dragon. What a nice treat for my first time in this position, hmm? Breaking me in easy…while I break you in hard.”

I ignored him as Vemar continued to call out above the din. “Think you can survive the night, Govam?”

The demon in front of me looked back as more guards joined him, five in all.

“Who’s the new guy?” Tamara asked, looking my way. “He looks like a dead man. An ugly dead man.”

“Ooh-wee,” Vemar said. “Fresh meat.”

“A new captain, what a treat,” someone else called as metal tinkled within the sounds of boots scuffing and people moving. All the guards were taking their positions, staring into the cells of the dragons they’d be managing.

“There used to be five captains assigned to the dragons, didn’t there, Govam?” another said. “Micah has been bad for the health of your organization.”

The lip of the sallow-skinned demon curled as another guard stepped up to the bars in front of me, holding cuffs.

“Let’s go, dragon,” the guard with cuffs said, the metal tinkling between his hands.

“Strange Lady,” Vemar called out in his classic singsong voice. “Now would be a terrible time to behave. You have a lot of catching up to do if you want to match Micah.”

The squeak of metal hinges announced a cell door opening. Then another. As I turned around to put my hands through the space between the bars, shouts erupted. Another door opened, and then one clanged shut. Over my shoulder, I saw a cluster of guards at the end speed up, some rushing forward and some shoving back. A long arm swung through the air, the fist smashing into a demon’s face. Through the crowd I could briefly see Vemar, his face red with exertion and anger as he fought his way into the demon horde.

Sticks came out, slashing down at him. He laughed as he got his hands around a demon’s neck. He adjusted his hold. I didn’t hear the crack, but I didn’t need to. The demon dropped like a stone as a crowd swarmed Vemar, taking him to the ground.

My wrists were grabbed and yanked through the bars. My shoulders screamed from the rough treatment as my arms slid against metal. I winced, cooperating, waiting for the cuffs to be applied.

“Okay,” the guard said.

My hands were pushed again, and I went to step forward. Before I could, I felt a fist in my hair, yanking my head back. My skull banged off the bars as lips neared my ear between the bars.

“You best be good, dragon, or I will make you regret it,” the sallow-skinned demon whispered. His grip on my hair tightened, and he shook it a little before releasing me.

“Get ’em out and lead ’em up,” Govam yelled over the crowd.

“Back up to us, dragon,” my guard said, three of them waiting on the other side of the door. “Back up—what’s the deal with that sword, captain? Can we leave it here or what?”

“Govam said she’s supposed to keep it—the king’s orders.” The sallow-skinned demon looked at my hip, indecision in his eyes. “She doesn’t know how to use it, I guess. She hasn’t ever reached for it. The demon king isn’t worried about her having it.”

The guard in front of me furrowed his brow in consternation, clearly not convinced. “Since when does one of these dragons not know how to use a sword? I’ve heard most of them are proficient.”

“Come on, let’s go.” The new captain looked toward Govam, who had Micah out of the cell, surrounded by guards. They started him toward the stairs, working around the other guards extracting dragons or still trying to subdue Vemar.