Her ass smacked onto the cold, hard ground and Bandit let out a mewling sound. Techno music blared in the background, adding to the disorienting stars exploding in front of her. She growled, waiting for the world to stop spinning before attempting to sit up. Pulling herself to an upright position, she ignored her protesting muscles. We were still mortal after all, and that wasn’t a short fall. Bandit clung to her chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck like he was hanging on for dear life. He probably was.

The ceiling had to be a good twelve feet or more above us. She glanced around the room, taking note of the pool table to our side and sheer number of…men. Human men. Many of which seemed to have better dance moves than me.

After observing the shadowed corners, she quickly got to her feet, turning to look for Eugene. He stood a few feet behind her, cloaked by glamor to look like a beautiful dark-skinned man with long, luscious hair. I wanted to ask why he chose that particular look, but the beast didn’t give a shit. She just wanted a way out of here.

“C’mon. I know a back door.” He jerked his head to the hallway cloaked in shadow. While it was the ideal place for Rysten or Julian to grab her, it was less obvious than the front door. They turned and headed for the dark hallway, ignoring the catcalls some of the men made as she walked by.

“Hey, sweet thang,” someone rumbled behind her. She turned her head, hand curled inward just itching to have another castrating session—something I didn’t agree with down here unless someone made a move. But the dimpled man wasn’t looking at her...

Eugene flushed a purple hue beneath his glamor, tipped his chin and kept on walking.

At the end of the corridor, a metal door opened up into an alley with a screech, slamming shut behind her with an audible click.

Outside, the night was chilly, pleasantly so. She trailed after Eugene, ignoring his odd behavior as they made their way through the darker parts of New Orleans that tourists didn’t go to. Here you only walked around outside if you were brave, stupid, or a demon. Those labels weren’t mutually exclusive.

After stumbling on the uneven pavement for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night, the beast paused and tore off the seven-inch hooker heels we’d been wearing for days. I was already tall, and while I wouldn’t consider myself uncoordinated, I didn’t exactly wear heels if I had any other choice, and that was in the best possible conditions. Certainly not on these terribly maintained streets. The beast must have shared that sentiment since she ripped them off her feet and chucked them down an alley. Eugene paused at the end of the street and didn’t comment when she caught up. It was smart of him. Good survival instincts.

We walked another five minutes in the stifling silence before a creeping feeling had the hairs along the back of our neck prickling. She stopped walking.

“Everything alright?” Eugene asked, concern edging his voice.

The beast watched him for a hard moment before turning her gaze to the decrepit buildings. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but still she stared a few seconds longer at the darkest of the shadows.

A distinct feeling of unease filled us, and the urge to run.

But there was nothing there.

She turned to continue walking when she saw it.

The thing moved like darkness, absorbing all light that it touched. Its eyes were the color of lava, red and angry. Molten with rage. Animalistic fury.

My mind formed what her mouth would not.

Hellhound.

The thing raised its head, snarling a breath across the twenty meters that separated us. It smelled like fire and ash. Death and decay.

But did the beast run?

No, she fucking didn’t.

She stared at it like an equal, not even willing to lower her eyes. Bandit arched his back and let out a hiss, like that was going to scare the damn thing off. I could have sworn the hellhound tilted its head and let out a low growl. A sharp whistle cut through the air, and the hound sat back on its haunches. Each of its four legs alone had to be ten feet tall. The head was the size of my old VW bug, with a pointed snout and ears that sat straight up like a Doberman.

“Eugene!” a man called out of the shadows. “Well, if it isn’t Eugene McGee.”

No, not a man: a demon. For the second time in my life, I saw a rubrum. Tall and imposing. He stood a good eight feet tall with skin so dark it looked purple. Humans weren’t the only thing he had slayed, and his soul didn’t reek of pain.

“Creag Le Dan Bia,” Eugene answered in return.

The beast turned, taking in the way his mouth twisted at the sight of the other rubrum. The light in his chest turned from a soft kind of pink to a dark red. His breathing hitched, and his muscles tightened.

“What did I tell you would happen if I ever saw your worthless hide in my territory again, boy?” Eugene blanched, and the beast’s brows furrowed.

“That I’d be dog food,” Eugene replied. The other rubrum threw his head back and let out a raucous laugh. Behind him, two other demons stepped out of the shadows.

“And yet, you’re dumb enough to show your face here again after what you did?” the larger male egged him on, casually crossing the distance between us and them.

“We’re just passing through,” Eugene said, but his voice lacked conviction. He knew no matter what he said, these assholes weren’t leaving. Not with him in one piece. It had me curious to know what happened here, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Like us not dying.

“We?” Creag asked. “You’re telling me this lovely specimen is with you?” His eyes turned to us and there was a dark glint, filled with lust and violence. His shirtless chest puffed up a little bit as he took a step towards us, the bulge in his jeans growing.

Oh hell-to-the-fucking-no.

“You better know how to get us out of this,” I told the beast.

“He won’t touch us.”

Of that, she was completely sure. It did little for my confidence in her when the big ass hell dog turned his eyes to us again. He sniffed the air, and I had a feeling Eugene might become dog chow if we didn’t find a way out of here fast.

“Leave her out of this,” Eugene spat. At the mention of me, he came forward and tried to put himself between Creag and the beast. She rolled her eyes at the overdramatic nature of it all.

“I don’t think the female is much impressed by you,” the purple rubrum mused. “Maybe she needs a real demon to show her a good time—”

“Why is it,” the beast began, “that males always think with the head between their legs and not with the one on their shoulders?”

Eugene didn’t react, but the other male stiffened. Only when they were feet apart could I tell that the purple rubrum was a good six inches taller. Great.

“Feisty, that one,” Creag said. “I like it when they fight back. Makes their flesh taste all the sweeter after they’re chained to my bed.”

Holy fuck. This dude was nuts. Totally whacko.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Being chained to a bed had my imagination running to all kinds of places…so long as it was with one of my mates.

But this dude got his kicks from violence and torture.

Well, little did he know the beast also liked those things.

Just probably not in the same scenarios he imagined.

“Get out of here, Ruby,” Eugene said. His tone was pleading, but he should have known by now that the beast tolerated commands from no one. “Creag, your fight is with me, not—”

“You both talk too much.”

The beast whipped her head in the direction where the voice came from.

Moira stepped out of the shadows, her beautiful blue wings tucked in tight behind her. She was dressed in dark leggings and a ripped tank top made to accommodate her new form. Her boots weren’t the most practical of choices. They had a three-inch heel, albeit chunky. My best friend’s swagger was undeniable, but even the beast could feel her hidden anxiety.

“Getting she-demons to fight your battles for you now, Eugene?” big-ugly said. The beast chafed at his arrogance. She was going to knock him down a foot or three.

“Hey, asshole,” Moira called out as she strode forward. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling it back tight so that even in the low lamplight, you could see the mark there. The mark of Cain. “I’m not just any she-demon, fuckface. I’m the devil-damned legion, and you are going to regret messing with the Queen of Hell’s errand boy.”

Oh no. She did not just introduce herself as…fucking hell.

Only Moira would go off touting her new title and mine. Oh, we were going to have words when I got my body back. Me and her, and the beast, and the Horsemen, and even Bandit for good measure, given that the little asshole was growling at the hell monster like he would stand a chance.

Creag Le Dan Bia turned his eyes to her, and what I saw there…it was enough to set the beast off. Envy. Lust. Greed. Violence. He took every inch of my best friend in like she was a feast to be enjoyed.

“Turn and leave now, or your life is forfeit,” the beast growled, and it was his only warning.

The large male looked between Moira, the beast, and Eugene, calculating his next move. He lifted his hands in surrender and slowly backed away, one step at a time.

“I hadn’t realized who I was dealing with,” Creag said.

This rubrum was smarter than Eugene. Maybe that’s why he set the beast on edge. Or maybe, it’s because she saw a flash of metal as Creag turned to leave. His large arm reached around his back and grasped the handle of what I could only presume was some kind of knife. He twisted as he pulled the blade from its sheath at his back and turned to throw it straight for Eugene—but Eugene beat him to punch.

A dagger protruded from Creag’s chest as his skin cracked, very similar to when I killed someone from the inside out using the flames. Except the light appearing in those crevices was not blue, but red. He screamed in anguish, falling to his knees and the dagger stuck in his chest began to glow.

The beast watched, not feeling all that inclined to intervene when his body exploded and ash rained down on them. At the same moment, a flash of red appeared where Eugene was standing, and then he was gone.

“How the fu—”

“Le Dan Bia will be hearing about this,” one of the two remaining demons said. He snapped his fingers and the hellhound let out a cry of pain, its collar suddenly extending spikes into its neck. The two henchmen backed into the shadows as the hellhound reluctantly melded into the night. His molten eyes seemed to give off hurt and sorrow, not all that dissimilar to Eugene when we’d first met him.

“You care to explain what the hell just happened?” Moira demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. The beast ignored her question, instead choosing to answer with a question of her own.

“How did you find me?”

“I’m resourceful,” Moira replied. The beast was not amused.

“How did you find me?” she repeated.

Moira rolled her eyes. “I’m your familiar and now I’m a full-blown demon. Seems one of my badass powers is knowing where your ass is at all times.”

So, she could track me. That was good to know.

“Why are you here?”

“To join you. Obviously,” she answered with the same bored expression and flippant attitude despite the scene before us. The beast eyed her for a moment.

“Are the Horsemen following you?”

Moira grinned savagely. “Why? Do you want them to?”

Her prodding wasn’t doing anything for her chances here. Especially when Bandit doubled over on the beast’s shoulder, making a deep, choking sound. Seriously…was he laughing? I wondered if he was going to fall off, but he sprawled his body around the back of her neck and sighed his annoyance with her.

After watching Bandit’s little display, Moira rolled her eyes again and said, “Doubtful, but possible. Those four have a rather one-track mind, and they are much more concerned with getting you back.” This pleased the beast. “Although you wouldn’t know it with how shit they are at doing it,” Moira muttered at the end.

“I assume you helped them find me at The Devil’s Dancers,” the beast continued, although most of her attention was focused on the scene before her. A glowing dagger Eugene had thrown. A demon that was killed instantly. A body, and a missing person. But what to make of it?

“Yes, but again, the feckless foursome suck at their job. I ditched them to find you.”

The beast nodded. “Do they know you’re with me?” she asked and walked forward to where the knife lay. The blade couldn’t have been longer than a foot and the handle was some sort of dark material, covered in glowing red marks and wrapped tightly in place.

“By now? Probably. Without me as their guide, it’s doubtful they’ll find us anytime soon, though.” That was what she wanted to know.

“So, who was the red bloke and why did they want to kill him?” Moira asked, coming to stand beside her as the beast crouched down to better examine the knife.

“His name was Eugene McGee. I don’t know why they wished to kill him.”

We didn’t know, but if Le Dan Bia was after him…

They were the biggest clan on the North American continent. Tasked with maintaining and guarding the portal, they ran this town and everyone in it. Eugene must have pissed them off somehow, but now one of their own was dead, and Moira and I were part of it.

Fuck…

“Do you know where he went?” she asked.

The beast didn’t want to answer. No. Not a fucking clue. We didn’t know much of anything about this or what went down here tonight, and what we saw…it didn’t make sense.

“We should call the Horsemen in,” Moira said.

The beast let out a growl. The last thing we needed was them thinking we couldn’t handle our own problems. They’d just lock us up again.

“Ruby—”

“I am not Ruby,” the beast snarled. She didn’t correct Eugene because he needed something to call her. Moira knew better. Our tether, she may be, but that didn’t excuse her from the beast’s rage.

“Fine. Beast—bitch—cuntmorphon—whatever you want to be called. I say we grab the dagger and—”

Moira reached down and grabbed the handle.

Bandit let out a screech.

Then the world exploded in color.