KING OF THE UNDERWORLD (Earthbound Book 1)

I’m back in the same room where I first met Lucien. On the way here, I tried once again to use the mental link to get ahold of my sisters, but it still won’t work. There must be something in the walls here that is preventing me from getting a connection. At least I hope that’s what it is and not something more sinister.

Another of Lucien’s flunkeys is sitting in a chair, watching the security feeds on the monitors. The Fallen Angel is closed tonight, so he’s just observing the employees going about their cleaning duties. Adam ordered me to stay here until Lucien arrived. He murmured a few words to the guy watching the monitors and then left me alone with him.

The guy doesn’t say a word to me. He’s only looked at me once, right after Adam left. He glowered at me for a long moment before turning back around and hasn’t looked at me since. It’s like I’m not even here. I feel like my current situation is only slightly better than the one I just left.

I get the sense he’s not human, but I’m struggling to figure out what kind of Supernatural he is. My aunt once told me about meeting a snake shifter, and I remember her description well. She said they have black beady eyes and pointy noses. She also said they aren’t to be trusted, that they will turn on you the second you turn your back on one. This guy is sending off all kinds of signals telling me not to take my eyes off him and I wonder if he’s a snake shifter.

“Er, excuse me,” I call out to him while waving my hand in his direction, trying to get his attention. He doesn’t even glance up. I briefly wonder if he speaks English, but it seems unlikely that Lucien would hire someone to work security who wouldn’t be able to monitor the audio feeds. “Hey! Do you know how long until your Lord and Master arrives?” I see his eyes flicker in my direction at my question. Awesome. He’s just ignoring me. What a dick.

Whatever. If Lucien doesn’t arrive in the next few minutes, I’m out of here. I’ve wasted enough of my time. Once I get home, we can gather up enough people to help us find Megan. When it first got out that she was missing, we had plenty of volunteers. It was heartwarming to find out there were so many who cared and were willing to help in our time of need. We just hadn’t wanted to risk bringing unwanted attention and putting any of our friends or family at risk. We managed to evade scrutiny for so long, it’s in our nature to avoid it at all costs. We approached Lucien because we wanted to avoid that exact scenario and because we figured that since she disappeared in his club, he would likely be our best chance to get the answers we needed.

Snaky finally answers me, startling me from my thoughts. “He’s on his way, witch.” He spits the last word at me and gives me a look so caustic, I’m relieved he doesn’t have the power to burn me with his eyes. I roll my eyes. Does he really think a dirty look and his disdain for my ancestry is going to intimidate me?

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Do you think I’m insulted from being called what I am? I must admit, I’m not a fan of the way the mainstream depicts my kind. I do prefer enchantress or sorceress, personally.” I give him a saccharine smile and am pleased when his face goes blank. I notice the permanent frown lines on his otherwise youthful looking face. If the man ever dared to smile, his skin would likely shatter.

I feel my witch sit up and take notice of what’s going on. She’s been quiet for a while now, which is odd. She’s generally more forceful than my omega. Sometimes I hear the two of them talking to one another and it still feels strange. One would think I would have gotten used to it by now. When I was younger, I really struggled with sharing my mind with two other beings. Having a human, a witch, and an omega inside one brain can be a bit disorienting. As a child, I was too afraid to call attention to myself by asking any of my family members if they had the same problem, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to accept my reality and maintain control most of the time.

The witch and omega often fight my human for dominance, but I’m usually able to hold them back and only bring them forth when needed. My omega is easier to control, but she’s remarkably strong and her healing powers are unmatched.

The turning of the door handle grabs my attention. Even before it opens, I sense Lucien on the other side.

My intuition is confirmed when he steps inside, the woman from tonsil-hockey exhibition hour standing next to him. She is beautiful. There is no other word for it. In comparison, I feel dowdy and plain, but I’m well aware that beauty is only skin-deep. I stand up straighter and look her dead in the eye. I refuse to show any weakness around her because I know she will exploit it. From a distance earlier, I hadn’t been able to make out details but now, up close, I can see that her eyes are completely devoid of emotion.

I can tell from the disgusted look on her face that she’s taken an instant dislike to me, and I wonder if it’s because Lucien informed her that I’m a witch. I know she’s going to cause problems for me. If I have to show her how powerful I am, I will, but I’d really rather not. I can sense she’s a Demon, but I don’t know what kind or what level of power she holds. I can tell she isn’t as powerful as Lucien, but she’s definitely more powerful than snaky sitting over there watching the monitors. There are several factors that contribute to a Demon’s power, age being one of them. Unfortunately, knowledge about Demon power is a well-guarded secret that few outside the inner circle will ever learn.

She sneers at me before saying, “You’ve been causing trouble, witch.” What is with people using that word as an insult? I merely roll my eyes and turn away from her, looking at Lucien.

He’s bigger than I remembered, but his smell is every bit as delectable and it’s calling to me. “Do you normally let your lackeys talk for you?” I know I shouldn’t have said that, but my petty side has decided to make an appearance. I see his eyes flash red, just the briefest glimpse of his demon, and my witch rejoices. It’s strange, but instead of being afraid, my body flushes with lust, the memories of what happened between us in this very room just a few nights ago flooding my mind. I shake it off just as the woman’s voice pulls my attention from Lucien.

“Why you little…” She trails off and takes a step in my direction, her stunning face contorting in anger. Her demon makes an appearance, and it confirms my suspicions of her beauty being merely skin deep. Her face is a black pit, as though her skin has been burned beyond recognition at some point. Parts of the flesh look like melted wax, causing her features to distort. I shake my head, trying to banish the horrifying sight, but I know it’s one I won’t soon forget.

“Watch your mouth, little witch,” Lucien growls, his shoulders rigid with anger. He places his muscular arm out to stop the woman’s advance. “Aria isn’t my lackey.” He states plainly, stepping toward me as his dark eyes rake over my body, the same fire I saw in them the other night blazing across my skin.

I now know her name, but I have no intention of using it. I stare at his stern expression before dropping my eyes to take in his muscular frame. A shiver runs down my spine as our gazes lock once again. He isn’t the same man who was all over me a few nights ago, despite the similar look in his eyes. He is someone else entirely. I’m facing a man who would take my life as quickly and easily as he would squash a bug beneath his shoe. I school my expression, reminding myself to show no fear.

My witch wants out. She wants to show him where he can shove his intimidation tactics. I can feel her ranting and raging inside of me, making my skin itch. I resist the urge to scratch my arm and use a tiny bit of my power to push her back down. Not far, though. I need her just beneath the surface in case I need to call on her.

I continue staring at him, my face completely blank. I’m over the top pissed off right now, and if he wants a fight, he will get one. Not only did he fail to keep up his end of our agreement, but he brought this woman, this she-demon, with him. I feel my skin heat with rage. He can fuck himself. Knowing I’m going to regret what’s coming, but unable to stop myself, I stride forward and shout, “Fuck you, Demon! Either you have information about my sister, or you don’t. If not, I’m out of here.” My green eyes flash in warning.

“Leaving?” the she-demon butts in, looking me up and down with a smirk. “Oh, you aren’t going anywhere, witch.”

I start laughing the minute the words leave her mouth. She has no idea how powerful I am. “Try. And. Stop. Me.” I say in a voice that is deadly quiet, my stance daring her to do something. My witch eggs me on, wanting me to show them both what we’re capable of. I fight against her, needing to maintain control for now. But if they try to stop me, I will let her loose, and they will regret it.

Seeing the deadly calm inside of me she pauses a moment before shaking off her surprise. “Oh please,” she scoffs, raising an eyebrow as she strides out in front of Lucien, hips swaying. “You don’t have a chance against either of us.”

“Why don’t you try me?” I give her a smile, my rage building to an inferno. I would happily kill the woman standing in front of me and not think twice about it.

She turns to Lucien. “Lucien, I think we need to put this little witch in her place,” she says, leaning her body into his and running her hands up his chest. “We could have a lot of fun with her before we drain her of her powers.” She gives a maniacal laugh before turning her face towards me and running her tongue over her bottom lip. “Although… to look at her, I don’t think there’s much to take.”

My skin crawls. She-demon is clearly deranged. She might be beautiful, but her mind is broken. If this is the type of woman he finds attractive, I’m insulted he showed interest in me.

I can feel his calculated gaze locked on my face as though burning a hole to try to see my thoughts. I never should have trusted him; dreams and visions be damned. I lock eyes with him, letting him see the betrayal and fury inside of me. He shows no signs of recognition, he merely stares at me, waiting for my next move.

Eyebrow cocked, I warn him, “If you like your little… girlfriend, you may want to control her. I can’t be held accountable otherwise. Now. You either have information about my sister or you don’t. Which is it?” I demand.

I can feel the she-demon shredding my flesh with her eyes, but I fight the urge to look at her, even as I see Lucien clamp his hand down on her wrist to stop her from retaliating. I refuse to give her any power over me.

“I do have information on your sister,” he says with a smile that sets my teeth on edge. He walks further into the room, his hand still wrapped around her wrist. I can feel in my bones that he’s leading up to something. “It’s not as much as I was hoping for, but I think it will bring you closer to finding out what happened to her.”

“Sister?” She-demon cuts in. “We’re doing deals with witches now, are we?” She asks with a sneer.

“Yes,” Lucien replies in a clipped, impersonal tone, his hand snagging her wrist to stop her from stroking down his chest to his belt.

“We?” I question, tearing my gaze away. I have no desire to watch her fondle him. I pray that she doesn’t mean what it sounds like she means.

“Of course,” she purrs, “after all, we are… what you’d call husband and wife, and we do everything together.” She finishes dropping the bomb and runs her free hand up to cup his neck as she leans in and presses her lips to his cheek, staking her claim. Her eyes are locked on me as though to gauge my reaction to her words.

I stand there in shocked silence, waiting for him to deny it. I’m appalled when he says nothing. I cringe when I realize what she’s suggesting. She is in for a nasty surprise if she thinks she can lay one finger on me. I don’t care what or who they share, I will not be participating in their games. If Lucien wants to share lovers with her, so be it, but I will not be one of them.

“I don’t give a damn whether you’re his wife, girlfriend, or just his little pet. My deal is with him, not with you,” I inform her through clenched teeth, feeling my nails bite into my palms from clenching my fists too tightly. “Lucien and I had an agreement, and you have no part of it.”

What a bloody mess. None of our research on Lucien had turned up any indication of a serious relationship. I tell myself that is the reason I feel so shaken, but the truth is, even though I know he has no responsibility to me, I feel betrayed. I take a calming breath, trying to calm the rage building in my chest. I need to corral my emotions, or my witch will take over.

I can feel her, eager to take the wheel and looking for any excuse to do so. She’s hoping the she-demon attacks me and gives her the opportunity to strike back. Though I’m terrified of my current situation, because of the witch inside of me, I feel eager, excited even, to take her on. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. Despite my witch’s frenzied state, my omega is just sitting quietly, observing all the action.

Lifting my head and pushing my shoulders back, I lock eyes with Lucien. Taking a deep breath before speaking, I unemotionally state, “We had a deal. If you try to change the terms, the deal will be null and void.”

I wonder if I’m imagining the flash of red in his eyes, it is gone so quickly. “I have no intention of changing the terms,” he grates out. He’s pissed. He clearly isn’t accustomed to being questioned. “I don’t renege on my deals. It’s bad for business.”

Her whiny voice rings in my ears and I wince. “Lucien! You will not cut me out of this deal you made. Surely you don’t intend to take orders from this… this witch!” Her hands desperately grip at him, trying to gain his attention.

He looks down at her and the look on his face is loving but looks insincere. “I’m so sorry, my beloved. I’m not happy about it either, but she’s right. I did make a deal with her, and you were not present. I cannot go back on the terms of the deal without sending the message that my word is not to be trusted.” He pulls her into his arms and lays a kiss upon her forehead.

My eyes nearly roll back into my head of their own volition. I’m relieved he intends to keep our deal between the two of us but disgusted by their interaction. She seems utterly unhinged. I don’t know what exactly is wrong with her, but something is clearly broken inside of her.

I open my up powers slightly, not wanting to draw attention to myself but wanting to view her aura. Her colors are intense, but muddy, showing how unstable she is. My suspicions are confirmed and I’m not happy about it. No, her instability makes her even more dangerous than I could have anticipated.

Tired of witnessing their little scene, I cut in. “If you two lovebirds are quite finished, I would like to get on with finding out what happened to my sister.”

Lucien cuts his attention to me and with an emotionless voice he informs me, “A soul keeper took your sister.” A shiver runs down my spine and I try to hide it. His black eyes narrow and I know he caught my reaction.

“Soul keeper?” I ask, my voice cracking. A panic unlike any I’ve ever experienced fills every crevice of my mind. I’ve heard of soul keepers. While they aren’t as bad as soul eaters, they aren’t exactly puppies and rainbows, either.

Soul keepers suck out their victim’s souls and hold them for their pleasure. I’ve heard that when they have the soul, the body wanders around lost and in a trance until, if they’re lucky, the soul is returned to their body.

“Does that mean they took her soul?” I ask as I begin pacing, my mind whirling with everything I’ve ever learned about soul keepers. If her soul has been taken, that means all three, human, witch, and omega, are likely inside of this soul keeper. This is bad. So fucking bad.

“From what I’ve learned so far, no, it doesn’t seem her soul has been taken. You’re lucky. It seems the soul keeper was some kind of bounty hunter.”

I stop pacing and look at him, shocked. “So… they were paid to kidnap her? And how exactly is that lucky?”

“It means that whoever wanted her doesn’t want her soul taken from her body. At least not yet. For now, they want her whole. They want her alive.” He gives a half laugh before continuing, “And that makes it easier for me and my men to find her. It could have been much worse. If she were already dead or had her soul been taken, we may never have found her. It seems the soul keeper hires himself out to anyone willing to pay his price. He offers all kinds of services. Soul sucking, kidnapping, murder… Kidnapping gives him the least amount of satisfaction, so he charges the most for it. Whoever wanted your sister must have a great deal of money and a great deal of incentive to get their hands on her.”

“Do you know who hired him? Or where to find the soul keeper?” I take a step closer to him, hoping he has the answers.

“That’s where we are stuck at the moment. It seems he has vanished.” A look of frustration crosses his face and I’m surprised that he cares enough for it to show.

“Nobody can just vanish. That’s impossible.” I mutter to myself, trying to figure this out. The feeling of hope I felt when he told me he knew who took her is gone and has been replaced by cold, hard dread.

He must think I’m talking to him, because he responds. “Nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough. Either this soul keeper got spooked and ran, or whoever hired him made him disappear.”

“You think the soul keeper is dead?” I ask, desperately hoping I’m wrong. Finding the creature who took her would be the best lead in finding Megan.

“I don’t know.” His expression darkens with the words, and I can see that not knowing things is an uncomfortable anomaly for him. “We haven’t been able to find him, so that is what I suspect, but I can’t say for sure. I was hoping that once I found him, I could get answers as to who wanted your sister so badly. And why.” He eyes me curiously, as though he thinks I have the answers to those questions and confirms that with his next question. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Why would someone want your sister so badly?”

I shrug. I see no problem giving him the truth. Part of it anyway. “You know we are witches. You knew what I was the moment you saw me. As you likely suspected, my sisters are witches as well. We don’t live far from here,” I admit, deliberately omitting mention of omegas, desperately hoping that part of our secret hasn’t been discovered by anyone.

“A whole family of witches!?” the she-demon screeches, causing me to hunch my shoulders in an effort to protect my ears. Fuck. For a few minutes, I actually forgot she was in the room. She points her bony finger at me and yells, “We have a whole family of witches on our doorstep! Lucien, you must do something. You cannot help these… these things. No matter what deal you’ve made with this one,” she spits in my direction, “you need to get rid of them. All of them.”

I look at the woman standing next to the first man I’ve ever wanted. And yes, despite how stupid and insane it is, I still want him.

“In case you’ve forgotten, you have no part in any of this,” I remind her, staring at Lucien to try and measure his reaction as I direct my next words at him. “And my family has been here a hell of a long time. We chose not to make ourselves known and have never caused any problems for you.”

“Don’t talk to me like that!! And don’t look at him!” She screams at me, her face turning crimson with rage. Does she see my attraction for him? I’m doing everything I can to fight it, but maybe she can sense something. “You. Are. Nothing.” She spits at me. Her entire body is quivering with uncontrollable anger. “Remember who you are speaking to, witch. I could kill you with just a flick of my finger.” She sneers, demonstrating her point by flicking her fingers.

I take a deep breath and push my fear down. I just have to hope Lucien will step in if she tries to attack me. She isn’t worth my time or energy, but it’s more obvious with each minute that passes in her presence, that she is completely off her rocker. Crazy people are dangerous. I know I will have to watch my back from here on out and that my family will need to be warned as well. If I know anything at all about Lucien, he’s peeved that there have been witches under his nose for years and he hadn’t a clue. Hopefully he will realize that if we’d meant him harm, it would have come his way long before now. We keep to ourselves and have full control over the witch side of us. Even still, my family will need to be informed that we could have a serious problem on our hands.

Sadly, witches don’t have the best history. Our ancestors were unable to control their darker nature, and things had gotten so bad that the entire human and Natural worlds turned against them. It wasn’t until they were all nearly wiped out that one coven, the one my family belongs to, decided it was time to learn control in order to save themselves. It took generations of living in total seclusion before we were able to rein in our nature and were finally able to blend into regular society.

This story is unknown outside of my coven, however, and the world would want us gone if they knew of our existence. They wouldn’t ask questions or wait to find out the truth. We would be obliterated. Something has to change, but I don’t know what.

All I know is that Megan is missing, and I can’t bear to think she might no longer be with us. I would know, right? She is my sister, after all. I need to stop my grim thoughts; they will hinder my efforts to find Megan. I pull my focus back to the present and observe Lucien attempting to calm the psycho she-demon. It briefly crosses my mind that she could have witch ancestry. I think back to the stories I’ve read of my ancestors and her behavior strikes a chord. I can sense her demon, but is it possible she has Pure Witch blood as well?

If so, I may have taken on more than I bargained for.