Demons Amongst Us (The Book of Demons Saga #2) Read online

  “Ashdad is your father?” Balthazar questioned, wanting to confirm his suspicions. He would no doubt need time to adjust to this world, but his top priority was Alexandra, and he had to know that she was in good hands that he could trust.

  “You met him then,” Pani said with a smile. It was obvious she loved her father by the way her face lit up at the mention of him. “I guess that would make me your aunt.”

  “Half aunt,” Balthazar corrected her. He knew he could trust his grandsire, but he had never met a half-breed of anything and he wasn’t sure he could trust her. “Is he here?”

  “He did not return,” Pani said, a hint of sadness in her blue eyes. “I knew he might not. Do you know if he is alright?”

  “I do not,” Balthazar said. The last thing he remembered was being held by the Magi and that pathetic excuse for a demon, Aelek. It didn’t look good for his grandsire, Ashdad, but Balthazar didn’t want to tell Pani that her father was likely dead. He knew the sadness that accompanied loosing a father too soon.

  “Well,” Pani said, perking up with forced enthusiasm. “Father has a way of turning things around. I’ll go get that food.”

  “I must see the girl, now,” Balthazar said, stopping her again.

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible right now,” Pani said, her eyes scanning his figure. She had dressed him in some of her father’s old clothes. They were a little baggy, but otherwise inconspicuous. Everything else about him was a completely different story though. The ever so slightly pointed tips of his ears stood out from his stark black, shoulder length hair, and his blue grey eyes were animalistic and calculating. One look at him would draw a lot of attention that they did not need right now.

  “I am afraid,” Balthazar said, his eyes narrowing as he advanced on Pani, attempting to intimidate her, “I do not take no for an answer.”

  “Well, aren’t you a spoiled one,” Pani said, turning on her heels, flipping a strand of black hair over her shoulder. Unfortunately for him, she was use to her father’s tantrums, and she wasn’t the least bit afraid of him. “You try going outside looking like that, and you’ll likely be shot. People aren’t used to demons around here.”

  Balthazar wanted to growl in irritation. Again, he realized she was probably right. He hated to admit that he was ever at a disadvantage, but he knew, at least for the moment, he was. He didn’t know this world, and he did not want to risk putting Alexandra in any danger. He would have to rely on Pani to help him. He would make sure that Alexandra was safe, and then he would return to his home. Without her.

  The thought hurt him in a way that was so intense but so foreign to him. Why did he cared so much about her, he didn’t know. He just knew that he didn’t want her to be put in harm’s way. That’s exactly where she would be if he brought her back with him. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn’t have her. The threats of his world still existed. Even if he could protect her from all of them, he would not risk it. Could not risk her life. It was too precious to him now. He knew what he had to do, and he hated it with every ounce of his being.

  Pani had no intentions of letting Balthazar anywhere near Alexandra. He had already caused too much of a threat through the bond he stupidly formed with her. Pani wanted to grunt in disgust at the whole thing. Sure, her parents were mixed. But her mother was not what Alexandra was. She knew Balthazar may not realize what he had done, but she still hated him for it. She would play nice to his face, but her main objective was to keep him away from Alexandra. She had to make sure the bond was severed before she sent Balthazar back to her father.

  Chapter Five

  “I knew it,” Alex said with a toothy grin on her face as she plopped a rather large book in Sam’s lap.

  “What’s this?” he asked, barely even glancing at it before tossing it on the couch next to him.

  “That,” Alex said, picking the book up and handing it back to Sam, “is the proof I have been searching for.”

  “I thought we agreed you were going to stop this,” Sam said, his voice harsh as he glared at her. It made Alex hurt to see him like that. He had never had a temper of any kind before this. Now he was so easy to push over the edge.

  “Sam,” Alex said, trying to calm him, “I’m telling you. Just look. Please.”

  “Fine,” Sam said with a hard sigh, “this is the last time. I mean it. After this, drop it.”

  “After this,” she said, sitting down next to him and opening the book to an earmarked page, “I think you’ll believe me.”

  “Where did you get this?” Sam asked. It looked like a very old book, now that he took a moment to look at it. The pages were made of an odd material, thicker than normal paper, and yellowed with age.

  “Did you know there is a magic store across from Golden Panda?” Alex said. Sam wanted to roll his eyes.

  “This was expensive, wasn’t it?” he asked. He knew his friend. She could be suckered into spending her money on just about anything by the right person. This book was probably a prime example of that.

  “That’s not important,” she said, brushing off his concern. Of course, it only confirmed Sam’s suspicions. “Take a look at this.”

  “Alex,” Sam stopped her. “Why do you want this so badly? What could you possibly find good about that place?”

  For a moment Alex was quiet, staring back at Sam. There was only one thing that came to her mind. There were many things about that place she had found that she missed, but there was only one thing that had an iron grip on her heart. A stubborn, self-centered, handsome, dashing demon lord that had stolen her heart. But how could she explain that to Sam. To Sam, who was not supposed to believe any of this.

  “You do remember,” Alex said softly, a mixture of relief and betrayal in her voice.

  “I can’t Alex,” Sam said, shaking his head, his jaw clenched tight to force the sting away. “I just can’t remember. And I need you to understand that.”

  “I can’t imagine what things they must have done to you,” Alex said, “but I don’t think we have seen the last of them. We need to be prepared if they decide to return.”

  #

  It had been a long day, but Alex was pleased with the outcome. She had finally gotten through to Sam. He had broken down and cried like Alex had never seen before. He still would not talk about what exactly the Magi had done to him, only to say that it was too horrible to recall. She could give him that, as long as he wasn’t in denial about the whole event anymore.

  Alex stood from the little window bench in her bedroom that had become her nightly perch, opening the window a crack and crawling into bed. Tomorrow would be another long day, but she was looking forward to it. Now she had Sam on board, and she had a starting point to get back. She never got around to showing Sam what she had actually found in those aged pages. But she would show him in the morning. A smile crossed her face. A hopeful smile that she hadn’t experienced for a long time. She closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts to turn to the demon she loved. The one she only saw in her dreams. Her cheeks flushed with a sudden heat and she kicked the covers off, sitting up in her bed. She had been planning to get a glass of water, but the sight that met her eyes froze her in place.

  “Did you think I would let you escape me so easily, girl?” a statuesque figure stood in her window, the moonlight spilling over his shoulders and casting his face in darkness. But Alex knew exactly who it was.

  “Balthazar,” Alex whispered, as if speaking any louder would wake her from a dream. The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly as he stepped closer to her bed.

  “You are mine,” he said, “Wherever you go I will find you.”

  A broad smile spread across her face. This was no dream. Her demon lover was standing before her. She jumped up from the bed, flinging her arms around his neck, and catching him completely off guard. He stumbled backwards, trying to regain his balance from the assault.

  “I know you will,” she said, pulling back to look up at him.

  Chapter
Six

  “I see you are still severely lacking in manners,” Balthazar said. His voice was more teasing than chastising. Alex narrowed her eyes at him, attempting very unsuccessfully to intimidate him. She pulled away from him, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned her back to him.

  “Well you’re the one that just shows up, unannounced, in my bedroom in the middle of the night,” she huffed. Her momentary joy at seeing him was completely overshadowed by the reminder of just how cocky he was, and how much it irritated her.

  “I believe you are guilty of that as well,” he said, the tease still in his voice. He enjoyed toying with her. She could never beat him, but he loved to watch her try. She gave him the challenge that he had unknowingly longed for his whole life.

  “Why are you here?” Alex asked, trying her best to feign anger. “Did you come just to fight with me?”

  “Fighting is not exactly what I had in mind,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. Alex tried to struggle against his hold, but it was no use. She had wanted for so long to feel his arms around her again. Now that they were, she wasn’t going to give that up.

  “And what did you have in mind?” she asked, still playing mad. She turned around in his arms to look up into his smirking face.

  “Oh,” she said softly, blushing as she realized he was here because he felt the same way about her. His eyebrows wiggled, almost imperceptibly, upward. The gesture seemed so absurd and removed from his usual icy demeanor that she couldn’t stop herself from giggling.

  “Oh,” she said again as that realization sank in fully. She pulled away with an indignant gasp. “As if.”

  He chuckled at her, a deep bubbling echo in his chest that made Alexandra’s knees weak. She had never heard the sound come from him before, and she found that she rather liked his newer, more accessible demeanor.

  Although Balthazar would have liked nothing more than to ravage her right then and there, he had come for a far more important reason. He didn’t trust that half breed Pani at all, and he certainly wasn’t going to wait for her approval to see Alexandra. Now that he saw she was safe, he felt immensely better.

  “I came to see you were safe,” Balthazar admitted. His words were genuine, caring, and it struck Alex straight through the heart. She smiled up at him, biting her bottom lip as her stomach flipped with nervous desire. She knew he would pick up on her arousal in an instant, but she didn’t care. She almost wanted him to. She remembered the last private moment they had shared together, back in the land of demons, in a small cave, hidden behind a waterfall. He had given her a pleasure that she didn’t even know existed and it had haunted her ever since. A small smile curled the edges of his lips as his effect on her reached his sensitive nose.

  “You only play coy, I see,” he said, pulling her back in to his embrace. His hand reached for her face and he held her cheek in his hand as he bent to kiss her. His lips were strong and sure as they played with hers, and her arousal rose accordingly. He finally forced himself to pull away from her. He wanted so badly to continue, but now was not the time for such things. His chest swelled with pride when he saw the small pout gracing her lips at the loss of his kiss.

  “We must discuss much more pressing concerns,” Balthazar said softly, still holding her round cheek, his thumb absently rubbing over the delicate skin.

  “Yeah,” Alex said, in a mild daze from the pleasure that a single kiss from him brought. She shook her head, blinking to snap herself out of the haze.

  “You’re right,” she said, her full awareness returning. One look at Balthazar would send a panic through the society she lived in. He didn’t belong here, that was clear for anyone to see. But there was also the problem of the Magi, who were still very much alive, and it was unlikely that they were finished with her. If Balthazar was here, they may be as well.

  “Where have you been all this time?” Alex asked, realizing that he must had been in her world for weeks now. There was a slight pang of jealousy that it had taken him so long to come to her. “What have you been doing all this time?”

  “Has it been long?” Balthazar asked, truly unaware of exactly how long he had been unconscious.

  “It’s been almost three weeks,” she said, looking up at him with concern. It was so unlike Balthazar to be confused about anything.

  “I see,” Balthazar said, his eyes hardening. His thoughts turned to his kingdom. There was no telling the state that it had fallen to in his absence. Things could move so quickly in his world, and it was unlikely his throne would remain empty for long. The fact that he had left Tavi there to take care of things was of very little consolation.

  “Balthazar,” Alex said, looking up at him with concern shining in her eyes, as if she could read the concerns on his emotionless face, “we have to go back.”

  “I agree,” he said, “but I know nothing of this world, much less how to leave it.”

  “Well,” Alex said, a smile spreading across her face, “then it’s a good thing I’ve been doing my homework.”

  She sighed when she got a confused look from Balthazar. Any turn of phrase was lost on the demon lord.

  “What I mean,” she said, doing her best impression of his blank stare and trying to mock his pompous demeanor. “I have performed my duties well in your absence.”

  He couldn’t help the chuckle that rumbled once again in his chest. It was still the most endearing thing Balthazar had ever seen. She was a bundle of mysteries, always finding a new way to surprise him. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her until now.

  “Show me what you have found,” he said, allowing a small smile to grace his regal lips. He was graced with a happy smile as she hopped off to get the book she had been reading from.

  Chapter Seven

  “Are you out of your mind?” Sam nearly screamed at Alex as he leveled a very serious glare at Balthazar. “You want to go back there?”

  Alex opened her mouth, preparing to state her case when Balthazar stepped in.

  “Your experiences were not typical,” Balthazar said calmly, ignoring the daggers that Sam was throwing at him with his eyes. He could understand why the boy was so scared to get back, and he could understand why his anger was directed at him. “It is unfortunate that you were placed in such a situation, but I can assure you, my kingdom does not conduct itself in such a manner.”

  “Right,” Sam scoffed, “and I’m supposed to trust a demon?”

  “No,” Alex interjected, “but you can trust me.”

  Sam turned away from the pair with a roll in his eyes. He wasn’t going to be ganged up on. There was no way either of them could convince him to return to that horrid place. The nightmares he had almost every time he closed his eyes, were bad enough. He had no intention of letting Alex go back either. This demon may have her fooled, but Sam knew Alex was simply too trusting of a person.

  “Sam,” Alex called after him as he began walking away. “Please…”

  Balthazar’s hands on her shoulders stopped her from going after him.

  “Let him go,” he said softly, “he will come around.”

  “I don’t know,” Alex said as she chewed softly on her bottom lip. Balthazar could see the care and concern in her eyes. He could see how much this person meant to her. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “The Maracovian demons are brutal creatures,” Balthazar said, trying to help Alex understand. “It will take time for him to heal from his ordeal.”

  It surprised Alex how sensitive Balthazar was being about the whole situation. She never would have thought he would be on Sam’s side. But the fact that he was made Alex like him even more.

  “What did they do to him?” Alex said, her green eyes shining up at him with sadness.

  “There are many demon races,” Balthazar said, “and they are not all so civilized as my kind. There are four great races. Together, we have ruled over the rest, trying to impose order and civility. But there are some that fall through the cracks, that do not follow the rules
that we have set forth. The Maracovians have always caused upset throughout the kingdoms. They are known for there brutality and disregard for the value of life.”

  “I didn’t realize,” Alex said softly. She had assumed that all demons were like Balthazar and the Devas. She could see now how ignorant it was of her to think so. “All that time…he was there with them. While I was…”

  Balthazar pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He could see the pain, could understand what she wanted to say, though she left it unsaid. He hated to see her upset and wanted to do anything he could to relieve her pain.

  “It is not your fault,” he said, trying to soothe her. “You could not have known.”

  “I just wish…” her words trailed off. There was so much that she wished, but saying it wouldn’t make it so.

  “I will speak with him,” Balthazar said into her thick black hair as he kissed the top of her head. “Perhaps I can get through to him.”

  #

  “You have a strong dislike for me,” Balthazar said, finding Sam sitting alone outside on the front steps of his house. The morning was turning quickly into afternoon. The sun beamed down on them, but there was still a light chill in the air. Winter was coming.

  “Bravo,” Sam said sarcastically, “What a grasp you have on the emotions of others.”

  “If we were in my kingdom, I would rip your throat out for such disrespect,” Balthazar said so casually it frightened Sam. The demon lord took a seat next to Sam.

  “Then why don’t you?” he scoffed, pushing his fear aside. He wouldn’t let this demon get the best of him. He would welcome death. It would give him a respite from the torture that had become his everyday life.