Dallas Fire & Rescue: Consumed Read online

  She needed to gather her thoughts and figure out a way out of this mess. She wanted to go home and get away from this place. Ending up in hell was not good. For anyone. Like, at all. She was finally starting to feel better, and she had a feeling she would need to address the demon in the room. Pun, so intended.

  “Hey, big guy.”

  Bael had his back to her but turned at the sound of his name.

  “So, are you really my neighbor?”

  “I was, yes.”

  “And you were sent to kill me?”

  “I was sent to observe you, and if you got out of line, then, yes, I was instructed to kill you.”

  “Well, don’t hold anything back on my account.”

  His head tilted to the side at her words. He studied her, and she didn’t know if he was checking her out or not. Regardless, it made her very uncomfortable.

  “I’m not holding anything back on your account.”

  Rolling her eyes, Abrihet tried to sit up but failed. She was still too messed up to do anything.

  “I meant–” She huffed out an agitated breath. “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand. Let’s try something simple. How do I get out of this place?”

  He took a step toward the bed. “You will not leave me, Luxa.” He reached out a hand, almost as if he were going to caress her face and then thought better of it. Good. She didn’t want him touching her. Ever.

  Bael turned, and Abrihet watched as he roared in a language she didn’t understand, the only word she caught was Karaliene. Three women appeared by the door. One held a towel, another clothing, and a third held a small basin.

  “They will wash you, clothe you, and I shall present you to Braxus.” Bael stood over her as she lay on the bed and took her chin roughly between his thumb and index finger. “Do not think to leave here, you will find that others are not as accommodating as I am. You are the queen of light, Luxanna Karaliene, and will act accordingly.”

  “I don’t even know what that means.”

  “You will.”

  The women rushed forward as he barked orders at them. One helped her to stand and assisted her into a large tub against the wall while another poured warm water on her body; only it didn’t look like water. It was milky white but smelled like vanilla and lilac. She wasn’t going to argue because she currently smelled like smoke and blood. The women worked quickly. And within moments, she was dried and dressed. Even her hair was fashioned. She didn’t have a mirror, so Abrihet had no idea what she looked like, but she smelled great.

  When the women were finished, they hurried out of the room, leaving her alone once again with the demon, Bael. She sat on the bed. Barely. She’d had the women’s help earlier, but she still wasn’t at a hundred percent.

  “Can you stand on your own?” Bael asked.

  “I can try, but I can’t promise anything. That asshole brother of yours really did a number on me.”

  “Too bad, my father wishes to see you now. If I have to carry you, it won’t look good. Weakness is not tolerated in any form here.”

  “Your brother is weak, yet he’s tolerated.”

  Bael smiled. His grin was wide, and if it weren’t for the fact that she knew him to be a demon, she might have thought his smile beautiful. But she wasn’t going to think about that. She was a prisoner here. Held against her will.

  “You are very perceptive, Luxa.”

  And if he didn’t stop calling her that, she was going to smash his face in. A lot of good that will do. Be smart.

  “I’d like to think so.”

  Abrihet tried to stand and found that she could. Her legs were still a bit wobbly, but she wasn’t going to complain. If weakness was frowned upon, she wasn’t about to show them any. At least now she had clothes. They’d put her in some sort of a tunic that draped over her right shoulder, and then under her left arm. It was a soft, creamy yellow color that got darker and darker until it ended as a deep warm brown above her feet. Ombre she thought it was called. At least they have style she thought as she stood straighter, letting Bael know she was ready to meet his father.

  “You are to walk beside me as a Karaliene should. Do not cast your eyes down, keep your head up, and whatever you do, show no fear.”

  Right.

  Eyes up.

  No fear.

  She could handle that, no problem.

  Chapter 5

  Braxus was more animal than man. Skin the color of obsidian, he sat slightly hunched over on his throne of fire. His hooved feet spread apart as he rested an elbow on one knee. In the other hand, he held a long staff made of bone with a blue sapphire set in the top covered by blue flames. Both his horns and facial hair were gold. His beard spiraled between his legs in a heavy braid that rested on the dirt floor and tied off on the end by a leather strap. He hadn’t looked up yet, as if something on the ground were more fascinating than their approach.

  Their journey to Braxus’s throne room had been quite the eye-opener for Abrihet. Other demons stared and pointed in her direction. They whispered in the same language Bael had spoken to the women who’d bathed and clothed her. But the one thing she noticed as she and Bael passed was that they bowed. Even if they whispered, they all dropped to their knees, forehead to the floor.

  “You are not to speak unless he addresses you directly,” Bael warned.

  Abrihet didn’t acknowledge Bael, hoping he’d take her silence as an answer. She stood beside him. It was something he’d said she must do at all times. She didn’t question it. She wasn’t Dorothy, and they most definitely were not in Kansas anymore. By way of Texas, of course.

  “Father, I have brought the girl.”

  Braxus let out a deep breath, and black smoke expelled from his nostrils. His head snapped up, and Abrihet’s gaze collided with his brilliant blue orbs alight with flames.

  “You truly believe she is the Luxanna Karaliene?” His voice was congested and deep. When he spoke, his words bounced off the walls and filled the room they stood in.

  “Yes. I do.”

  Braxus’s stare was scathing; it sent chills all down her spine. His lips moved as if he were going to speak to her but then thought better of it.

  “You are willing to bed her, sire offspring with her?”

  Abrihet’s eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way she’d heard what she thought she heard. “Excuse me?”

  Braxus stood, his animosity towards her evident as he descended his throne.

  “You will not speak. You are not Luxanna Karaliene yet. What you are” —he pointed the staff in her face, the flame from the fire hot against her skin” —remains to be seen, Nefas. My son thinks you are the light. Yet I see no inner flame. Your soul is weak. But as heir to the throne, you will be given to him, even if I feel your position here is merely temporary.”

  No way. She was not going to sleep with a demon. This could not be happening. Wouldn’t happen. Not in the slightest. She was leaving.

  “Take her, bed her if you must. She is your responsibility. But you know what is expected, Bael. If she is Luxanna Karaliene, you will consummate your bonding and ascend the throne.”

  “I am committed to my duties, my people, and to my reign,” Bael said before taking Abrihet—somewhat harshly—by the arm and dragging her out of the room.

  XXX

  Abrihet was going to have to adjust, and quickly. Bael knew Terran women liked to be courted. They wanted things. Gifts and such. I’ll present her with a gift. That was what he’d do. That would win her over. He’d give her a Watcher. One of the older ones that had knowledge of his kind. She’d need to learn. Understand their ways. Especially since she was to be Karaliene.

  “You’re going entirely too fast.”

  Bael looked down at her. She was different but still appealing. Her cheeks were high, and he liked how the servants had taken care of her hair, pinning it in little curls but keeping the sides braided. Bael found he just liked her. He’d observed her during his time on Terra, and she wasn’t a pushover. She was
mouthy, but loyal. She wasn’t one to sit by and watch her friends fail. If they needed help, she was there. All of her friends are male.

  “Try and keep up, Abrihet,” Bael growled.

  “Why are you grumpy? I’m the one who should be unhappy. I’m the one who was taken from her world.”

  Bael stopped abruptly and faced her. “If I had not come for you, you’d have perished in the fire. They would have never been able to get to you in time before the building came down.”

  “You don’t know that. Someone had my arms.”

  Someone did have her arms, but it wouldn’t have been enough. There was no way they could have pulled her free.

  Bael rounded the corner and came face-to-face with his brother, Baylor.

  “What did Father say about the Nefas?”

  “That she is mine, as I knew he would.”

  Baylor didn’t like the answer. His lids lowered, and Bael could see the smoke billowing from his nostrils.

  “Do you wish to have words with me, brother?”

  Baylor didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell with each harsh breath he took. His stepped into Bael’s personal space, his eyes bright with anger and jealousy.

  “You are not fit to rule.”

  “You speak of things you know nothing about.” Bael barely held in his anger. He knew Baylor coveted the throne. He wanted to reign over Wraith. The only way that would happen was if Bael conceded the throne or his brother issued a challenge.

  Baylor stepped back. Others were passing in the hallway as his brother removed a feather from his wing. He tossed it at Bael’s feet and shouted, “I, Baylorian of Wraith,”—he pounded his chest for emphasis— “challenge Baelion. He is not fit to rule, he is weak, and has chosen weakly as he takes a Nefas as his bride.” Another chest pound. “Who here will witness me?”

  Bael looked around as males stepped forward on his brother’s behalf.

  “I shall witness.” A male stepped to his brother’s left.

  “I shall witness.” Another to his right.

  “I shall witness.” Another at his back. He just needed one more. One more to witness him, and have his front. It was the only way the challenge would hold up.

  “What just happened?” Abrihet asked.

  “Quiet. My brother has just challenged me for the throne.”

  “Because of me?”

  “No. Although, he will use you as a tool. He challenged me because he believes he can best me.”

  “Why did he call you--” Before she could say his full name, Bael cut her off.

  “It is my true name. And you mustn’t speak it. Not yet. Now we wait to see if a fourth will witness him.” It was Eckard who stepped forward in front of Baylor.

  “I shall witness,” Eckard said slowly, eying Abrihet the entire time.

  “You shall not look upon your Luxanna Karaliene in such a manner,” Bael warned, pushing Abrihet behind him.

  “She is not my Karaliene. I will never bow down to that.” He stretched out his arm, pointing at her.

  “You will eat your words, Eckard.” Bael looked to his brother and nodded. “Rest up, Baylor. Tomorrow, I will face you in challenge.”

  Abrihet’s hand found its way into his, and Bael started before looking down at their joined fingers. How long had she been offering her support? More importantly, why did it ground him?

  She’s your light…

  Chapter 6

  Bael led them to his room. He didn’t expand upon or even explain what had happened in the hall, but she understood the gist of things. Baylor had issued a challenge, and Bael accepted. If they’d just send her home, then everything would go back to normal. She’d tried talking about home, which Bael called Terra, but he had very strong opinions on the subject and made it very clear that there was no way she’d leave hell. Wraith.

  “You are mine, Abrihet.” Every single time Bael said her name a tingle that started at the base of her spine. Her body heated, and if she didn’t know any better, she’d say these were all feelings of attraction. But it couldn’t be that. She wasn’t drawn to the demon Bael. Yeah, he wasn’t bad to look at, but he wasn’t to bring home for a family dinner. He was brutish, unrefined. Most importantly, he had horns and wings. That wasn’t something folks back home would overlook.

  Nope.

  Just couldn’t happen.

  “Can you tell me why you think I’m yours?”

  His head swung in her direction, and he pinned her with a heated glare. “There are many reasons why you’re mine.” He stalked her. She’d been on one side of the room, and he on the other, but now, he came straight for her. “I can see your light. I sense your inner strength. Your resolve. Even as your fate is sealed, your face gives away your thoughts. You wish to leave here. Escape.” He was so close now, their breaths mingled. He was more than a foot taller than she, so she ended up looking at his throat. Watched his Adam’s apple work as words fell from his mouth.

  “We are connected, Abrihet. Whether you like it or not. Your fear is your fire. If I were to try and assert myself, you’d lash out with that heat. It’s your fear that drives you.” He shook his head then as he stepped back and pinned her with a glacial stare. “If you run, I will not be able to help you. Should you become a deserter, you’d be captured, and vile things would be inflicted upon you as punishment. Things I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.”

  Deserter? Vile things?

  “Why? I don’t belong here.”

  “You do. The Telling is never wrong.”

  “This time, I think it is. I think it’s complete and under bullshit. But if you want to be a follower, go right ahead and follow.”

  Bale bristled at the word follow.

  “I am no follower. I am to rule here. I am to be followed.”

  Abrihet snorted at his words, and rolled her eyes. What the fuck ever.

  “The Teller lied to you. Tricked you.” She tried to lead with that. Maybe it would get her some headway, and maybe she’d be able to leave this place. If he thought she wasn’t the one–and she was sure she wasn’t– then she could go home.

  “No. It is not. You will see. First, we eat. Then we bathe. And, after, we must rest. Tomorrow is going to be a very trying day. You will sit next to my father tomorrow and watch. You will refrain from making any smart-assed comments as you Terrans say.”

  He didn’t wait for her to follow as he walked away. He assumed she would, and she did. She walked out of his room and down a series of corridors that led out into a dining hall of sorts. All manner of demons were around her. She even saw some that looked human. Completely human. Until they turned around and looked her in the eye. They weren’t human at all. They were something else; something dark and devoid of emotion. There was a table on a dais overlooking the dining hall. A female sat there with Braxus.

  As she and Bael walked through the crowd, Bael explained his hierarchy to her. “There are several classes of Fire Demons here in Wraith. Ignis are lower-class demons. They cannot leave this realm. The Ustrina are predominately female, and they are normally servants. But they are not like the Pastlifes, those who were Terran but were sent here to serve out their sentence.”

  “What class do you fall under?”

  “I am Incaendium. Royal. The Incaendium are mostly warriors or those of the purest blood. Your father, Feur, he is an Incaendium, as well.”

  Which meant…she was half-demon.

  “So, I’m like what? Royalty?” Abrihet asked.

  “No, you’re a half-breed, a Nefas. Enforcers are sent to kill those like you. We can’t have Nefas running around in Terra. You ever wonder why I use your full name, and not Abri?”

  No she hadn’t, just assumed he’d preferred it that way. She shook her head.

  “Any demon, whether it be me, or even a Nefas, can be tethered to another, should someone make use of their full name in some cases. I call you Abrihet not because I choose to, but because, your demon half will respond to that. It’s harder for you to go against my
will.”

  “Like fucking mind control?”

  This time it was Bael who shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Although it can be used in that way. I am simply adding a level of calm to an uncomfortable situation. That is what Enforcers do, they ease the way.”

  “No, the very name implies force.”

  “Yes, but in a way to not incite further incidences, or in the case of the Nefas, Enforcers can lure them. Make their journey to the afterlife an easy one.”

  “Why? What have we done to deserve such treatment?”

  He didn’t answer her at first. Instead, he brought her to the table where his father and the other female sat.

  “You can’t be serious, Bael? She dines with us?”

  Bael didn’t respond to the female. He pulled out a chair and offered it to Abrihet. She had to hold in her intake of breath as she watched him and took a seat. A demon with manners? Who would have thought?

  “Brenna, you will hold your tongue,” Bael warned. He didn’t introduce her to this Brenna, nor did he say anything else. The woman was very beautiful for a demon. She had long, blood red, hair, and her lips painted a glittery gold. Her eyes were a striking yellow. She had horns, but her hair carefully hid them, just the tips showing. And they were silver. If Abrihet didn’t know any better, she’d say that Brenna was mimicking a human. Even her style of dress was modern.