"I shall wait here and guard the entrance," Fen says, stopping by the door.
Asher frowns. "Of course."
The wolf sits by Fen's feet, ears alert, teeth bared at the dungeon.
It's hot, the stone walls are stained red, and I don't even want to think of what caused those marks. I cough. "Is that sulfur?"
"Yes," he says.
"How disappointingly predictable. A demon dungeon that smells of sulfur."
"It has its uses," he says, but I can tell he's bothered by being called disappointing and predictable. He is the Prince of Pride after all.
There is a sound of clanking chains as we approach a corner, and the largest man I've ever seen appears before us. He's not really a man though. He's at least nine feet tall, bulging with muscle everywhere. His head is bald and his body covered in tribal tattoos. Large black horns protrude from his skull. His pupils are too narrow like a reptile's. His teeth are sharpened to deadly points and when he speaks, his voice sounds like gravel. "My Prince, how can I serve you?"
He doesn't look at me at all, but I can tell he's aware of my presence. I know he sees everything I might do before I even do it. This man-beast terrifies me.
"Please allow Miss Spero to see her mother's soul, and then we will be going."
The demon pauses, uncertainty on his face. "If you feel that is wise, Your Highness?"
"Just do it. I'm in a bit of a hurry and must be on with it."
"Of course."
He leads us through more halls stained with the remnants of their last occupants and opens a barred door, the metal hinges creaking loudly in the eerie silence. The room is large, like an underground warehouse, and full of giant cages hanging from the ceiling yet low to the ground. Each has the glowing ethereal form of a human laying on it. There must be hundreds of them, at least. Maybe more.
"She is here," he says, walking to a cage in the middle.
I shuffle forward, my body shaking. I see my mother's soul, leaning against the cold bars. It is transparent, ghostly, but it is her. She looks the same as her body, and I reach to touch her, but my hand finds no purchase.
"She is not here in form," Asher says. "Only in spirit."
"Can I speak with her?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "If she is awoken, she will suffer greatly. My father recently ordered that all souls be kept asleep during their time with us. It used to be standard practice that they remain awake, tortured and in misery. Some demons feed off that pain."
"That's barbaric." My voice trembles just imaging my mother, or anyone, enduring such a nightmarish existence.
"That is likely why the King ended it," Asher says, and I can hear in his voice a softening when he speaks of his father. "He had a change of heart near the end. I still... Never mind."
"What?"
His eyes are dark and heavy. "I still wonder why. Why did an eternal demon change his ways?" He looks at me, his gaze piercing. "What changed his heart?"
We are both silent for a moment, and I turn away, the intensity of his glance overwhelming.
"He should have kept things as they were," says the demon warden.
Asher's eyes widen, and he turns to the warden, grabbing him by the neck. He squeezes, choking the giant, bringing him to his knees. Asher's fangs descend. "You dare speak of your King, of the royal family, that way?"
I watch, amazed. Asher is impressive in his own right, but nothing in bulk compared to the dungeon-beast, and yet, the demon seems terrified of the Prince.
"Apologies, Master. It will not happen again."
"See that it doesn't, or you will suffer a much worse fate than those sorry souls once did."
I turn my attention back to my mother and watch her for a few more moments before Asher puts a hand on my shoulder. "You've seen her. I have fulfilled my promise. We must be going now."
He turns to walk out and I follow him, but as I reach the end of the room, the demon grabs my elbow. I pull away, instant panic filling my veins. His eyeteeth elongate and his pupils dilate, but he doesn't try to bite me. Instead, he leans down to whisper into my ear. "Beware the princes of hell. Not all of them are pleased that you will decide on the next king. Not all of them wish you alive."
Chapter 6
THE SEVEN REALMS OF HELL
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"Don't let the pretty baubles fool you, Princess. We are still demons. This is still a dangerous place."
—Fenris Vane
I rush out the door and into the arms of Fen.