Prisoner of Darkhaven (9 page)

and shrank until he stood nearly a foot shorter then Elise. A demon

now stood before her.

His black pock marked skin dripped with what appeared to be

mucus. He had a large pointed nose that flared at the nostrils. His

pinched face looked awkward, with overly developed eyes that

protruded from his skull. The forehead sloped back and his obscenely

large mouth contained rotted yellow teeth. Elise recoiled at the sight.

DeMumart held up a clawed finger and tsked Elise.

"Now why would I tell you anything, hmm?" He began to pace in

front of her. "No, no don't answer." His wicked grin caused Elise's

flesh to crawl with revulsion.

"I'll tell because I know it will cause you great pain to learn the

truth." He laughed gleefully twirling around on his feet like a tiny

child that had just gotten a special treat.

What a vile creature he was.

He stopped abruptly and glared at Elise as if he had read her

thoughts.

Pointing a long bony finger, he snarled at her. "Let me start with

you."

Elise felt paralyzed to her spot. She didn't know if it was

DeMumart's magic or her debilitating fear that stopped her.

Once DeMumart was again within inches from her face, he tilted

his head back to sneer at her face.

"I've spent the last thousand years searching for the portal to the

netherworld."

Elise wrinkled her brow with confusion. . "Why? Why do you

need to find the portal, can't you simple open it with your magic?"

He whirled around; anger twisting his already gnarled face.

57

"No!" He fisted his hands and began to pace, then turned to her and

waved his hand through the air. "It isn't so easy to just open a portal!

At least, not for one like me."

Elise stared back at him blankly, not having the slightest idea what

he was going on about.

The demon let out a frustrated breath and rolled his eyes at her

obvious ignorance. "I've been cast out of Hell! There I said it! Happy

now?"

It was actually kind of comical watching him pout like a spoiled

child. However, Elise knew better then to be amused by his infantile

display. She tried a different tactic.

"I'm sorry, it must be very difficult to have been asked to leave your

home." Perhaps kind sympathy would distract him enough to give her

a running chance.

"Hell isn't my home you simpleton!" He looked completely

disgusted with idea. "Much too hot for my tastes, I prefer the dead

lands and their cool damp marshes, great for the skin." He emphasized

that by patting each cheek as if he were primping for a beauty

pageant. "I was kicked out for trying to overthrow the Demon King.

Problem was Lucien's bastard half-breed son Damien saved his
daddy

before I got the fatal blow in."

Elise stiffened at the mention of Damien.

"Yes your lover. I knew it the moment I saw this pendant around

your neck. Still I had to be sure. You see I am building an army of

human minions. Once I have my army, I will lead them into hell and

kick Lucien's ass once and for all. Human souls are so much more

powerful in hell when they're still alive!" He smiled brightly at Elise

She grimaced at the display of yellow and rotted teeth.

His smile suddenly vanished. "I've overthrown six out of the seven

kingdoms already. York is the last one. I almost had it when that

sorry excuse of a king decided he needed a stupid heir." He looked at

her condemningly. "You were supposed to fail!"

Elise shrank from his horrid expression. She decided it best to take

the focus off her use of magic to complete each task, hoping to buy

herself more time. "I still don't understand why make the king go

58

mad. With your magic you could have simply taken the king's title."

She tried to smile despite the nausea building in her gut.

He regarded Elise, soaking in her words. "Yes it is true. I am all-

powerful. However I couldn't win over the affection and support of

the people by strong arming my way in, could I?"

Elise finally understood how DeMumart was building his army. He

would slowly drive the monarch of each kingdom crazy, making the

populace lose faith in his or her ability to rule, while he garnered all

the adoration for setting things right in the eyes of the people. It was a

cruel yet brilliant plan.

"Before I could set my plan in motion I needed to rid myself of that

pest Dontaleone."

Elise snapped out of her thoughts. DeMumart continued talking

and pacing. Oddly, he more mumbled to himself than acknowledged

her presence. She considered for a brief moment to run, however,

something told her to stay and listen.

"Lucien has a Demon Guardian looking over every kingdom. I

killed all the others, but Damien ... it was too risky. So I cursed him

to remain prisoner inside the walls of Darkhaven Castle."

Before she could stop herself, the words fell from Elise's lips. "He

needs to say your name three times to be free."

DeMumart laughed low at the sudden hope that flared briefly in

Elise's eyes. "Stupid chit. Do you really think I would use my real

name? Demons never, ever use their real names!"

Hopelessness sank into her stomach. It seemed to please

DeMumart even more. He grabbed her arm and an instant later, they

were back at the castle.

DeMumart had resumed his human form once again. He dragged

Elise up a spiraling stone staircase. There was a door at the end of it.

Once they reached the room, he opened the door and threw her in.

Elise looked around. A circular wall surrounded her. There were

no windows. The only way out was through the door she had entered.

All along the wall were sconces, seven of them. Only three held lit

torches. A bed and night table with a small basin and pitcher of water

furnished the room.

59

Elise instinctively reached up to her chest for the pendant and felt

only bare skin. "No!" She sobbed quietly, kneeling on the floor of the

dimmed room.

60

Damien sensed something terribly wrong. Elise had not summoned

him. Worse, no matter how hard he tried; he couldn't connect with the

calling stone he'd given her.

The tightness in his chest grew more intense. He recognized the

odd feeling as fear. He, Prince of the hell realms felt fear?

Unfathomable. Yet, he couldn't deny the eruption of emotions

exploding through him. Elise.

He had to find her!

Such a pathetic excuse for a demon!

The evil disembodied voice echoed around Damien. He turned

around in a full circle, looking in every direction for the person or

thing that had spoken. He was alone.

"Show yourself coward!"

A wicked demonic laugh answered him.

You wish! I'd rather remain ambiguous if you don't mind. This I

believe belongs to you!

Out of thin air, a familiar pendant fell at his feet. Damien knelt and

picked it up. His face blanched. He snarled. His body flexed and

grew another six inches tearing is shirt open. The sides of his pants

split as the muscles in his legs bulged. His skin darkened to sienna

red. He summoned the tattered remains of his clothes from his body,

replacing it with a simple loin covering, more suited for his natural

form.

Horns sprouted from Damien's temples as his features darkened

becoming harsher, more angular. Claws grew from his hands and

feet. He bared his fangs with a warning hiss. Damien's true demon

form meant death to anyone who brought the beast out.

However, this particular creature wasn't intimidated in the least. Of

course, he still hid behind a cloaking spell and Damien realized this

being was powerful and thoroughly evil.

The disembodied laughter told him so.

61

"Whatever or whoever you are, you'd better wish that cloaking spell

holds, else I will relish ripping out your innards while you scream and

feed on them while you watch."

Echoing laughter answered him, pissing Damien off even more.

Oh I'm no fool Damien, I won't be here long enough for you to feel

enough of my essence to break my spell. I simply want to let you know

what a wonderful fuck that little lovely whore of yours was!

The pendant he held suddenly vanished from his palm. Damien

fisted his hands and roared loud enough to shake the walls.

"Where is Elise? If you've harmed one hair on her head!"

Tsk, tsk, don't worry I took extra care of her. Oh she was soooo

sweet.

Damien knew the being lied, however, he needed to keep the

cloaked demon in his castle long enough for him to pick up the

bastard's unique demon epitome, his natural quintessence.

"What do I care? You can have the little whore. Human females

are plentiful."

The silence that followed indicated the invisible demon's

consideration of Damien's boast. Just a few more minutes and he'd

have him.

Do you think I'm stupid? I know you feel for the human bitch. I can

smell the stink of compassion oozing from your pores. Know this

Damien, son of Lucien; you will never see your precious Elise again!

You will never leave this prison! Never!

A second later, the presence vanished. Damien rolled the tension

from his shoulders. A satisfied smile spread across his face. He had

picked up the magical essence of the Demon that taunted him. He

now knew what kind of Demon it was. Narrowing it down from there

shouldn't take too long.

After all, there were only a handful of Boggart Demons left.

Damien flashed himself to the study and began flipping through old

manuscripts. He busied himself with the task of finding out the names

of all the living Goblins left in Hell. Time was of the essence,

particularly if he was to find Elise before any harm came to her.
If it

hasn't already.

62

Shaking the thought, he focused on the thousands of names listed in

the ancient scrolls and began weeding through every netherworld,

magical creature that ever lived.

* * * *

stones, moving sconces and feeling every crevice and crack for some

type of hidden doorway. It proved to be hopeless. Damien, she

needed to warn him. Needed to tell him of what DeMumart planned.

If only she had her pendant. However, that vile creature had taken

it from her. He'd been gone for quite some time. Elise wondered

what her fate would be at his hands. Whatever the demon had in store

for her would be a certain painful death.

She thought for a moment of alerting the king, but quickly decided

against it. If his royal highness had ever been in his right mind, it was

gone now. He was nothing more than a pawn in DeMumart's wicked

plan. Besides, the King was well into madness by now and she

doubted he possessed any semblance of rational thought.
Tap, tap,

tap.

Elise startled to the knocking on the door. She moved away from

the wall and sat on the bed, folding her hands in her lap to keep them

from shaking.

"Wh-who is it?"

There was a brief silence and a click of the lock, like someone

turning a key. The door opened to reveal, a petite brunette with pretty

blue eyes. She smiled brightly and entered carrying a tray of food and

water.

She placed the tray on the side table next to the bed.

"Milady, Lord DeMumart said you are to eat, I will return in an

hour to gather the empty plates." She curtsied clumsily and nodded

once, before turning and leaving the way she came in.

Elise stared at the platter of food. A loaf of bread, some goat's

cheese, an apple and a tankard of water sat on the plate. She did not

have much of an appetite, however, should she managed escape, she

would need her strength.

63

Ripping off a chunk of bread, Elise nibbled on it with a piece of

cheese. Suddenly hope flared in her chest. She looked towards the

door. In an hour, the woman would be back to claim the dishes. Elise

lopped off another piece of bread and took a long drink of water. She

knew exactly what needed to be done. Escape was only an hour

away.

64

Boggarts were the lowest of all demon kind. Mainly tricksters and

mischief-makers, they often made humans go mad before swallowing