“But I’m not a Huntress!” I said, waving my arms hysterically. “I can’t fight, and I can’t protect myself. Which means you’re the only competent fighter here among all these demons. Those odds aren’t great.”
Anger flashed in Oliver’s eyes. “If you can’t fight, then why are you even here? Why did you come hunting with us?”
“Because there’s someone down here who can help me get back home!” I cried. “That’s all I want—to go home. I never wanted any of this.” I flung my hands out, gesturing to the misshapen boulders surrounding us.
My brain ached, and hysteria burned in my throat. I covered my face with my hands as the threat of tears stung my eyes. This was too much. I was outnumbered, overwhelmed, and completely alone. Oliver said he’d protect me, but he was just leading me deeper underground to search for prisoners of a demon overlord when all I wanted was to get back to my time where it was safe. Where Kismet would protect me.
Lilith, I thought sadly. Kismet. She must be worried sick. I never should have done the spell without her.
Oliver’s fingers found my elbow, and I flinched. Gently, he pulled my arm down to look into my moist eyes.
“I’ll do whatever I can to get you home, Desi,” he whispered. “But you have to trust me first.”
I shook my head, my lip trembling. “I don’t even know you. And you have your own stupid agenda here.” I waved my arms, gesturing to our strange, rocky surroundings.
“My agenda is to protect witches and warlocks,” Oliver said, ducking his head so his eyes were level with mine. “That includes you.”
“Are you two finished?” Howard said loudly.
I jumped, having forgotten he was there. Sniffing, I rubbed my nose and nodded. “Yes, sorry.”
“Good. I need to get back to work. Those vampires wouldn’t waste a second before reporting me.” He looked at me, his expression softening. “The best cover for you two would be training. If anyone asks, you’ve been assigned to train and freshen up your attack skills before returning to your missions. Anyone who looks at her will believe the story.”
“Hey,” I grumbled, crossing my arms again.
“Tell any demon you see that you’re from America and that you don’t know the area,” Howard continued, ignoring my objection. “It’ll explain why you’re lost. And you will get lost down here. Just don’t panic. Act like you belong here, and everyone will believe it.”
He touched both our elbows and pushed us forward. I gasped as I fell through another curtain of rock. Vertigo overwhelmed me until I felt like puking. My surroundings blurred and swam, and the ceiling was the floor and the floor was—was I flying or falling? There was no up or down. Just gravity pulling me farther and farther away from the ground.
I fell forward, palms out to catch my fall. Rocks scraped my skin, and I hissed in pain. Oliver crouched next to me, on his feet of course. Because he wasn’t capable of falling over or anything else embarrassing.
I glanced behind us at the rough ridges of a cavern wall. Howard was gone. We were on our own.
Chapter 9
“HERE,” OLIVER SAID, and he easily lifted me up by my arms.
I grunted and rose to my feet. My palms were covered in scrapes and blood, and I winced.
Oliver pressed my hands into his, and ice-cold water soaked the wounds.
I gasped as relief soothed my palms. “Wow,” I whispered. “Thanks.” I looked up at his warm eyes, and he offered a half smile that made my stomach spin.
Heat burned in my chest. My throat dry, I yanked my hands back and wiped them on my jeans. Clearing my throat, I looked around. “Where are we?”
We stood in a small, circular cavern with stalactites and stalagmites stretched along the ceiling and floor like jagged teeth. Rock formations sparkled from the light of lanterns that hung on the wall. Weapons and equipment littered the floor, and a huge pile of dark clothes sat opposite us.
“Looks like a training room,” Oliver said, stepping toward the pile of clothes. “You should change. Your outfit is already an enigma, and we’ll blend in more this way.” He smirked and gestured to the clothes.
I glanced down at my stained and smelly outfit and knew he was right. I looked around the cavern and realized there was no way in or out. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Oliver’s brows knit together in confusion. “Bathroom?”
“Uh . . . outhouse? Chamber pot? Whatever you guys use for privacy.”
Oliver laughed and shook his head, his mouth curving upward in a mocking smile. “Demons don’t have the luxury of privacy. Not unless you’re El Diablo.”
Anxiety clawed at my throat. “So where do I change?” Among other things. I crossed one foot in front of the other.
Oliver’s gaze dropped to my leg, which was bouncing uncontrollably, and his eyebrows rose. A startled laugh burst from his lips. “Oh, ah . . . yeah. I’ll just . . . go over there.” Splotches of red blossomed across his cheeks as he clumsily darted to the opposite side of the cavern.
I giggled in spite of my embarrassment. It was kind of nice to see Mr. Smoothtalker get flustered for once. My smile vanished when Oliver reached the pile of equipment and started noisily digging through the assortment of weapons.
Oh, Lilith, I thought to myself, my palms sweating. I inhaled and exhaled deeply. What is it they say when you go camping? Dig a hole?
My face burned and sweat formed on my brow. I shrugged out of my jacket and tossed it to the ground. With a deep breath, I dug a clumsy, misshapen hole and tried to awkwardly angle myself the right way.
The clanging across the cavern intensified, indicating Oliver could hear the mortifying sound of my urine hitting the ground and was trying to block it out.
It was the singular most embarrassing moment of my life.
No toilet paper, I realized, wiping sweat from my brow with my forearm. Frack,
