Page 2 of Immortal Unveiled

Kim’s heart beat into her throat. But it was the only heart in the room that was beating. Because her mother’s had stopped.

She gripped her mother’s shoulders, shook her. Her head rolled to the side, her long hair falling to the floor, away from her neck. That’s when Kim saw why her mother’s heart wasn’t beating anymore, why her lungs weren’t drawing another breath. Strangulation marks.

Something wet dripped onto her mother’s cheek. A tear. Kim’s tear. Another followed until rivulets streamed down Kim’s face, running along each side of her nose, touching her lips until she tasted the salt on her tongue. Numbness engulfed her. Or was it desperation? Grief? Pain? Rage? Whatever it was, it reverberated inside her, asking the same question again and again: Who or what had killed her mother? Who or what had snuffed out her life in such a violent way?

~ ~ ~

Zoltan punched Frederic, his underling, in the face. “You did what?”

“She wasn’t talking.” The coward lowered his eyes, too scared to face his master. And so he should be. Because what he’d done demanded punishment. Severe punishment.

They were alone in Zoltan’s private study in the Underworld, the vast system of caves and tunnels the Demons of Fear called their home and expanded daily. The smell of sulfur was strong in the tunnels, but the caves Zoltan had chosen for himself smelled less pungent. For some reason, he’d always hated the smell of the Underworld even though he was a demon through and through. And not only that, he was the strongest, the fiercest, the most brutal and ruthless among them. Because that’s what it took to be their leader, to be the Great One, the ruler of the Underworld. Because only ruthless men got to rule the world. Everybody else would collapse under the weight of it.

“Of course, she wasn’t talking.” Zoltan grabbed his subject by the throat and started squeezing his windpipe. “Would you be talking if you were being strangled?”

The idiot fought against Zoltan’s hold, a futile measure if there ever was one. His defiance alone would cost him dearly.

Zoltan loosened his grip and let go of his demon subject. Frederic coughed instantly and sucked air into his lungs. He appeared relieved.

“Did you search her place for it?” Zoltan asked gruffly, already guessing the answer. After all, the man had returned from his excursion up top empty-handed.

“I did. Turned the house upside down. It wasn’t there.”

There was a flicker in the demon’s eyes, one Zoltan didn’t miss. He rarely missed anything, particularly not a bold-faced lie. All his demons lied. Whether it was inbred or out of fear of him, he didn’t particularly care. No matter the reason, a lie was a lie and a breach of loyalty. And he demanded absolute loyalty from his subjects and didn’t care how he got it. And how he kept it. If it meant killing one of his underlings in order to impress the importance of obedience on his subjects, so be it. Because no Great One could rule the Underworld without blindly obedient subjects who didn’t ask questions.

“It wasn’t there, you say,” Zoltan repeated now, keeping his voice even. “Did you search her office?”

“Her home office? Yes, of course.”

“I mean her office at the museum, you idiot,” Zoltan ground out from between clenched teeth. A liar and an idiot. The demon’s chances of surviving this interview diminished with every stupid word coming out of his mouth.

“Nobody said, I mean, I wasn’t told…”

No initiative either. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.

“I see. Tell me again which rooms you searched in the woman’s home before she surprised you.”

“Uh, I got in through the kitchen. The door was locked, but I could see inside, so I used a vortex.”

“A vortex, you idiot? If you could see inside, it means the door was glass. You could have smashed it rather than take such a risk.” If a human saw the vortex, questions would be raised. And the Stealth Guardians would be on their ass again. “Stupid!” Zoltan pounded his hand against the mantle of his fireplace.

“But, but I thought… I didn’t want them to hear me. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Zoltan let out a growl. Then he suddenly snapped his head toward Frederic. “Them?”

The demon’s head whipped back, and his eyes widened. “Uh…”

Zoltan grabbed him by the collar. “She wasn’t alone? You left a witness alive?”

“Yes, no. Uh…”

“Which is it?” Zoltan bared his teeth. “Who was with her?”

“Her daughter. But she didn’t see me. I’m sure of that.”

“How can you be sure?”

“She was taking a shower upstairs when I entered. I never went upstairs. And I was gone before she came downstairs. I swear.”