Demon-In-Law

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As the personal bodyguard to the consort of Hades, god of the dead and king of the underworld, I very rarely got any time off. When Hades himself gives me the day off, I had some great ideas of how to spend my free time. Only, they didn't go according to plan. Instead, I was summoned by a human wanting to make a deal for his soul. I had a better idea.

Note: This story was originally part of the Uncontrolled Chaos anthology, which is no longer available for purchase. It has been revised and extended by 12,000 words.

Being the personal bodyguard for the consort of the god of the dead and king of the underworld was not for the faint of heart. Herby—Herebeorht Bartholomew Ravensbrook III—had a mind of his own and it was fully human, even if he was a demon-marked human.

I held my breath as I watched him riding his kelabron in a race with four other riders. Three of them were neck and neck with the last one trailing significantly behind. Herby was one of the three and quickly gaining a lead.

A kelabron was like a cross between a very large hairless dog and a velociraptor. They were ugly as...well...hell, and just as mean. Somehow, Herby had found one that was totally devoted to him. 

Damn thing followed him everywhere.

If Lord Hades ever discovered that Herby had entered the kelabron races, I'd end up in the pits—I shuddered just thinking about that horrible place—but it wasn't like I could tell Herby no. I was simply his bodyguard, not his lord and master. My job was to keep him safe. 

These races weren't exactly safe.

I was going to die.

I felt a shiver of excitement zip through me when Herby's kelabron pulled significantly ahead of the other three. I know I shouldn't be excited, but I couldn't help it. My charge was going to win.

"Yes!"

I visibly jumped when someone shouted beside me. A growing sense of dread filled me as I turned to see the god of the dead and king of the underworld standing beside me avidly watching the race.

I gulped down my fear and addressed him with a bow. "Sire."

Hades grabbed my arm and jerked me around. For a moment, I was positive he was preparing to kill me until he said, "I think he's going to win. Don't you think he's going to win?"

Wait...what?

"Sire?" How did he find out about the race and why wasn't he pissed? "You’re not mad that Consort Herby joined the races?"

I had been positive he would be.

Hades released me—I think my shoulder might be dislocated from being jerked around—and waved a dismissive hand at me. "Oh, he's just having fun."

My jaw almost hit the ground. 

When Herby and his kelabron crossed the finish line well ahead of any of the other riders, the crowd started roaring, cheering Herby on. The loudest roar came from the demon lord standing next to me.

"He won!" Lord Hades shouted. "He won!"

I winced as the massive demon slapped my shoulder. I might be a demon of the First Order, but no one had the strength of Hades. That shit hurt.

Would I say that?

Not a chance in hell.

"Herby and I are going to go celebrate. You have the rest of the day off."

I perked up.

An afternoon off?

I grinned. "Yes, sir."

It wasn't that I didn't like guarding Consort Herby, because I did, but some time off was some time off. I could think of a hundred things I could do to relax. Relaxing in a steam bath was at the top of that list.

I did stand there and watch Lord Hades take off to go to his consort. While I appreciated the time off, Herby was still my charge. I wanted to make sure Lord Hades reached him before fully giving up my vigilance for the day.

Once I saw Hades sweep Herby up in a hug, I smiled and turned away, heading back toward my new quarters. When I had been promoted from Level Six West Gate Enforcer to the personal bodyguard of the royal consort, I had received new quarters inside the palace.

They were nice.

As I left the race pavilion and started back toward the palace, I felt a strange tug in the center of my chest. My steps faltered as I reached up to rub the spot. It wasn't painful exactly, but it certainly wasn't comfortable.

I took another step and then gasped when the tug became painful in intensity. I had just enough time to suck in a breath before the tug pulled me from where I was and dropped me...somewhere else?

Where was I? Because it wasn't Hell. 

At least I didn't think it was.

It was dark in the room, but there were several candles lit up around the area, enough to tell I was in some sort of room with plain wooden walls and floor. There was one small circular window on the far side of the room, but it wasn't letting in much light. 

There were also a lot of cardboard boxes and a few old faded wooden chests. That was pretty much it.

Except for the small figure kneeling on the wooden floor in front of me. The person's head was bent down as if he was reading the book laid out on the floor in front of them, so I couldn't tell right away if they were male or female.

I did notice a slight trembling to the shoulders and fingers that seemed to curl in on themselves. If I didn't know better, I'd think this person was injured in some manner. I sniffed the air for blood, but all I could smell was dampness and mildew.

I started to reach out to make sure they were okay until my fingers encountered a barrier that zapped the tips. It wasn't painful exactly, but I still I quickly jerked back my hand and glanced around with a growing sense of panic.

I was standing in a salt circle.

Never a good thing.