Kingdoms of Gold

37 | Defeat

The deeper into the city I looked, the more lights that twinkled. The brightest of lights came from the biggest building. It was more of a palace than anything. A huge glass dome covered most of that building.

If this was the capital city, we had to be extra careful. There'd be more security here than anywhere, along with my parents and siblings.

Valentino tapped the both of us on the shoulder, barely glancing at Malachi's new form. "Let's go. Someone was following us. It took us a good ten minutes before we were able to shake them off."

I followed him down, Malachi taking longer than normal with his new body. "Where's Brynjar?"

"Burning any left over evidence. He'll be here any minute." Valentino stopped far enough for the scent of smoke to tickle my nose.

Brynjar popped his head from behind another building waving us over. "We can't stay here."

"We can't leave." Malachi popped his knuckles. "Opening another portal would draw too much attention. That is, if the first one already hasn't drawn someone's attention."

"It has, which is why we need to get out of sight." Brynjar knelt in front of a sewage cap, prying it off the ground.

"You've got to be shitting me. I hope you don't expect me to go anywhere near the sewers." Valentino gagged at the smell of piss and shit.

"Are you sure about this, Rune? You can't shift down there." Malachi's lips dipped in a frown.

"Right now, we don't have a choice. I've seen three other houses get raided." Brynjar was barely able to fit his body through the hole, dropping to the bottom with a thud. "Help Token down, Valentino. Malachi close the lid after yourself."

I rolled my eyes. It didn't look like Valentino was going to help me when he was seconds from running. 

He let out a small yelp as I pushed him forward. "Okay, okay. I'll go down."

He was taking too long, hesitating as he lowered himself down. I crouched to eye level with him, pressing a kiss to his temple. Then I knocked one of his supporting hands from under him. He crashed to the ground with a groan and a slight splash.

Gagging and vomiting was all I heard next.

I didn't bother lowering myself in like the other two. I stepped into the hole, landing in a crouch next to Brynjar on the side ledge. The drop was a good ten feet.

Valentino was a few feet away, one foot soaked up to the ankle in the stream of piss and shit. He was unlucky enough to miss the path.

Malachi only rolled his eyes at Valentino, giving him a small kick. "Let's go."

A gun being clocked behind us caught us all off guard. None of us had expected anyone else to be down here. And we couldn't smell anyone with how strong piss and shit was.

Brynjar turned, hand on a gun hidden at his waist line. The person said something, lifting his gun higher. A few more demons stepped into sight until we were outnumbered. We all froze.

When no one responded, he tried again. This time, he spoke in English. "Hands up. Don't move."

Two of them moved forward, grabbing Malachi and only Malachi. 

I snarled, lunging for a demon. "Don't touch him."

Her eyes widened as she jumped out of my grasp, holding her gun to my head. "He's a soldier and you protect him? You're one of them, aren't you? I've never seen a woman part of the guard."

The first demon we saw responded, dark hair braided to his waist. "They're not demons, except the soldier." He stepped closer to Malachi, taking a breath of his scent. "We'll kill him and take the rest with us."