The pair stepped into a dark room tinted in red. The familiar heat of Hell caressed Katie's skin, the smell of sulfur tickled her nostrils. Braden stepped through behind them, and the portal faded. As the blue light vanished, the red hue in the room grew brighter, illuminating a black throne to Katie's left that sat on a raised dais. On either side sat two large Hell Hounds. They were twice the size of the ones she had seen before and their eyes were red instead of white. They sat calmly, panting. They stared at the group but didn't seem affected by their presence.
Katie tightened her grip on Josh's hand and moved closer to him. The scars on her arm where she had been bit ached in the Hounds' presence. A renewed sense of fear coursed through her.
In the center of the room stood a man who appeared to be in his forties. Like Braden, he wore a dark suit, but his shirt was a deep maroon. The color complimented his red and blond hair, which fell just below his ears. His goatee was the same color, and his dusty blue eyes took them all in with interest. He clasped his hands at his waist and smiled. In any other situation, Katie would have found the man attractive—for an old guy. As it was, even though he was trying to portray an air of nonchalance, it wasn't hard to tell he was in a position of authority. It was obvious in the way he stared down his nose at the three of them; in the way Braden and Josh avoided making eye contact. He obviously ranked higher than both Josh and Braden in the demon hierarchy.
That made Katie wonder what he looked like in his demon form. She'd seen other lower-ranking demons, and they were terrifying. Even seeing Josh in his true form made her skin crawl. She tried to stretch her imagination to it limits on the various possibilities, then she decided she didn't want to know. She could imagine a horrific creature, but it probably wouldn't do the reality justice. She shuddered and pushed the thoughts from her head.
"Ah, good. He found you." His voice was deep and rich. He held one of his hands out toward Braden. "This is your complaint, perhaps you would like to share your grievance."
Braden nodded, then turned his gaze to Katie and Josh. "I've called this meeting to discuss what happened in The Pit. Josh's actions can be construed as disrespectful and a blatant disregard for authority."
"Are you kidding me?" Josh laughed, a harsh, unamused sound. "You blatantly attacked a human under my care. You went against the rules, not me."
Braden's jaw muscles tightened as he gritted his teeth and stared at Josh. The man held up his hand. Katie figured that probably wasn't the way Josh was supposed to handle the situation, and Braden's and the man's reactions made her nervous.
"You'll get your chance to speak," he said calmly.
Yep. Just as she suspected. Inwardly, Katie hoped Josh would behave himself so he didn't make the situation worse for both of them. She may have been clueless, but she knew with the tension in the room she didn't want it to get worse.
Josh stepped forward, pulling his hand away from Katie's. "This is a crock, and you know it. Braden has no basis for his complaint. I have a right to defend what's mine."
The man folded his hands back in front and shrugged. The smile faded from his lips. It wasn't hard to tell the man was angry. So much for things not getting worse. She stared at the back of Josh's head and tried to tell him telepathically to quit, but she was fully aware the gesture was futile. It was obvious Josh was upset too. And, in his defense, he was trying to protect her, so she couldn't fault him for that. Still, there had to be a better, calmer way to resolve the situation.
"The issue here," the man's voice was low, cold, "is that Braden feels you disrespected him in front of others. The hierarchy exists for a reason. Your lower status dictates acquiescence to those above you." He stared at Josh harshly, a warning tone in his voice.

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Dealing with Devils (Book 2 in the Road to Salvation Series)
Teen FictionDating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what? Katie's world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh--despite the fact that he's a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convin...