Chapter One

Scavenging was never fun, Alex decided as he shifted what meager supplies he had been able to obtain so they fit more comfortably in his grasp. Especially when the area he was scavenging in was all rock, like most of the Underlands, and the river was quite a distance away.

He let out a long breath as he walked down the path he’d followed much more hopefully a few hours earlier. To either side of him were Ari and Leon, slaves of his friend Milos who sent them on this little expedition to begin with when Alex had found himself too restless to stay put.

He would have argued, but…

He shifted his grip once more, massaging his still-sore throat. It was only a little over a week ago when he damaged it while trying to escape from the capital of the Underlands, Raynout.

He glanced up at the day stones miles above his head, their glow a gentle warmth so far below. It was strange to think about how only a few months ago he was still home with his mother and the Grand Duke, exploring caves and seeing the day stones up close at the opposite end of the Underlands. Now the duke had been murdered and he was searching for his mother alongside a witch who had been forced to flee her home after a young man tried to force her into marriage, and an Alertian, or Demon Hunter, who had descended into the Underlands for, well, Alex wasn’t completely certain. He could still remember when the man had tried to kill him and later saved him from one of the deadly creatures of the Underlands.

Ironic, he thought, considering I am part demon, or well, one-part water demon, one part another type of demon and one-part human.

He had found that out the hard way when Milos had convinced him to be “captured” and brought to the Martinets, or Slavers, guild. He certainly learned quite a bit there, but it left him with just as many questions. He shivered at the memories and quickly squashed them down.

Truth be told, the other thing that was bothering him right now was that it was too quiet for his liking. He was used to the silence of the Underlands, having traveled by himself for quite some time. When traveling with others, it was uncanny not to have conversation or just other sounds besides footsteps.

Unfortunately, neither Ari, the young female slave who was a heck of a lot stronger than she looked, or Leon, the slightly older man who had lost his arm a few weeks ago, had much to say. They were true definitions of slaves, sold to Milos upon his descent from the Overlands, though they were later rescued from their original master’s abode and followed Milos, Rita and Alex due to that fact.

Alex honestly didn’t mind their company, but he did wish he could learn a little bit more about them. After all, if not for the Grand Duke and his mother, he could have very well ended up like them.

He almost did.

He shook his head once more. He needed to stop thinking about the what ifs or what could have happened. That wasn’t going to happen, not anymore. No, he needed to focus on the next leg of their journey. Milos said his mother was to the north, the last Demon stronghold and refuge within the Underlands. The path there was nearly impassable if the stories were true.

Alex glanced up, hearing the sound of quiet conversation, though he noted with bemusement it was quickly turning into a quiet shouting match, though mostly from one side.

He crested the little outcropping and glanced down the path to see his last two traveling companions.

Rita, with her witch’s hat and red hair tied into a braid down one side of her face, was leaning forward, finger pressed into Milos’ chest. Milos, his darker skin indicative of an Overlander, contrasting sharply with Rita’s almost see-through skin, was on the verge of rolling his eyes, hand resting on the hilt of his sword as his long blond hair trailed over his shoulder, the red of his signifier gleaming in the light of the day stones. The chainmail underneath his clothes only added to the harsh impression.

Alex shook his head with a sigh, jerking Rita out of her tirade and causing her to notice him. Milos just shook his head as if to say “you didn’t notice him?”

Rita ignored him, hurrying forward up the path. The red ribbon, her signifier, trailed over her skin as her worried gaze met him. “There you are, I was wondering if you were coming back. I knew I should have argued more to…” She trailed off and shook her head. “Never mind, come on.” She glanced toward Ari and Leon. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him by the way.”

“Of course.” Ari’s voice was quiet but the barest hints of a smile crossed her face.

Leon nodded, taking the food he’d acquired and bringing it over to the little pile by the bank of a lone winding river.

The gentle water of the river sang, calming Alex’s thoughts a bit as a soft melody trickled into his ears.

This river, one of the many rivers of the Underlands, sang gently to him, a constant reminder of his presence and his abilities. He wondered what else he could do now that he was no longer scared at the prospect of being a demon.

That, unfortunately, would have to wait until after he got his voice back, which couldn’t be soon enough.

~ * ~

Rita examined her friend quietly as Milos walked up to Ari and Leon to check on them. She didn’t mind; it was helpful having others around and she knew she wouldn’t be able to stand the Underlands by herself. How Alex did it for over a week, she had no idea.

She walked over to Alex, watching him as he placed a pale hand into the river, fingers swirling in the cold water. The tension seemed to slip from his shoulders as he sat there, black hair framing his admittedly very pretty face. She found herself staring at her friend…no, that wasn’t the appropriate word. How had she still not figured out the proper word?

She pulled herself from that thought as he glanced up, spotting her. He smiled weakly before returning to watching the water.

That also confirmed her thoughts as she took a seat beside him, adjusting her skort in the process. “Still no good?”

Alex shook his head, a frustrated frown gracing his face.

“I had a feeling.” Milos spoke from behind her.

Rita peered back to see he was organizing everything that was scavenged. The goods ranged from Rita’s paltry supply of herbs for her potions to the fish Milos had somehow managed to catch from the river to Alex’s own goods.

“It’s been a week since we left the capital. I know you strained your voice and demonic powers by causing a veritable tsunami from rain alone.” He peered up before continuing, “That’s why I wanted those two to keep an eye on you. I understand you want to help and believe me, I understand your restlessness with the situation, but keep in mind your situation right now.”

Alex clicked his tongue, clearly frustrated.

Rita snapped her fingers, leaning back on one hand. “Geez, I think he gets it.” Rita couldn’t hide her annoyance as she continued, “We know he strained his voice from singing for gosh knows how long to give the demons and other slaves a chance to flee the capital, but demonic powers? How could he strain that?”

“He is a half-human, half-demon hybrid, and a newly exposed one at that. It might have been too much for his newly awakened demonic side to use that much power in that short of a span of time. I’m guessing he’ll regain it, but it might take a while.”

“So, wait…how long?” Rita felt herself pale slightly. To be unable to speak was horrifying in her book.

“I don’t know.” Milos shook his head before tossing some herbs to her. She barely managed to catch them, fumbling slightly. “Anyway, let’s get something to eat before we head out. The land is starting to narrow around here along with the paths. Hopefully, we’ll be able to come across someone with a boat or some other means of travel that will bring us to the refuge.” Milos glanced up, gaze flicking to Alex. “You still want to go, correct?”

Alex nodded sharply, blue eyes gleaming.

“I wonder what the demon refuge is like? It would be nice if it’s actually somewhere safe,” Rita mumbled, but stood, stuffing the herbs carefully in the satchel strapped over her shoulder. Honestly? She was glad they were moving again. She was sick of just sitting around doing nothing. That wasn’t exactly her strong suit.

She paused, remembering the quiet conversation she had had with Milos before Alex returned.

“Why are you still traveling with us anyway?” she asked, turning to Milos to do something else, anything else besides sit around waiting for Alex.

“I don’t have many other options at the moment.” He spoke evenly, unamused. “Plus, I did promise Alex I would help find his mother.”

“Yeah?” Rita tilted her head, wondering. Was that the only reason why Milos was sticking around?

“You don’t believe me?”

“Well, you did try to kill Alex when you first met.”

“You’re not letting that go, are you?” Milos spoke, posture stiffening just the slightest bit. “I’m an Alertian, I sensed demonic energy…”

“That didn’t mean you had to chase us down.” She growled, not even sure why she was still blaming Milos. Maybe because she wanted someone to yell at and he was the closest target? Maybe…

“On the contrary, I did.” He tilted his head just enough to be staring down at her, arrogant lout. “An Alertian’s duty, as you might recall, is to track down and destroy demons. I was only doing what I thought was right.”

Rita clicked her tongue. Well, admittedly, he was right and he did save their asses after he caught up with Rita and Alex, but she still wasn’t going to admit that.

“Though it seems you don’t agree.” He smirked and she growled again. “Don’t worry, if I had a choice, after making it back to the capital and picking up Ari and Leon, I would have been happy going my own way. It was Alex who decided to look for his mother and you decided to deal with your ex.”

“Ex…” She twitched and Milos sighed.

“My apologies, that last bit was insensitive.”

Rita would have berated him, but he was right.

She pulled herself from her thoughts. It still didn’t answer the question of why Milos was joining them. She knew she was following Alex because she had nowhere else to go, what with her home burned to the ground and her parents…. She shook her head. She wanted to see this through. She wanted to protect the last thing she had left but Milos? Milos was an enigma and it bothered her to no end.

She stood, brushing down her skort. Her signifier, or dual signifiers she noted as the gentle silver gleam threaded through her hair, drew her attention and reminded her just how much she had lost. Those two things and Alex were all she had left of her home. The signifiers, proof of her existence, were so…she let out a breath as they began to follow the river, their footsteps echoing loudly over the landscape. She tugged herself from her thoughts.

Of course, that only led her down another path of wondering as she pulled herself over a boulder strewn over the pseudo road.

What was Alex thinking? She wasn’t sure how she would feel in his shoes. To find out he was a demon and his mother lied to him about it? Rita couldn’t fathom what that must feel like, what he must be going through. To be lied to all of your life and have to struggle with the truth all on your own. She wouldn’t wish such a thing on anyone, especially someone as gentle as Alex.

She still remembered when she first saw his demon form, smoke filled the air as her home burned around her and yet, she remembered his song, his gentle voice causing the fire to dwindle and die as water doused everything. The black and blue wings expanding outwards from his thin frame and the utter fear in his eyes and voice as he finally caught sight of his bloody hands.

She still remembered the way he tried to scrub the blood off until he was almost bleeding himself, on the verge of tears even though he saved her.

He was a gentle soul, put into a situation he shouldn’t have to be in. It angered her, she admitted to herself: it angered her to no end. His mother never said anything. He had to find out while fending for his life on the run and yet, there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

At least, not until they found the woman and asked her reasoning behind why she never said anything, as well as why she would abandon Alex to fend for himself.

Some distant sound must have caught Alex’s attention, because he perked up from helping Leon and Ari pull themselves up a cliff face. She had somehow managed to scramble up while deep in thought. That would explain why her hands hurt. She shook her head, stopping her eye from twitching as she watched Milos swing himself up with ease, following behind the others. “Show-off,” she muttered under her breath, catching his attention.

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.

Well, whatever, the lout was a strange one but she was used to that. To be honest, she was kind of glad he had decided to join them, even if she had no idea what his reasoning behind it was. Though she would never admit that to his face.

“Alex? Is that the same river?” Milos called from the back, startling Rita.

What was he talking about? When she noticed Alex shaking his head, she let out a huff crossing her arms over her chest.

“Mind explaining?”

Alex sent her a sheepish look as Milos waved it off. “We’re almost there anyway.” He glanced ahead. “I think we’re going to be reaching the end of our walking soon.”

“That would be a relief,” she said, ignoring his vague words.

He was right; she had no doubt she would find out soon enough and, considering neither of them was saying anything, it probably wasn’t too dangerous.

It did bother her, though, being the only one of the group who had the weakest senses. Being one step behind the other two in that regard was not a fun experience, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

~ * ~

Milos watched his comrade quietly. Comrade…what a strange word. The half-demon perked up slightly, tipping his head just enough to show he was listening to something. All Milos could hear was a faint thrum in the distance. Rita appeared annoyed, arms crossed, but silent after acknowledging his words. She must have realized her senses weren’t strong enough. He glanced at Ari and Leon, who were staring back at him. He gestured ahead, indicating for them to continue on. If they came across something, they would warn him. He wasn’t worried, and they were aware of their job, to act as scouts for the three of them.

Milos continued forward, listening while keeping half an eye on their surroundings. This rugged terrain was perfect for an attack, even if he didn’t sense anything. It was ingrained. He was an Alertian, a demon hunter. If he couldn’t track enemies, he would be dead within seconds when coming across a demon, or so he once thought. The young man in front of him was enough proof that quite a few of the truths he once held were wrong. He frowned. Why did things have to be so complicated? His goal, when he first came to these lands was simple: kill and take the head of Satan’s child, then return back home to the Overlands. He had a demon right in front of him and yet, he found himself fond of said demon, to the point where he couldn’t imagine hurting the young man or his irksome friend.

His thoughts flickered to why he was still here. Truth be told, there was no reason for him to be following Alex or Rita to the north, no matter what he told Rita earlier. He already told them where they needed to go, and in truth, it would only be bothersome, heading to a demon refuge as a demon hunter, especially without supplies.

He withheld the sigh that wanted to slip through his lips and instead focused back on the situation at hand. A situation caused by said demon. Only a few days before, they were in the city of Raynout, an elevator trip away from home, and yet, Alex had asked for his help in finding his mother, only to end up dealing with the Martinets’ guild and Milos eventually making himself out to be siding with the demons, even if that was not his intention. He was simply at the guild to make sure Alex was safe. Alex and Rita were the ones to decide to free the demons and slaves held within.

This led to a few other problems, until they eventually shut off the only known means of reaching the Overlands, of reaching his home.

In a way, he figured, it was probably good. However, knowing them, they would probably find out that he helped demons instead of killing them. He could still remedy this situation. After all, they were heading to the one area his ancestors were unable to find. Finding the hidden demon refuge would be more than enough, solidifying his place amongst them. Still, truth be told, he hated lying to Alex about why he was there. He knew the boy would be hurt and angry if he actually said anything.

No, he was well aware of his position. Of his decisions. He was fond of Alex and, to some small extent, Rita, but…

The sharp sound of footsteps coming to an abrupt halt caught his attention. His gaze flicked to Alex, then toward the turn up ahead.

He mentally berated himself on not sensing the strange energy swirling around the corner, faint as it was. Thankfully, Alex seemed to notice.

Ari and Leon briefly glanced back, as if to confirm and, after Milos sent them a nod, letting them know to go ahead, they hurried around the corner, out of sight.

Rita just stared in confusion. “Hey? Why aren’t we moving?”

“There’s something up ahead,” Milos mentioned, coming up behind Alex who was carefully peeking around the corner.

Rita joined him as the three of them peered after Ari and Leon. On the other side, dipping sharply down a steep slope, was a large stone enclosure. On the far side, Milos could just faintly see a dock with multiple boats of varying shapes and sizes bobbing in the water of what was most likely the river he’d been hearing for the past few minutes. Not that far away from the docks was a hut big enough to fit a small family of lower-class nobles, plus a few slaves.

“Who’s that?”

Milos followed Rita’s gaze toward a… man? Milos decided; it was a man of indiscriminate age, short and bent with a shaved head and large eyes, seen even from where they hid.

The man, probably the dock worker, walked purposefully up to Ari and Leon, already talking about something or other from his short smile and waved arms.

Milos pulled back and let out a breath. “I don’t sense anything and it seems this is as far as we can go, following this route.”

“Understatement,” Rita mumbled, staring up at the sheer cliff just past the hut that blocked their way forward. “So, what, are we just going to walk down there and talk?”

“Not right away.” Milos turned, leaning against the rocky outcropping. “Give Ari and Leon a few minutes, then we’ll head over. I’m curious about something.”

His thoughts flickered to the line of boats. He wasn’t knowledgeable on ships, but even to his untrained eye, those ships barely looked seaworthy. The north was supposed to be filled with dangers. Having a ship that could easily break apart on impact with anything wouldn’t cut it and with Alex being the only one who had a probability of escape through the use of his wings—if he ever figured out how to use them—he didn’t want to judge their chances.

“Yeah, so sit and wait, huh?” Rita crossed her arms over her chest as Alex pulled away, joining in the sudden huddle.

“Do you have a better suggestion?”

Rita snapped her mouth shut as Alex rolled his eyes. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the distant sound of running water surprisingly soothing to his ears, especially after the incessant silence of this underground world.

That was the thing he wasn’t sure he could ever get used to: the all-encompassing silence. As beautiful as these lands were with their clear water, extravagant landscapes and strange, almost mythical stones, the silence made it eerie, uncomfortable. He would have thought he would feel claustrophobic, however, the ceiling, so high above, made it feel like a separate world, not an underground cave.

Finally, after a few more minutes, he peered once more around the corner to see the man showing Ari and Leon the boats, still gesticulating with all his worth.

“Satisfied?”

He peered back toward Rita with a flat, “No.” With that, he stepped around the corner and headed down the slope, a startled yelp sounding from the young woman. Alex, probably having realized at his expression, was only a few steps behind. Rita hurried after them, grumbling incoherently under her breath.

It was almost as if a switch was flipped as they came around the corner and down the slope. The wild gesticulations of the tiny man stilled as his gaze hovered over the three of them before settling on to Alex, shock flickering on his face.

He quickly bowed to Ari and Leon before racing over to them, almost diving toward Alex’s feet, causing the boy to stumble back in shock. While Milos might have been amused to watch the following interaction, he found himself in front of Ari and Leon. “What did he speak of?”

Leon answered, gesturing toward the boats, “He’s a boat salesman, stationed up in these parts for travelers.”

“It’s been six years since the last customer.” Ari’s voice was quiet, as usual, but her words were pointed.

Leon nodded. “He made mention of the waters north of here being perilous and that not far down this river is the Dregas’ land.”

Dregas? So more of them did exist outside of the one they met months ago. He shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Good work.” He turned in time to see Rita pulling the man to his feet, cackling as Alex covered his face, probably flustered from the sudden onset of attention. It was strange, how the man reacted upon seeing Alex. Though, Milos shifted, taking note of the gentle swirl of air around the trio. Alex and Rita were quite normal, if Alex’s was a little constricted.

The man, however? He wafted a strange air, similar to Alex. A faint wisp of magic curled around him.

A half-demon? No, that couldn’t be it.

Was he in contact with a demon?

He pushed the thought to the side, joining the group as the man brushed himself down and Rita took a step back, controlling her laughter, though just barely.

“Alex?” The man blinked before looking at said boy, Rita having probably used his name to calm the man. “Ah, I assumed…” He trailed off before shaking his head. “Let’s just say, I have a sixth sense about certain things and leave it at that.” He turned away, heading into the little cottage as Milos hummed in thought. A sixth sense, huh? “Anyway, will you all follow me? I’m going to need to fix a few statements I gave those two over there.” He gestured toward Ari and Leon, briefly giving Milos a nervous look.

“He’s fine, he’s with us, after all.” Rita waved it off, getting a faint nod from the man before he disappeared through the doorway.

No surprise. If what Milos sensed was true, having an Alertian in the mix would be rather problematic. Speaking of, that more or less confirmed what he thought. Alex seemed confused upon spotting the river and Milos could faintly hear a strange noise, barely heard over the waves lashing against the docks.

There was another river.

“So, he’s weird.”

Milos glanced toward Rita as they watched Ari, Leon and Alex step inside, them only a few paces behind, but slowing to a stop.

So, the girl noticed. “He’s been without customers for years,” Milos pointed out before peering ahead. “However, the main reason is probably because he is a gate-keeper.”

“Huh?” Rita blinked, peering up at Milos. “What do you mean?”

Milos pursed his lips in thought before striding forward, causing her to scramble after him. “Demonic energy.” He glanced toward her, causing her to stiffen. “At first, I thought it was because he came in contact with other demons quite frequently, but it’s possible he might be similar to our friend.”

“Wait, what? A human-demon hybrid?” Rita blinked, surprised.

“Possibly, you did state that some survived after birth, but only retained their human attributes. Is it far-fetched to assume that a few of them might have been more in tune with demonic aspects, similar to an Alertian?”

She opened her mouth, as if to argue before snapping it shut, comprehension dawning on her face, followed by a frown. “So, if he is able to sense demons, that would be why he noticed Alex so quickly.”

“It would also explain why he is now inviting us inside instead of selling us a matchstick boat.” Milos waved. “He probably is a boat salesman, true, but he’s also probably here to help those like our mutual friend to get to the north.”

Rita shook her head, letting out a breath. “Who would have thought? I only recently knew human-demon hybrids were a thing and now…”

Milos shrugged, heading inside. They couldn’t talk outside the whole time, it was already suspicious enough, and while he trusted Ari and Leon to watch out for Alex, he would feel better if he could keep the boy in his sight around someone he didn’t trust.

The inside was surprisingly warm and comfortable. A heat stone crackled to one side in a little hearth and couches and chairs were set up around it. Alex was sitting in one of the chairs, perturbed. Milos could guess why as a bowl of soup was pressed into Alex’s hands by an overeager boat salesman. He heard a faint growl and glanced over to see Rita blush deeply, quickly turning her face away from him. The man, once satisfied that Alex wasn’t going to move for a bit, turned to Rita and Milos. “Your two comrades informed me of your situation. You want to head north through the rivers, correct?”

“Yes. We spotted some boats outside.” Milos leaned on one leg, watching the man quietly. “Those wouldn’t survive more than a day on regular waters.”

The man’s eyes gleamed, intelligence and amusement clear on his face. He was very aware of who he was talking to, so Milos’ assumption was correct. “Smart lad, aren’t ya?” He frowned, glaring. “No surprise from an Alertian. What are you doing with this boy?”

“We’re helping to find his mother,” Rita said bluntly. “You are the first person we’ve seen out here since we’ve left the capital, not counting evading a few Martinets. I, for one, am tired of walking. Milos, here, has been helping us, much to my distaste, to get here in the first place.”

“I’m glad my efforts have at least improved my status from lout to simply distaste.” Milos couldn’t hide his lack of amusement, or the slight twitch in his eye at her words. Alex let out a sigh, not even bothering to turn to look at them.

“Mother, eh?” The man turned away, stepping away from the hearth and through a doorway off to one side.

Strange, Milos thought, he hadn’t noticed the door when first walking in. He knew he scanned the room, so how…?

His thought was promptly cut off as Rita scurried forward. “These are seer glyphs! Is this actually a seer’s door? I didn’t even know they still existed. That must be the potion used, it’s a work of art.”

Her hand darted into her satchel, her fingers tugging out a small notebook and pencil he hadn’t even known the girl had on her. Within seconds, she was already flipping to the next page, almost feverishly noting down the details of the door.

Other than a faint hint of magic, Milos wouldn’t have thought much of the inauspicious door. He shook his head, tapping the girl on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, continuing to mutter and write.

A faint hint of amusement thrummed through his veins. He shook his head, walking over to the bowl of stew and picking up some for himself as well as Ari and Leon. He handed them the bowls before making one more and placing it a bit away from the almost empty pot before spooning some down. Quite good actually. “I would just like to remind you that we are in someone else’s home and that drooling over a door will get us nowhere.”

“It’s fine.” Rita waved it off, snapping between her notebook and feeling over the wood of the door. “I’m just taking a few quick notes and, wait…”

She slowly turned her head to look toward him. “Why the heck are you eating someone else’s food then?”

“Hm? Did you want some? I figured the door was feast enough for you.” He took another spoonful as Rita darted over. It didn’t take much to avoid the grasping hands.

A faint sigh echoed from where Alex sat as Milos stepped away and took the other seat, crossing one leg over the other as he took another bite of stew. Rita pursed her lips before looking down at her paper and stilling.

“There’s stew on it.”

“You did knock into the cauldron earlier. I’m surprised you didn’t burn yourself.”

“You lout.”

Milos chuckled as Rita ripped the page out, feverishly filling the page back in before stomping over to the cauldron. She stared at it, eye twitching.

Only to spot the bowl Milos made sure to prepare for her ahead of time, figuring the girl would spill the pot otherwise.

She sighed, picked up the bowl and chowed down on it.

A faint smile trailed on Alex’s face as Rita quietly said, “Thanks, I guess.”

Milos shrugged. “We all need to eat. Knowing you, you would have just stayed next to that door all the way up until he came back. Couldn’t have that, now could we?”

“No, I guess not,” she muttered, taking another spoonful before pointing the spoon at him. “Just so you know, I’m not thanking you again, you hear?”

Milos shrugged. It wasn’t his business anyway. She was irksome. Though, he supposed, he honestly didn’t mind.