Dark Souls Academy: The Sacrifice (Hell Dimension #4)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

T he Dark Souls Academy was eerily quiet. Not even the magical Fae trees made a sound. They usually swayed to their own rhythm, but they sensed the imminent death in the air. Or maybe, they knew me too well. All my nights involved hunting since I became Queen of the academy.

My eyes scanned our surroundings. The Fae creatures I had saved from a demon classroom watched my every move. Their beady eyes were creepy but welcomed. They were the first alarm if anyone came near. My magic was the second, and my senses the third. When hunting demons, one must use every tool at their disposal. Especially when dealing with fervent powers.

Considering we stood in an academy in Hell, death wasn’t unusual. New demons arrived every week. Some weren’t a threat, but others were strong and malevolent—a lethal combination. I wasn’t shy when it came to ending someone who deserved it, but my best friend Lilah was a different story. And tonight’s kill would be all on her.

Her fear saturated the air around us, palpable, like a skunk’s spray. I could smell the sour stench even through the humid, burnt hair and brimstone-scented air. My demon side eagerly fed on Lilah’s emotions, savoring them like a cold drink on a hot day.

Okay, remember to be quiet. Always think that your opponent is stronger than you, so sneak attacks are the best way to hunt. One sneaky strike can put the odds in your favor no matter how big your opponent is. I spoke into Lilah’s mind through our bond.

I glanced at my mark on her arm—a half skull with a lit candle on top—and couldn’t help but smile. The tangerine and fuchsia flames, edged in lapis, gleamed brightly on her milky skin. Even the wax melting onto the bone glowed faintly.

Watching it still tripped me out. Most demons had dark, ominous marks, but mine was vibrant and full of life. It was the perfect tattoo on her lower left arm. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be permanent, not until I was over one hundred years old, but the temporary mark still served its purpose. Even if she was contracted to another demon. For a little while she was mine again. My mark was something I was proud of.It told all of Hell that she was under my protection.

I don’t know if I can. Her voice trembled with uncertainty.

I knew she had it in her. The demon side of her was feeble, but it would help. Even if I didn’t know what kind of demon lived inside her, all demons could kill.

I squeezed her shaking hand, giving her my support as we crouched in the bushes like small animals seeking shelter from a storm. The forest liked me, so the leaves and branches wrapped around us like a protective mother. But we were the storm about to hit.

Yes, you can. The Minotaur attacked you today. He deserves a much slower death. Come on, the Soul Building and I can’t always be there to protect you. With your new power boost, you’re strong, but some demons are stronger. I need you to be able to protect yourself. You know what’s coming.

Sacrificed demon souls filled the academy building. Souls that helped protect the school and had teleported Lilah away just in time, but it was close. She spent most of the day with my energy balm on her, so she could heal faster. My heart still thrashed in my chest about how close I came to losing her. It was why she needed to learn to become a killer. Hell was no place for the soft.

Are you sure you or Demarcus can’t, like ? —

No. You need to do this. This demon is going to keep hurting people. He deserves this.

She shook her head and bit her lip. The fear made her eyes constantly dart around. Maybe we should do this tomorrow? You’ve been training the rest of the faction all week. Don’t you want to go watch a movie? An episode of Charmed?

Nope. Put your big-girl panties on. If you don’t want me to make you stay in the Lower Haven until I take care of Lucifer, you need to be a fighter. And demons fight in blood.

That did it. That had become the motto I told all the slaves who were too scared to fight. Only monsters could defeat other monsters.

Her soft, brown eyes hardened. Whatever the heck the Minotaur told her had scared her more than his fists did, but she refused to tell me. Now, her nod and the determined glint in her eyes made it worth all the trouble it took to get her here.

She wasn’t wrong about me being busy. I owed the building everything these past few weeks. Since I outed myself as a powerful Succubus during the Demon Trials, I’d become the talk of Hell. My kind had been hunted to damn near extinction because we could control others, so it was a big deal. Images of me running around all over the place to keep everyone safe and to find the answers I needed these past several days threatened to drain me on the spot. The constant state of flight or fight mixed with my exhaustion took a lot out of me.

Alright, once he walks by, slice his tendons. You’ll have about thirty seconds before he heals. His high-level magic means only a decapitation or removing his heart will kill him. Anything else he’ll eventually heal from. Adrenaline amped up my voice telepathically.

Her soft breaths came quicker as she gripped my dagger with the pink jewel on the tip. It cried out for blood. The animals scurried away, warning me it was almost time. A few moments later, the ground vibrated. Her target would be here soon. To be sure he was alone, I called on my third-eye magic.

Power rushed over me, brightening the world. The aura around Lilah was a cloud of blood red with yellow edges. Anger fueled her determination, but the yellow meant she was hopeful as well, so I let her be. Anger made people stupid. But she could do this, as long as it didn’t consume her.

My magic searched and found him instantly. The black and red cloud around him was massive, so he had a lot of power. This surprise attack would be the best way to bring him down. His tainted soul and hostile actions around the academy put a target on his back. Thankfully, we got to him first. Lilah needed this.

A movement beside me drew my attention. The thrill of the hunt had me salivating. My demon wanted to be the one hunting tonight, but she knew that Lilah needed this. I deactivated my third eye and gently removed my arm from Lilah’s chest, shaking my head to signal her to stay put.

You need to hide deep in the shadows. Your pink hair is too noticeable.

Her petite frame and tan skin hid well, but not the hair. Next time, she’d have to wear a dark beanie. My Fae side turned my hair black for me when I went on hunts, but Lilah was mostly human. Her power was her strength. The girl could bench a small car. Not really, but I bet she could if her powers kept growing. When I gave her too high of a power boost, she got a taste of just that. She couldn’t open a door without ripping it off the hinges.

However, exchanging magic with slaves was illegal. The last thing I needed was Lucifer finding out and using it to get his hands on me. He had already demanded I come to the castle to train for my Power Princess status as a leader of my kind. I could even be a part of the Dark Counsel apparently. I refused it all. He could fuck off.

My adrenaline spiked, causing my demon to purr with hunger. It had been a while since I’d fed properly. One benefit of being mated to five men was that my demon didn’t crave lust as much. She could feed off any emotion. Back when I lived on Earth—before the Light Council enforcers dragged me to Hell—emotions had been enough to sustain me. They weren’t as filling, but they did the job. It was a good thing too, because I was currently boycotting my mates.

Before my mind could take me too far down that rabbit hole, Lilah’s prey walked past me, making me focus. His shadow, cast by the low-lit night sky, that glowed like a coiled space heater, stretched out menacingly.

Lilah licked her lips and slowly crept forward. The bush silently opened up, moving out of our way. I absently rubbed a leaf in thanks as I followed next to her.

As soon as he passed her, I yelled in her mind, Now!

Lilah gripped my dagger harder until her knuckles turned white. It shined in the night as she slid from her spot in a knee glide, just as I taught her. The enchanted leather she borrowed from me protected her from magic, the weather, and it fixed itself. It made it so she could glide and move silently.

A whooshing sound echoed around us as her blade moved through the air. She sliced through the flesh on the back of his ankles. His black blood sprayed but missed her. The large man-beast dropped to the ground face-first with a deep cry of pain.

Lilah didn’t waste any time, her small body pounced on him from behind. The blade bit into his back where his heart would be, but there was too much muscle in the way. She’d need to work hard for the kill.

Being a Succubus with a mate group had its perks. The pink mist that manifested out of me hovered at her side, dancing around her like a blushing ghost. It waited around just in case she needed the energy to incapacitate him. The assistance would only last for a few seconds, but she didn’t need much.

My picky magic only let Lilah use the mist, though. Not even I got to use that ability. It would be nice to have support sometimes like a magical bodyguard ready to step in if I needed it.

When Lilah screamed, the mist began to envelop the area, swirling around Lilah like a protective shroud. It was a shimmering cloud of luminescent cerise, creating a mesmerizing effect that made it hard to focus on her exact location. It moved with her, blending her into the environment, making her appear ethereal.

The Minotaur struggled to rise as his blood pooled around him, making the ground slippery. He swung his massive arms blindly. Each swing missed her by inches. His confusion grew with each missed strike, his growls of frustration echoing through the forest.

My mist wouldn’t support her like this forever, but it sensed she needed the help. For her first real fight, she was doing well, but this wasn’t training. That Minotaur could kill her or do far worse to her small body.

Lilah jumped on his back to keep away from his fist. With a grunt she hurdled herself off him when he went for her hair. She trembled from exertion as he righted himself. While her power did lay in her strength, she was still a low-ranking Dimidium Demon—half demon—she had the strength of a large human male. Male demons, especially Masters, were much stronger. She slashed at his tendon again and tried to flip him over, but he resisted, fighting her grip.

I took a deep breath. My protective instincts screamed for me to kill him myself and wrap her into a tight ball to keep her safe, but a battle was coming, and I needed her to be able to defend herself. All of Hell could sense the electricity in the air demanding people to pick a side or run and hide. Even the slaves fought back. They poisoned hundreds of Masters before anyone caught on to what was happening. Most of the fallen were vampires. Blood was the easiest to taint and unlike the vamps at the school, they had to feed almost every day to survive.

Nevertheless, Lucifer would eventually come for me, even if all that wasn't happening outside the walls of the academy. His minions had certainly tried. They all ended up in the dungeon or dead. I didn’t mind as much as Lucifer thought because hunting them and torturing them after had brought out a much darker side of me. The more he sent as a warning the better I got.

Lilah hissed and slashed away at the large demon, bringing my blood lust out. It shined through my pink eyes. They flashed red as if taking a picture of the crimson splatter for later. The vicious way she moved made me proud. She had come so far. No one would hurt her. I’d have Lucifer laying at my feet while he choked on his own fluids before he could.

He may want me as his Queen—his sex slave—to use my ability to control everyone. But I wouldn’t let him use me to hurt the people I loved. I’d use every advantage I could, including the rules he so desperately wanted to break. That was a worry for later.

As Lilah’s prey cried out in pain, two fundamental rules for demons flashed in my mind: ‘Every demon for themselves unless they shared a faction, and power must be respected and obeyed.’ It was great to see Lilah with a low power level beat on a higher-level power.

With a shout on her lips, she charged, throwing her body, shoulder first, into the Minotaur’s legs, knocking him on his back. They both made a shit ton of noise. I winced but didn’t stress about it too much. The trees would shake if someone headed our way.

People didn’t help each other in Hell, especially in the academy, but he was high-level demon in a faction, so my eyes scanned the area just in case. No one yet. My third eye confirmed it.

If he shifted, he’d be a true threat, but he didn’t think a slave could kill him. That meant he would underestimate her. His stupidity would be his downfall.

“You little bitch! I’ll kill you,” he yelled as he swung at Lilah again.

The surprise is gone, start slashing the fuck out of him. Weaken him.

This was taking too long. Lilah listened, though. Black blood splashed out with a vengeance. It didn’t miss her this time, it hit her body and face. My sinister smile stretched wide as my pupils dilated.

Was it wrong that I loved this?

She ducked and dove around him like lightning. Thankfully, he was slow, but if he got a good hit in, she’d be done for. My pink magic grew thicker around her to help keep her movement a surprise. It was her greatest weapon after all.

After the twentieth slash, I spoke again. Come on, Lilah. Focus on the goal. When you’re out in the open like this you need to be fast. If his friends or faction found you, it wouldn’t end well.

She growled in frustration but didn’t let up. This was life or death now. He would never stop hunting her. Straddling his chest, she plunged the dagger into him repeatedly, but his strength easily overpowered hers. Before he could gain the upper hand, she switched positions. I couldn’t hold back my snort when she used her ass to smoosh his face while stabbing his chest. It startled the demon, so he stopped thrashing around. The Minotaur probably thought this was foreplay.

“Ow! Stop biting my vagina!” she screamed, still stabbing. His chest was thick as fuck apparently. The magically infused leather of my suit would protect her from getting torn apart by his animalistic teeth.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. This had gotten ridiculous. I took a step forward to help her, but black blood shot out of him like an acrimonious fountain, so I stopped. She was going to do it. She had to.

Over and over the blade made holes in the creature. His blood covered her body. Was it sad that killing had become entertainment most nights? But all things must end.

Now, twist the blade when it’s inside. When he goes limp, cut out the heart. When dealing with someone at this level of power, you need to make sure their death is thorough.

She was just lucky he didn’t have a secondary power. He was in his human form. As a shifter, his power was the animal inside of him, which was why she went for the legs first. Blood loss and too much pain could confuse a shifter long enough to make them forget they had a whole-ass animal inside of them. Especially if they underestimated their opponent. Their survival instincts would kick in if the hunter waited too long though.

Once her prey stopped breathing, Lilah moved off him with a wince. “The fucker bit me so many fucking times. Thank goodness this leather kept fixing itself. My poor vagina.” She gripped herself through the fabric. “Stop laughing,” she snapped at me with a glare.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop.” I bent over as my now silent chuckles made it hard to breathe.

She ignored me and used the dagger to finish the job. Cutting open the chest was easy now that she had stabbed it a million times. The heart was shredded, but she pulled it from his chest with a slushy like sound until it came free.

“Asshole!”

She threw the heart on the ground and stomped until it was a pile of black goo. Then, she waddled away from the dead demon. Her winces put a smirk on my face. The saying misery loved company was completely true, and I was a miserable fucker these days.

I patted her on her back when she walked past me. When she growled, I gave her a pat on the ass like the human sports coaches did in the movies. “You did good.”

She just swung her arm backwards to swat me away without glancing back.

“I’m sure Demarcus can kiss it better,” I teased, and made kissing noises to make her laugh. I might be turning into a despondent bitch, but I still wanted her to be happy.

She shoved me away. Her cheeks turned bright red that could even be seen in the dark of the night.

“Screw you.” Her pride and embarrassment collided.

She was still shy around anything sexual, but it was getting better as her men worked with her. Soon, she’d be cracking sex jokes, I knew it. Her brainwashing mother wouldn’t hold her grip on Lilah forever.

“Speaking of the demon. Demarcus is screaming in my head, wanting to know what is happening. How do I tell him my vagina is broken?” The horror in her eyes made me take this conversation seriously. Even if I wanted to laugh some more. Demarcus was her new Master, so he could feel her emotions.

“It’s not broken. I’ll heal you one way or another.” My tone was nonchalant, but she grimaced.

“No more kissing. I can’t handle anymore.” She shifted away from me.

Her mom had subjected her to mental and physical torture because of the tiny bit of demon inside her. Lilah recently confided in me that her mom was part of a cult—a real crazy bitch. The religious aspect to her mom’s torture made sense now. Cult leaders were hot commodities in Hell. Their spirits tasted spicy, a demon’s favorite flavor. I’d capture her soul somehow and give it to an atrocious homosexual demon as pay back.

She said her mom would make her sit on her hands for hours or put her in a locked chest if she even looked at homosexuals when they were out of the house.

Yet, a kiss would be the easiest way to give Lilah my energy. I could regulate the flow better. If I gave her too much power, she’d start breaking everything she touched again. I loved to watch her grow as a demon, but she wasn’t ready for that level of power.

“Okay. How about we use the elephant jizz?” The smirk was in my tone. This small amount of joking fun was the only joy I got these days. I couldn’t help myself.

She snorted at the memory but nodded.

Our best friend Vivian called our energy balm that, and it stuck. Since I couldn’t see her for several more months because of the Dark Soul Council’s punishment, it was great to feel connected to her somehow. Now that she was practically mated to my brother and ran the slave Haven, I had her in my life a little. I still missed her, though.

“It’ll take a lot longer to heal.” I warned her.

Vagina pain sucked, but I guessed as a woman, she’d be used to it. Succubi didn’t have that problem often. We controlled when we got fertile and when we bled. Unfortunately, we had to choose at least two times a year to have our periods, or our demons would go feral.

“As long as you don’t have to put it on the wounds, I’ll suffer.” She unzipped her leather top and removed her arms from the sleeves. Her white schoolgirl shirt was clean and bright in the night. It was what all the slaves had to wear. That and pleated skirts, or tan pleated slacks for the men. Whereas the Master demons wore leather.

“Whatever you want,” I teased.

I poked her side, then let my happy mask fall for a second. The exhaustion of always pretending either to make others happy, or to prove that I deserved my title as Queen took a toll on me.

After absently swatting my hand away, her back went straight. "Okay, give me a second. I need to talk to him. He’s giving me a headache.”

I grabbed her arm as she closed her eyes to focus, smirking when she groaned in frustration. Her new Master had his bond mark on her, but mine, being stronger, was the only one visible on her skin—something that drove him crazy.

I didn’t feel as bad for not reclaiming her as my lower, when I got back from the Demon Trials, with him around. Me being her Master would only bring her trouble and pain. Demarcus was one of the people who had the sense to not tell everyone he was in my faction, so Lilah was safer with him.

I missed her in my head like we were tonight, though. She was always a bright light in my dark life. Maybe the other supernaturals had it right when they called anyone with demon blood in them Dark Souls… Still didn’t give them the right to segregate us and treat us like a disease, but I understood the title more since living in Hell.

All supernaturals were all the same, especially Dimidium Demons. We had other supernatural types inside of us, not just demons. Like the Light Souls we had a five-level power ranking. Ones were strength and speed, which were the most common. Twos were shifters. Threes were potion makers. Four were spell casters. Fives were people who could do them all. But each number had a scale of its own. There were tons of other similarities between us. I didn’t understand why they hated us.

When she finished, I gently pulled her to a stop. “Come on, let’s get you home. You did well.” She limped away, grumbling under her breath. Not wanting to drag this out, I brought her closer to me. As I held her, I fumbled with the thick leather belt at my waist, searching for a teleportation potion. These green vials were priceless in Hell, but I knew how to make them, thanks to one of my mates, so I used them several times a day. This one would only transport us around the Academy since it was made here, but it was still a godsend. No more endless walking. No more demons reaching out to feed on my energy. No more hallways blurring and shifting to keep me from finding my way.

It was time to wash up. Moments like this made me miss the full-body leather suit that I let Piper use for the Demon Trials. I only met her for a second, but she had fought her way to the top of the trial with honor. Not like a demon. I haven’t magically summoned it back yet, but I needed to. It protected me from magic, regulated my temperature, and cleaned itself. Every Master got a set of magical leather uniforms. The women had to wear all leather, so they got more protection. Men only had pants and jackets.

As the silence set in, Lilah’s mind must have taken in the situation clearly because her emotions went from a little stressed to I-might-die levels in seconds. Lilah’s face turned green. She raised a hand to her mouth. “Yeah, and I might need to throw up. I can’t believe I just did that.” It was her first kill. Unfortunately, she’d most likely have to use this new skill again.

I kissed her forehead, taking away her pain and anxiety, feeding on them. The taste of her sweet emotions surprised me. I expected them to be bitter.

“You did good. Let’s go home and get some rest. You deserve it.”

I hoped that I could do the same, but another restless night likely awaited me. Lucifer’s voice already echoed in my mind as he said he’d kill his sons to get to me. He’d kill everyone. Rest and I were no longer on speaking terms. I needed the bastard dead. His blood dripping from my blade so I could breathe better. She had to get though his immense power and army.

Super easy…Not.