I Am The Demon Prince

CHAPTER 8: The Mark

“Welcome to the lower levels,” Korrath said, strolling out of the darkness with his hands casually tucked into his pockets. He looked as calm and relaxed as a host greeting guests at a dinner party.

“You set this entire situation up just to get us down here,” Alex said, tightening his grip on the wooden axe handle.

“The tunnels are only the beginning of what I have planned for this school,” Korrath replied with a bright, unapologetic smile. “I needed to see if you'd actually risk yourself for a couple of random humans. Turns out you're just as predictable as I'd hoped.”

“Let the guards go,” Tyler demanded, stepping forward with his iron pipe raised. “This fight is between us, not them.”

“I think I'll let my friends decide what happens to the staff.” Korrath took a deliberate step backward into the deep shadows. “Enjoy the reunion, little brother.”

“Alex, stay close to the pillar. Don't let them flank you,” Jenna instructed, drawing her silver blade from her jacket.

“I know how to fight,” Tyler said, rolling his shoulders as he planted his boots firmly on the concrete.

“These aren't guys from the boxing gym,” Jenna warned. “Watch their hands. Keep your guard up.”

The horde of pale creatures shrieked, scrambling across the stone floor toward them. Their claws raked the concrete, leaving deep gouges in the foundation as the first wave lunged at the group.

Tyler stepped in front of the tied guards and swung his pipe in a tight, ugly arc, catching the nearest creature squarely on the jaw. The impact echoed through the cavern.

“Watch your left side!” Jenna shouted, raising her blade.

She began chanting the binding syllables, her voice ringing clearly above the monsters' snarls. The foreign words slowed the approaching creatures just long enough for Alex to charge forward with the red fire axe. Its steel blade struck a demon in the ribs, sending it crashing into the dirt.

“Keep them away from the guards!” Tyler yelled, kicking a fallen creature backward to clear some space.

“I'm working on it,” Alex replied, dodging a swiping claw. “How many of these things are down here?”

“Too many for us to fight all night,” Jenna answered, slashing her blade across a pale arm reaching for her coat. “We need to break their line, grab the men, then find another way out.”

“There is no other way out,” Tyler pointed out. “The door is locked.”

Before Alex could respond, a shadow detached itself from the ceiling. A massive mid-rank demon dropped onto Tyler's shoulders, slamming the boxer against the floor and pinning him beneath its weight. The creature's wide jaw was lined with serrated teeth, which snapped dangerously close to Tyler's face.

Tyler shoved his pipe horizontally between them with both hands, blocking the bite.

“Get this thing off me right now!”

“Hold on!” Alex shouted.

He dropped the axe, grabbed the monster by its throat, then dug his fingers into its rough, gray skin. With a brutal heave, he hauled the beast off Tyler and drove it into the nearest support pillar using every ounce of strength he could muster.

The stone cracked under the impact. Black ichor mixed with red blood across the floor as the creature crumpled against the damaged column.

The moment Alex released the demon, the brand on his chest split wider. The seal strained against his ribs while the ground beneath their boots began shaking violently. Dust rained from the ceiling.

“What is happening to the room?” Tyler asked, scrambling to his feet and retrieving his weapon.

“The seal is breaking!” Alex yelled, clutching his chest as blinding heat radiated from his skin. “If it fails now, the gate will open right here beneath the university.”

“You have to pull the power back!” Jenna ordered, ducking beneath another set of claws.

“I can't stop it!” Alex shouted, his vision blurring as the chamber vibrated around him. “Get the guards out of here before the floor collapses!”

“Nobody is leaving you behind,” Tyler argued, swinging his pipe at an approaching monster.

Jenna realized her silver blade wouldn't solve this problem. She sprinted across the room, dodged a lurching creature, then threw herself directly in front of Alex. Pressing both bare hands against his burning chest, she closed her eyes.

“Listen to my voice, Alex!” she yelled over the chaos.

“Get away from him, Jenna!” Tyler warned, swinging his pipe to keep the remaining creatures at bay. “He's going to explode!”

“Keep them off my back!” Jenna ordered.

Ignoring the boxer, she began reciting a different binding chant... ancient words she'd only ever encountered in the Order's restricted archives.

The magic formed a solid dam against the rushing flood of Alex's demonic power, forcing the heat back into the fractured seal. The tunnel fell instantly silent as the energy receded. A brilliant flash of light swept through the chamber, sending the surviving monsters scattering into the dark pipes.

Alex gasped, then slumped forward.

“You did it,” he whispered.

“Do not move,” Jenna said, her voice trembling.

A brutal backlash raced up Jenna's arm the moment the seal stabilized. She screamed and stumbled backward, staring at her skin as a vicious mark burned itself into her forearm. It glowed with a mixture of brilliant holy light and dark flame.

Before Alex could catch her, she collapsed onto the concrete floor.

“Jenna!” Tyler shouted.

He rushed to her side, dropped his weapon, then scooped her into his arms, supporting her head against his shoulder.

“Is she breathing?”

“She is alive,” Alex confirmed after checking her pulse. He turned toward the guards, who remained tied to the pillar.

“We have to get her to a hospital,” Tyler said.

“A hospital cannot fix magic burns,” Alex replied.

He retrieved his axe from the dirt and carefully sliced through the thick ropes binding the two men to the pillar.

“Can you both walk?”

The older guard nodded rapidly. “Yes, we can walk. Just get us out of here.”

“We need to get out of this hole right now,” Tyler said, adjusting Jenna's limp body against his chest. “Grab your gear and move to the ladder.”

“I'll take the rear,” Alex told him. “Keep moving. Don't look back.”

Alex led them toward the iron ladder, guiding the shaken guards up the cold metal rungs to the surface. Freezing winter air struck them the moment they emerged from the rusted hatch onto the snowy lawn.

Tyler climbed out last, carrying the unconscious hunter through the opening. He laid her gently on the frosted grass, then checked her breathing again while brushing snow from her face.

“We need to get her to Holbrook,” Tyler said. “He'll know what to do.”

“We're not going anywhere yet,” Alex replied, raising the axe.

Footsteps crunched through the nearby snow.

Alex turned to find Bane Vaughan standing near the edge of the science building courtyard. The rogue warrior wore a dark winter coat, watching them with cold, calculating eyes. He spared no glance for the rescued guards or the cracked axe in Alex's hand. Instead, his gaze fixed on the glowing mark visible through the torn sleeve of Jenna's jacket.

“What do you want?” Tyler demanded, stepping in front of the unconscious girl to block Bane's view.

“I'm just enjoying the winter evening,” Bane replied calmly, without moving an inch.

“Walk away, Bane,” Alex warned, stepping forward to close the distance between them.

Bane offered a thin smile, then pointed a gloved finger at Jenna's injured arm.

“Commander Crowe will want to hear about this.”