Sheena Hutchinson Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? Like you saw something move out of the corner of your eye but when you turned around, there was nothing there? Have you ever wondered why bad things happen? There is no such thing as coincidences on this earth. Bad things happen for a reason, they happen mainly because…well honestly, because I’m bored. It’s crazy when I actually think about how much mayhem I’ve caused over my short life so far. There was that ten car pileup on the NY state thruway, the collapse of the George Washington Bridge at rush hour, oh and who can forget the terrorist bombing of the New York Stock Exchange. That had the demons laughing for weeks! I haven’t even gotten started yet, believe me I have a lot more craziness in store! As the only daughter of a Greater Demon, I have what some may call a responsibility to make a presence for myself in the demonic world. If anything were to happen to my father, Leviathan, I would be the next in line to take control of Underworld. Things have been really quiet since my dad has taken control. It was about the year I was born, which would make it 18 years ago. I can almost feel a rebellion coming on there’s just so much tension in Underworld right now. These rebellions are common, they happen every once and a while. That’s just what you can expect among demons, Greed is a common quality between us after all. Another reason I can almost smell it coming on is because I’ve recently become of age and they love it when there’s a Demonic Queen. Mainly because women are more emotionally driven and it creates insane amounts of turmoil all over the earth. The rules of the last few Evil Queens have coincided with both World Wars and a number of other famous battles and merciless leaders. Human’s put their own spin on what caused the conflict, but us Demons know who really had a hand in each of them. As you can see this gives me an intense internal conflict. I hate to admit it, but I have formed a great connection with my father after my mother’s murder. I would regret to see him killed, but I do look forward to my own rule. I have heard several different rumors that demons have taken notice of my extracurricular activities and there’s been talk that I would make a great Evil Queen. Queen Layla. I like the sound of that. I can’t help the sly grin that crosses my face as I repeat my future name in the back of my head as I head down the stone staircase into the kitchen. I find myself running my hand along the uneven stones along the staircase until I reach the window. I look out over Underworld that I may one day rule. Being of noble descent, my father and I live in Underworld which is the demonic underground city below what humans call New York City. You see all demons live under the earth’s surface, except for those that are on assignment on the surface. The main Demonic capitals coincide with several cities of humans above, they are drawn to us and evil. For example, Underworld is below NYC, but there are others located below Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Detroit just to name a few. There’s also no coincidence those cities are also the cities with the most crime. The more demonic presence they have below them the more humans are emotionally compromised. Like every community even demons have a hierarchy. He has been known by many names, but our race is still run by Lucifer himself. He has named two main capitals Underworld and ______ which is located below_____, although there are several smaller communities, tribes, and clans below most cities above us. Demons are jealous and greedy after all, we all want to rule someone. In between each of these underground congregations, there are unworthy demons that have either been banished or been labeled “Good-Doers”. They live in dirt and squalor all over the outskirts of the underground capitals. Further below, only reachable through long dark tunnels, deep in the earth’s core is where the fires of Hell are kept. Consisting of human souls, tortured Angels, and imprisoned Demons. Only the Guardians have ever seen the Gates of Hell and returned, but sometimes on a quiet night the screams can be heard reverberating through the earth’s many layers. Now as I look out over my underground people gives me a strange feeling. I somehow know that within a short time, my life will never again be the same. Whether for the good or the bad, my world as I know it is coming to an end and a new path will ultimately have to begin. A bittersweet feeling fills me that I’m not used to. Feelings in general are what I’m not used to. I shrug it off as I continue down the stairs to curb my hunger, the one feeling I actually am accustomed to. (As demons we are subjected to the feelings of the flesh. Hunger, pain, tiredness, passion, on top of human emotion of fear, greed, jealousy, I’ve been told that was our punishment for Lucifer being banished from heaven that we are subject to feeling such sentiments.) *** A few hours later I find myself above ground roaming the earth for trouble with my comrade Katrina. We could always find some harm when we were together. She was my partner in crime, literally. “So I overheard someone say something about a Dark Queen this morning when I was walking along the quarry. Do you think they plan on taking action soon?” Katrina is inquiring to see if I heard any news, which of course I hadn’t. Who would have the balls to tell me that they planned on killing my father? “I have no idea Kat, I really don’t have the stomach for this right now.” I state clearly indicating no room for more questions. “Fine, so tell me about Drago! Has he started his courtship yet?” She changes the subject to another topic I’m not willing to talk about. “Kattt!” I yell exasperated as I push a young kid off of his bike and he tumbles onto the hard cement walkway. “Ok! Ok.. Never mind” She finally resolves to walk beside me in silence. The truth is I don’t want to think about Drago. Courting is different with demons when compared to humans. There’s no love, no flowers, it’s more like a carefully calculated business deal between parents. But what’s a business deal without death? Depending on how high your status is in the demonic world, your parents would arrange a few formidable suitors and if more than one wants you they will dual it out for you. They literally fight to the death for you. Sounds like what humans would call romantic, but believe me witnessing it will make you think otherwise, it’s barbaric. There is no mercy involved. I remember my battle like it was yesterday. Finally on my 18th birthday, my father had selected three suitors for me, Corbin Black, Damien Hunter, and Drago Noir. All boys about my age, all of them from royal-evil families, and all of them knew what it would mean to be ceremoniously joined to me. I’ve been told it was the most watched battle of all time. We had to host it in the large, open sacrificial room to hold all the demons that attended. Obviously Drago won, I had to watch as he brutally murdered Corbin straight out of the gate. Then continue to watch as him and Damien battled to the death for me. It wasn’t the blood and guts that disgusted me—I’m evil after all. I thrive off that kind of action. What bothered me was the fact that they were all fighting over me like the last a piece of meat on the feast table. I didn’t want to be won like some prize, I didn’t need a man at my side during my rule. They would just be a nagging mosquito in my ear the entire time. I could just kill him after I take the throne, well I won’t get ahead of myself. Maybe he will grow on me. He is attractive in that tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome kind of way. Drago is muscular and hunky with tan skin like he’s been shoveling coals down in the fires of Hell itself. He has dark, hunter-green eyes and dark hair that curls a little at the tips. I still remember the look in his eyes after he stood up from Damien’s limp body. Covered in Damien’s blood, Drago stood to his feet, ran his fingers through his hair as he looked over his shoulder at where I sat beside my father. His dark green eyes met my light blue ones and it gave me goose bumps. There was definitely something sexy about the glare he gave me, yet also something more sinister and intriguing. It felt almost like a promise, like I’m his and he knows it. Looking up at me from over his shoulder still dripping in the blood from the men he defeated in my honor, he was glaring up at his victory. Me.
Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? Like you saw something move out of the corner of your eye but when you turned around, there was nothing there? Have you ever wondered why bad things happen? There is no such thing as coincidences on this earth. Bad things happen for a reason, they happen mainly because…well honestly, because I’m bored.
It’s crazy when I actually think about how much mayhem I’ve caused over my short life so far. There was that ten car pileup on the NY state thruway, the collapse of the George Washington Bridge at rush hour, oh and who can forget the terrorist bombing of the New York Stock Exchange. That had the demons laughing for weeks!
I haven’t even gotten started yet, believe me I have a lot more craziness in store! As the only daughter of a Greater Demon, I have what some may call a responsibility to make a presence for myself in the demonic world. If anything were to happen to my father, Leviathan, I would be the next in line to take control of Underworld. Things have been really quiet since my dad has taken control. It was about the year I was born, which would make it 18 years ago. I can almost feel a rebellion coming on there’s just so much tension in Underworld right now. These rebellions are common, they happen every once and a while. That’s just what you can expect among demons, Greed is a common quality between us after all. Another reason I can almost smell it coming on is because I’ve recently become of age and they love it when there’s a Demonic Queen. Mainly because women are more emotionally driven and it creates insane amounts of turmoil all over the earth. The rules of the last few Evil Queens have coincided with both World Wars and a number of other famous battles and merciless leaders. Human’s put their own spin on what caused the conflict, but us Demons know who really had a hand in each of them.
As you can see this gives me an intense internal conflict. I hate to admit it, but I have formed a great connection with my father after my mother’s murder. I would regret to see him killed, but I do look forward to my own rule. I have heard several different rumors that demons have taken notice of my extracurricular activities and there’s been talk that I would make a great Evil Queen. Queen Layla. I like the sound of that. I can’t help the sly grin that crosses my face as I repeat my future name in the back of my head as I head down the stone staircase into the kitchen. I find myself running my hand along the uneven stones along the staircase until I reach the window. I look out over Underworld that I may one day rule. Being of noble descent, my father and I live in Underworld which is the demonic underground city below what humans call New York City. You see all demons live under the earth’s surface, except for those that are on assignment on the surface. The main Demonic capitals coincide with several cities of humans above, they are drawn to us and evil. For example, Underworld is below NYC, but there are others located below Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Detroit just to name a few. There’s also no coincidence those cities are also the cities with the most crime. The more demonic presence they have below them the more humans are emotionally compromised. Like every community even demons have a hierarchy. He has been known by many names, but our race is still run by Lucifer himself. He has named two main capitals Underworld and ______ which is located below_____, although there are several smaller communities, tribes, and clans below most cities above us. Demons are jealous and greedy after all, we all want to rule someone. In between each of these underground congregations, there are unworthy demons that have either been banished or been labeled “Good-Doers”. They live in dirt and squalor all over the outskirts of the underground capitals. Further below, only reachable through long dark tunnels, deep in the earth’s core is where the fires of Hell are kept. Consisting of human souls, tortured Angels, and imprisoned Demons. Only the Guardians have ever seen the Gates of Hell and returned, but sometimes on a quiet night the screams can be heard reverberating through the earth’s many layers.
Now as I look out over my underground people gives me a strange feeling. I somehow know that within a short time, my life will never again be the same. Whether for the good or the bad, my world as I know it is coming to an end and a new path will ultimately have to begin. A bittersweet feeling fills me that I’m not used to. Feelings in general are what I’m not used to. I shrug it off as I continue down the stairs to curb my hunger, the one feeling I actually am accustomed to.
(As demons we are subjected to the feelings of the flesh. Hunger, pain, tiredness, passion, on top of human emotion of fear, greed, jealousy, I’ve been told that was our punishment for Lucifer being banished from heaven that we are subject to feeling such sentiments.)
***
A few hours later I find myself above ground roaming the earth for trouble with my comrade Katrina. We could always find some harm when we were together. She was my partner in crime, literally.
“So I overheard someone say something about a Dark Queen this morning when I was walking along the quarry. Do you think they plan on taking action soon?” Katrina is inquiring to see if I heard any news, which of course I hadn’t. Who would have the balls to tell me that they planned on killing my father?
“I have no idea Kat, I really don’t have the stomach for this right now.” I state clearly indicating no room for more questions.
“Fine, so tell me about Drago! Has he started his courtship yet?” She changes the subject to another topic I’m not willing to talk about.
“Kattt!” I yell exasperated as I push a young kid off of his bike and he tumbles onto the hard cement walkway.
“Ok! Ok.. Never mind” She finally resolves to walk beside me in silence.
The truth is I don’t want to think about Drago. Courting is different with demons when compared to humans. There’s no love, no flowers, it’s more like a carefully calculated business deal between parents. But what’s a business deal without death? Depending on how high your status is in the demonic world, your parents would arrange a few formidable suitors and if more than one wants you they will dual it out for you. They literally fight to the death for you. Sounds like what humans would call romantic, but believe me witnessing it will make you think otherwise, it’s barbaric. There is no mercy involved. I remember my battle like it was yesterday. Finally on my 18th birthday, my father had selected three suitors for me, Corbin Black, Damien Hunter, and Drago Noir. All boys about my age, all of them from royal-evil families, and all of them knew what it would mean to be ceremoniously joined to me. I’ve been told it was the most watched battle of all time. We had to host it in the large, open sacrificial room to hold all the demons that attended. Obviously Drago won, I had to watch as he brutally murdered Corbin straight out of the gate. Then continue to watch as him and Damien battled to the death for me. It wasn’t the blood and guts that disgusted me—I’m evil after all. I thrive off that kind of action. What bothered me was the fact that they were all fighting over me like the last a piece of meat on the feast table. I didn’t want to be won like some prize, I didn’t need a man at my side during my rule. They would just be a nagging mosquito in my ear the entire time. I could just kill him after I take the throne, well I won’t get ahead of myself. Maybe he will grow on me. He is attractive in that tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome kind of way. Drago is muscular and hunky with tan skin like he’s been shoveling coals down in the fires of Hell itself. He has dark, hunter-green eyes and dark hair that curls a little at the tips. I still remember the look in his eyes after he stood up from Damien’s limp body. Covered in Damien’s blood, Drago stood to his feet, ran his fingers through his hair as he looked over his shoulder at where I sat beside my father. His dark green eyes met my light blue ones and it gave me goose bumps. There was definitely something sexy about the glare he gave me, yet also something more sinister and intriguing. It felt almost like a promise, like I’m his and he knows it. Looking up at me from over his shoulder still dripping in the blood from the men he defeated in my honor, he was glaring up at his victory. Me.