I let it feel my warmth and affection. I missed you too, baby. The snake knew that. We liked being near each other, feeling each other with all of our bodies.
When will I go back?
Soon, very soon. Just wait a bit. You waited for twenty years before I came; now, it will only be a short while.
Yes, but it was different. Back then, I didn’t know you. Now I do.
I sensed its emotions with the deepest part of my mind. It was more than thoughts or feelings, it was blind impulse, a force of nature. Still, I couldn’t wait long. The snake’s presence drained me of my power, plus, I spent a lot of it on hiding my magic from being detected.
I touched its black head.
“Tell me what’s going on at home.”
I slid into the darkness. Various images passed before my eyes.
Martha. At first, I saw Martha. My nanny was comfortable and content. She was lying atop a pile of blankets, with a plate full of meat and bread clearly taken from the palace kitchen next to her. Was I surprised? I was happy for her. A person I cared about was safe.
My next stop was my wife’s chambers. Now that was a picture worthy of an executioner’s brush! My wife was sitting on a couch, and next to her... Holy crap! And here I thought he was so quiet...
It was one of the pageboys. Darius had convinced me to let Her Highness have her personal retinue, and I had agreed. It would have been hard for her to live in another country with no familiar faces. But that was clearly too much! Just like that? Were they already involved?
I dug deeper, feeling bloody dew appear on my skin. It wouldn’t have been hard to just kill them, but reading them... No, they weren’t together. From his side, I felt adoration, and from her... That was love, pure and simple! Yes, my wife who carried my child—and there was no mistaking it, the snake would never confuse Radenor blood with someone else’s—was head over heels in love with that shmuck! What did she see in...whatshisname? Henry? Lanier? Something like that, I couldn’t remember clearly. He was always so quiet and unassuming, with his voice as his greatest asset. He sang like a bird, that one! I did hear it once, and it was beautiful. I didn’t like high-pitched voices, though, but the ladies swooned, including, apparently, Dariola, who was now caressing his head.
Fine, I had to admit; he was quite handsome. He had golden hair, with curls and tresses, naive blue eyes, and a warm smile, just like on a mural with some saint. Too bad. If I killed someone like him, everyone would blame me.
That was a problem. What am I to do with them?
All right, I’ll think it over later.
The next issue was the Church. The palace was full of templars. Oh yes, the castle’s teeming with them, actually, as if they were cockroaches. Where did they come from? Every nook and corner had someone stationed there. Lots of Riolonians, too. And Darius, really? His Majesty felt himself at home in my palace, apparently, seeing as he was screwing some court floozy, enjoying life to the fullest. Amazing!
I released the snake and collapsed inside the circle, completely exhausted. With the last vestiges of my strength spent on dousing the candles, I crawled to the bed. Washing the floor would have to wait until morning. In the meantime, I had to assess the situation. I felt unwell. I was covered with patches of dried blood and so weak that I could barely raise a hand, but still, I had done what I needed to do.
I knew what was happening at home, but nobody except for Martha knew what had happened to me. Maybe Rene did, though, and with him, Henry, Rick, Tommy... It didn’t matter. I trusted them.
All right, then. The country was conquered; let us call a spade a spade. Everything had depended on me too much, and that was a mistake, even if I had had no choice. And now...
Well, people loyal to me were in hiding, just as I had ordered them to do, and my wife...well, let’s be clear: if she hadn’t cheated on me, it wasn’t due to the goodness of her soul. She had just been too afraid for her own skin. Before she had conceived my baby, she had been nothing to Radenor. She still was nothing, but the throne would accept her child, and she could raise that child how she wanted.
However... I smirked.
Quarter-demons usually looked just like humans, but there were exceptions. When it came to our child, I had been planning on being present during the birth and delivery—so I could cast an illusion spell if it came to that.
But what would Dariola feel without me when she got a scaly or a tailed baby? And she very well could. Would she kill herself upon realizing who had been sharing her bed?
I would have to find out, just carefully enough. That shmuck was a favorite of many people. He sang in the temples, inns, and squares. They loved him, and they didn’t love me. Ruling was a thankless job. The king was to blame for everything: raising taxes, whipping a thief in the square, a drought or a locust invasion. If I were to reveal myself and order them to execute two star-crossed lovers, nobody would care that I had almost gotten cheated on. After all, I hadn’t, not really; it didn’t matter to them that emotional cheating was even worse than a purely physical affair. So what if they didn’t sleep together! In her mind, Dariola had long since replaced me with that guy and probably approved of my death, anyway.
Still, there was a certain irony. I set up my first wife, and the second did the same to me. Nobody can escape the universal balance. It didn’t mean, however, that I was about to swallow that and exile myself. It was my country, my home, my throne. I was responsible for the people in my power, and I would never allow them to return to their life under Rudolph, when nobody had ever felt safe, knowing that praying not fervently enough could cause your neighbor to report you.
No dice.
I would have to think of something for Dariola. Maybe her singer could die by impaling himself on a demon’s claws, and my wife, after giving birth, could retire to a convent to mourn her lost love.
That was my idea for her. As for the troops...had Darius actually invaded my country?
That was unlikely. He had probably brought a regiment or two, but no more than that. Not an invasion, just some friendly help from a brother to his sister who found herself in trouble. All right, then.
I would have to kill Darius, that was clear…but what would happen in Riolon afterward was the question. A rebellion? A civil war for power? And Innis lived there, as did her family.
I would deal with the warlocks the next day—go for a stroll in the city, look around, and the next night, carry out my plan.
And then, there was the Church. I couldn’t really get rid of it, though. That’s just how people are; they need to believe something. The funny thing is, they believe in a higher power, which is wise and virtuous, but imagine that it has the manners of a jealous neighbor. If you dress in the wrong colors on a holiday, you will be punished. If you don’t bow deeply enough or pray too quietly, you will be punished. Don’t they realize that if such a power indeed existed, it wouldn’t care a whiff about such trivialities? It would have different goals, different feelings, and different thoughts. It wouldn’t have time to punish people for some nonsense. But no; you could scream all you want, and they’d hear nothing.
Therefore, I had to let the Church live... but make it tame. I wasn’t blind, I could see the templars everywhere. Which is why I decided not to leave any monasteries that trained warriors in Radenor or in Riolon, and I knew how to achieve that. As for demon hunters... Well, how could you draw the line between them? I was a nice (well, mostly) demon, but there were lots of evil ones, too. If one of them got free in our dimension, we would need somebody to deal with it. So, should I not disband the demon hunters, but keep them under strict supervision?
That was food for thought.
But in the meantime... Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Two hundred times, until my head cleared up and I calmed down. Falling asleep was hard when thoughts were running around inside my head, pouring out onto the pillow. Yet I needed sleep.
A fun day and a hard night lay ahead.
***
&n
bsp; I was wrong about the day. It turned out to be just as hard. Innis was silent, but at breakfast, Lady Madie asked me if I had enough money to shop around, buy some clothes for my cousin.
I rummaged in my pockets and pulled out around fifty gold and a pile of copper coins, which I promptly laid out on the table. Tomorrow, there will be more. I wasn’t going to be soft on Riala’s underworld. First, it wasn’t my capital; second, it was Darius’ fault that I was there, and he had to deal with the consequences.
But women can’t go shopping alone. Somebody has to carry all the purchases, tell them if that turquoise scarf fits them, that aquamarine would be a better choice than azure, and that one had a rough cut. And as for the turquoise scarf, maybe the sapphire one is a better choice, after all?
After spending two hours walking and buying stuff, I learned one thing: I was a really kind person. I had never tortured any of my enemies as much; I killed them much earlier. That was a living nightmare. What was the difference between two dresses? There was none! Well, one can have longer lace than another, but so what? But for some women, apparently, that was a real problem! Warlocks and demons had nothing on gloves with the wrong buttons!
By noon, my only dream was to hide in a basement and lock myself up there for a week. Still, Auntie Madie and Innis seemed happy and cheerful and wanted to see ten more shops. Well, at least one more. Hmm, and that one might have something interesting as well...
I did get a look at the capital and even learned how to approach the main temple where the main servitor lived. But when I was in such a mood, one would do wisely not to come near my claws.
***
In the evening, I looked so miserable that Innis let me go to sleep early without any hassle. Oh, poor you, you’re exhausted! You’ve been shopping and carrying my stuff all day long, anybody would go mad!
As darkness fell on the streets, I went outside by climbing out of the window, unseen and unheard. Slowly, I walked toward the main temple, which stood tall and proud, impregnable and unscalable for everyone except a half-demon. My human part allowed me not to wince in pain and the divine power couldn’t scorch me with the fire of prayers, while my demon form gave me claws and a tail that were oh so handy to catch hold of ledges as I climbed the wall. My grey skin blended into the twilight so I could hang there for as long as needed, which, incidentally, was pretty long. I had to wait until the servitor, who happened to be a consummate glutton, gorged himself on smoked meat and wine—the latter was lucky, that would make him more pliable—and lay down on a huge canopy bed.
My claws were about to fall asleep, but finally, he started to snore, and I carefully pressed myself against the window. It wasn’t hard to pull the latch with my claw and get inside.
I didn’t use magic, so nobody and nothing inside reacted to my intrusion—neither amulets, nor artifacts, nor protective spells. All around me, there was peace and quiet. I paid attention to the sounds, but everything seemed fine.
Quiet as a mouse, I approached the bed, picked the perfect spot so light would fall upon me from behind, and lifted my hands up.
“Alamon! Hear me!”
I had learned the servitor’s name that very day at the marketplace. I didn’t have to call him long, as he jumped up on the bed, and I raised my hand. Long claws gleamed in the darkness of the room.
“Don’t be afraid. I swear by the darkness that I won’t harm you...today.”
It didn’t work very well; the servitor wasn’t shaken too badly. He wasn’t that cowardly, even if he was a wretch.
“What do you want from me, demon?”
“Your help.”
Now that was something he clearly hadn’t expected. Surprised, he hiccupped.
“W-what!”
“You hate those like me. I don’t like those like you. But we have something in common.”
“And what would that be?”
He is already being sarcastic? Not bad. I guess I stumbled upon a smart priest.
“Warlocks. You don’t like it when demons walk in this world, but we also have a distaste for some creatures.”
“What do you mean?”
“Does the name ‘Andago’ ring a bell?”
“Y-yes.”
“What about ‘Morales’?”
“No...”
“The Morales family lives near Count Andago’s estate. They’ve summoned a demon—one of ours—and feed him your people.”
“B-but—”
“But doesn’t anyone know about that? Local servitors cover it up.”
“Those are some strong allegations, demon.”
“I don’t ask you to take my word for it. Send somebody there, or better, two or three people.”
“Andagos and Moraleses. I’ll remember that.”
“Will you check it?”
“Yes. I’ll send my people there tomorrow. I do think you’re lying though, demon.”
“Why?”
“Your kind are cunning.”
“That’s true. But know this: the one in cahoots with the Moraleses is my enemy. I cannot deal with him myself...”
“And you want to take care of him by proxy.” He had clearly gotten my idea, at last.
“Your duty is to protect people from those such as me. And I want to get my enemy’s castle and females.”
“What would we get for helping you?”
I flicked my tail in a mocking gesture.
“I won’t kill you today. Is that good enough?”
“For me, yes. For the Church, no.”
“What do you want?”
“There are rituals that require demon blood...”
“Kill the one summoned by the Moraleses, and you’ll get some. I’m not so stupid as to give you mine.”
“What about the right of summoning? I think you would be in our debt...”
He grew arrogant so quickly! I stepped forward, and the servitor felt my claw under his chin. He stopped mid-sentence and stifled a groan.
“You’ve grown bold, human. I swore by the darkness that I would not harm you, but only today. I can visit you tomorrow, or the day after. You will try to defend yourself, but imagine living in constant anticipation of attack... I told you where your enemy is. That should be enough.”
And a powerful blow knocked the servitor out cold.
I slipped out through the window and lowered the latch back with my claw. I didn’t want to leave any traces.
I switched to human form and pulled on my clothes. Time to head home. On the way, I wanted to catch at least ten bandits and murderers; I needed money. What a shame! The King of Radenor loots Riolonian scumbags! Should I arrange a raid on the royal treasury? Yep, I’ll take a stroll around the palace, get the lay of the land, find some entry points.
***
The next ten days passed without any incidents. Innis and I walked around the capital, visited the Royal Park, and made new acquaintances. She looked so charming that I felt the pangs of jealousy, as we had to drive suitors away with a stick, while Auntie Madie’s house was showered in flowers and candy. Auntie herself rubbed her hands in pleasure—so much fun late in life! She was eager to tell all of her neighbors that yes, she had a man and a woman, second cousins, who rented her rooms specifically to avoid damaging the girl’s honor. Nope, no indecency at all, everything is completely pure and innocent.
Innis seemed content and only I knew how nervous she was, pacing the room, squeezing the pillow in her hands, looking at me with her huge eyes...
What’s happening in Andago?
But if something had happened, we had no news of it.
In Radenor, all seemed peaceful as well. A demonling brought me Rene’s message, saying Tommy and his wife made it to Torrin, and the Morinars were gradually building up an army, probing the people for their loyalty to the rightful king. Personally, he was ready to raise a couple thousand zombies, for old time’s sake. Nobody made any attempts to contact Rudolph’s daughter, and the girl grew up quite sure that Cassie was her mother. There was
no news of Carlie, but her husband was at court, and she was probably with him.
I didn’t have to return straight away.
The Morinars said that the conspiracy was long in the making and branched enough...and the woman behind it was Abigail. Unholy crap!
Why hadn’t I killed her instead of simply putting her in a convent? I hadn’t thought that people who had been cornered became especially dangerous. They didn’t have anything to lose, but they still could find allies. I had let my guard down; everything had come too easy for me.
And now, I had to pay the price.
I could return to Radenor in secret, sneak into Torrin, stir up a rebellion... But then, not all of the conspirators would reveal themselves, and everything would start over. That just won’t do. I will wait.
I still had a lot on my plate in Riolon.
Of all Innis’ suitors, one young nobleman stood out. He was a landless baron, yet rich enough. Why would he need land if he had a title and money, really? His name was Miron an Rovall, Baron an Rovall.
He literally latched onto Innis, which made sense. She had land, a title, a castle. He had money and business partners. The baron was young enough, maybe thirty years old, and seemed a good match.
Then what is that sickening feeling inside me? I should be happy to find a good husband for my cousin, shouldn’t I?
Miron strutted like a peacock and, thanks to his efforts, we got invited to the main event of the season—a masked ball in the Royal Park. Both of us, of course; Innis was mandatory, and I was her plus one. It’s not like I could let my cousin go alone, after all. Never! The baron knew that, so both of us got tickets. Auntie Madie let us go with a light heart.
Innis was enchanting in her ultramarine dress, while I wore dark colors and a mask. I never would have gone if I couldn’t wear it; Riolonian commoners might not have known me, but the courtiers... Some of them had visited Radenor and some had accompanied Darius during the war. I couldn’t risk it.
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