by Nikki Frank
“I can see you are. It’s your compatriots who concern me.”
“This is what I’m talking about,” I snapped. “Don’t you get it? Iya single-handedly saved their favorite demon lord. The one who makes them more money and keeps her border safer than anyone else. Without Iya, I’d be a raging beast right now. If you play that angle up, you can rest assured that the other lords will be grateful and accommodating. I know biases are hard to set aside, but give them the chance. And for God’s sake, be civil. The less you act like their preconceptions, the faster those biases will disappear.”
Shandian grinned at Iya. “She’s got a bit of fire to her, doesn’t she?”
He grinned back. “She is a demon lord, after all.”
“She does make some valid points. What does Tomi think of her?”
“He’s trying to trust her,” Iya answered honestly. “It’s getting easier. She does a good job of keeping her word.”
Shandian nodded. “All right then.” He gave a sharp whistle, and several shi appeared in the room. “I have a mission of utmost importance.”
The shi were promptly sent to various palaces. When they were gone, Shandian called another group of cat sith to attend to us. The sleek, black felines curled around people’s legs, leading them off to comfortable accommodations. When only Iya and I were left with Shandian, he spoke again.
“How soon do you wish to leave for your palace? Can you stay for lunch?”
“Actually,” Iya said, glancing down at me, “we’ve been pushed hard to this point. May we stay till the day after tomorrow? You can make your preparations and join us for the journey to my palace.”
“Of course. You are always welcome.”
The next two days passed in blissful luxury. Shandian’s palace had everything I’d been dreaming of. Real beds, tasty food, sumptuous baths. In between the luxuries, Iya, Shandian, and I spent a good deal of social time together. Business would have to wait until all the demon lords were gathered.
Shandian gave me a tour of the whole palace, the gardens, and the surrounding village. The village fascinated me. Shandian only pointed out the highlights on the tour, but I begged to see more.
“Please, can we go into the village? If our countries are going to be trade partners, I’d like to get a feel for how people live and what they might need.”
Shandian scratched at his horns. “Funny kitten, isn’t she?”
Iya shrugged. “It’s a new way of doing business. Things change.”
“Not in my day,” Shandian said with a smile. “But I can indulge a pretty little thing like her for a bit. Especially if working with her really opens the borders. Imagine a demon lord thinking about how the people live the mundane portions of their lives! The only thing that matters is if they’re doing their jobs to generate magic.”
I seethed at this point. A pretty little thing to be indulged? My ass! I stalked off toward the town, not caring if either of them followed me.
Chapter 22
This village bustled with all sorts of magic-folk, though only the varieties which could generate their magic in the Borderlands. Dryads, naiads, a sphinx, centaurs, and a whole host of others went about their daily lives. I picked a handsome centaur to follow. What did they do for a living in this province? I followed him to a shop which resembled a giant silver marble and went in. Inside, the smell of healing herbs burned my nose.
“Welcome to my shop,” the centaur greeted me, with a mellifluous voice. “What can I do for you today?”
“I’m curious. It’s my first time . . .” I hesitated.
“In the Borderlands?” he finished for me.
He would assume that, since imps shouldn’t be here. Iya hadn’t said whether we should announce my presence in Hakushi. Best to keep secrets. I smiled at the centaur.
“Yes.”
He gave me an indulgent smile. “You must have hard-working parents to be able to afford gateway travel for someone so young.”
“I love my parents,” I managed.
He nodded. “Make sure they know. Now, to explain my place, I run the best holistic medicine shop in Hakushi. Between my hands and my herbs, I can fix almost anything which ails you. But you look like a healthy little imp. What makes you seek my services?”
I glanced at the muscles, taut across his chest and those wonderful hands. I could always go for those services.
“I’ve been pretty tired lately, and my magic has been fluctuating. Got anything to cut the stress?”
“It’s hard being on your own for the first time.”
“You have no idea,” I said under my breath, as the centaur bustled around the shop. He came back with an armful of bottles.
“Come into the back room.” He stopped halfway to the curtain. “Your parents sent you with enough to cover this?”
I worked not to roll my eyes. “I’ve got plenty.”
His tail swished as he used his chestnut haunches to push the curtain aside. “After you, miss . . .?”
“Liv.”
Soft candlelight flickered off the walls. Wisps of smoke from burning herbs curled in the light, creating dancing pictures and turning the light a greenish-blue. The room had a distinct underwater feel. The centaur handed me a white cloth and stepped behind the curtain. I stripped and put the cloth over me, laying on the table.
The scent of the herbs and the dim light had me in a relaxed state already. I gazed lazily around the room. There wasn’t much in the way of decoration. A simple painting of the red sun setting over the sea hung on the wall next to a small side table where he had set the jars.
A moment later, he returned and opened the first of the jars. The stuff he scooped out looked like petroleum jelly and smelled like oranges. He plopped the blob on my back and began smoothing it across my shoulders. The cream left my skin tingling and refreshed. And of course, like all centaurs, the magic in his hands was undeniable. I let myself go limp under his touch. He worked his way down my arms, then my back and my legs, to the sole of each foot.
Going back to the table, he opened another jar, this time shaking a vibrant orange oil onto his hands. The room filled with a sharp smell, something like human eucalyptus but with more pepper.
“Roll to your back, please.” He held a small strip of fabric in my direction.
Familiar enough with the drill, I held the strip across my breasts while arranging myself on my back. I’d never once heard of a centaur abusing his privilege. He started on the sides of my neck and worked his way down my arms.
The putty feeling I loved so well wormed into my muscles. He should have been glad for my pair bonding. It kept me from asking him something impulsive.
He went down the outside of my chest, where the muscles wrapped around to my back and then up on to my stomach. The tingly feeling spread all through my core, setting tension free. As he started on my hips, I fought the urge to sleep.
“Livy. How could you?”
My eyes flew open at the sound of Iya’s voice. “What do you mean, ‘how could I?’ It’s a massage.”
“You ran off alone,” he snapped. “What if something happened to you? We have massive unresolved,” his gaze flicked over the centaur briefly, “issues.”
“I doubt our . . . problems followed us this far unnoticed. I only wanted to see if a massage was the same in Hakushi.”
“If you want a Hakushian massage, who better to get it from than me? All you have to do is ask, not risk your neck. And it’s not just newly created threats. You’re supposed to be . . . elsewhere. Remember? Do you really want to be seen by the wrong sort of magic-folk? You alone is as good as you with a target painted on your back.”
Guilt welled up. “I’m sorry, Iya. Nothing personal, but he uses completely different herbs and methods than you or at home—”
“L
ord Iya?” The centaur went a bit gray.
Dammit. Now my masseuse had gone skittish. “Where’s Shandian?” I changed the subject.
“Outside, waiting.”
“You’re in the care of the demon lords?” the centaur whispered, handing my clothing back. “Why didn’t you say something? Shandian does not share his women. I could be executed for being involved with you.”
I snatched my clothes back and yanked my shirt on, over my head. “No one’s going to execute you. I’m not one of Shandian’s women. I’m a demon lord, too.” I jerked my pants back on and hopped off the table, tossing a couple bills and a magic ration in my spot. “Thanks for everything. I guess I’m not getting rid of my stress anytime soon.”
“Wait,” the centaur said. “Before you go, you ought to know―”
Iya scowled at him. “If she needs anything more, I can handle it.”
“But, her power fluctuations―” the centaur stammered.
“I know about the power fluctuations. It’s something we’ll take care of together.”
“Oh.” The centaur turned a bit pink. “Then you’re―”
“The one who did it in the first place? Yeah. So, like I said, I can take care of it.”
“Very well, Lord Iya. Good luck to the three of you.”
Iya rolled his eyes. “It’s not luck. It’s skill. I’m not some second-rate healer. And leave Shandian out of this.”
“You’re a great healer,” I snapped. “But you are being beyond annoying right now.”
I stomped out of the shop before he could make me feel bad for getting mad at him, too. Shandian stood outside the shop, smiling blandly.
“Perhaps you’d like to see the market, my dear?”
“Perfect.” I grasped at the welcome distraction.
Shandian led the way, and Iya and I fell in behind him. The row of metal buildings we’d been walking between suddenly opened in front of us, and a sprawling market took their place. The stalls were all made of the same metal, but now they were piled with fruits and vegetables, goods for sale, tools and weapons, housewares and clothing.
“Wow.”
Shandian smiled. “As you can see, we have much to offer a trade partner.”
“I wasn’t worried about trade.” I stared open-mouthed. “We don’t have an open-air market like this in the Central Borderlands. Our stores are all singular and indoors. There’s the occasional small street with stalls, but nothing like this.”
Shandian and Iya were obviously akuma. Whether people recognized them as demon lords or not didn’t matter. They parted the crowds like a hot knife through butter. All I had to do was keep up before the crowd closed in behind them. We wandered for nearly an hour before Shandian said we should get back. He gave me one last indulgence: free reign of the market to choose dinner. Ignoring any misgivings, I let him act like a pampering grandfather as he helped me narrow down what would go well together. After all, many of the ingredients we didn’t have at home.
“What are these?” I held up a round, pearly-white mushroom with a cap the size of my face.
“Niterell mushrooms. You have expensive taste. They are harvestable only on the night of the full moon on alternating months. But they have a wonderfully delicate flavor. Might I suggest having them with a nice roast griffin?”
“Olivia prefers seafood,” Iya rescued me. “Are truffle scallops in season? I’m sure they would be nearly as delightful with the niterell mushrooms.”
Shandian nodded. “They are. You’re right. They would go well together. Perhaps a better dish for hot summer weather. The deep-water red Sea Wrasse is migrating through now as well. I’ll have one herb-roasted.”
He licked his lips. “Now, shall we see about dessert?”
“Fruit?” I asked.
Shandian led me to a section of market with fruit stalls displaying baskets of shining purple berries and fuzzy tangerine-colored fruit with deep-raspberry petals on the top. A fruit nearly as large as I was covered in red horns caught my attention.
“What’s that?”
“Demon fruit,” Shandian chuckled. “Appropriately named, I dare say. And sour enough to leave you thinking it really is a demon in disguise. However, the fruit is fabulous served with shaved ice. A perfect dessert.”
We stopped one last place outside the market, in front of an unassuming metal rectangle. Shandian gave Iya a fanged smile.
“This, young man, is how you get the ladies. Bring one here and turn her loose, and I guarantee you access to all her . . . best features . . . by the time you’re done.” He put a hand on my back and pushed me toward the door. “You go on ahead and pick whatever you’d like. My treat.”
I literally bit my lip to keep my silence. The old bastard. Where did he get off with all his sexist . . .
My mouth fell open. The inside of the store put Willy Wonka to shame. Cakes as beautiful as works by the European masters graced the tables. Sugar spun to resemble glass and plant life decorated cookies. The desserts looked so real, I half-expected the teeny birds to begin singing from their perches atop perfect, tiny stone walls.
Above my head, delicate chandeliers of spun sugar reminded me of snow flurries. They must have been suspended by magic because not a single string had been used. On the main desk, a vase full of candy flowers smelled like real roses, and violets, and lavender. On one flower, a little sugar butterfly flapped delicate purple wings.
“May I help you?”
I glanced up, shocked to see a fairy gentleman smiling at me from behind the counter. His wings matched the butterfly’s. Delicate silver-blue antennae rose from black hair, and his skin matched the antennae.
“What’s a fairy doing here?” I gasped.
Fairies were legitimate aristocracy, and most lived in the Governor’s District in the Central Borderlands. The total fairy population was quite small, and all involved in government. He gave me a wink.
“I’m hiding out.” He waved his hand around the room. “My family didn’t approve of my hobbies. But Shandian did. He employed me as his personal confectioner.”
“Do you see something you like, my dear?” Shandian put a hand on my shoulder, and the fairy gave him a bow.
“Lord Shandian. She is a friend of yours? As usual, my best pieces are on reserve for you in the back room.”
“These aren’t even your best?” I gasped.
Shandian gave a little chuckle. Did it sound ominous to Iya, too?
“Not the usual pieces, Noble. This young lady is Mistress Olivia. One of the three demon lords from the Central Borderlands. I require something special, fitting for her first visit to my province.”
The fairy staggered back. “An imp as a demon lord?”
“I get that a lot.”
“I’d heard rumors but dismissed them. I never thought . . .” He quickly regained his composure and held out a hand for mine. When I gave it to him, he kissed the back and led me toward a door covered by a curtain. “It makes more sense now—why you would be surprised to see a fairy here, doing this.”
“Only your location surprised me,” I told him. “I think what you do is brilliant. Too bad you had to leave. I’d have kept you in my province.”
“Ah, ah, ah, my dear Olivia. I’m not letting Noble go that easily.”
We’d gone down a short hall, and Noble pulled aside another curtain. I let out a gasp and leaned against the doorway, admiring. On a table sat a detailed model of Setmyth forest, complete with all manner of small and large creatures—frolicking unicorns, a dragon breathing candied fire, birds and butterflies, and a real stream which ran with sparkling soda. Noble had captured every detail, even the smell of the forest.
“It’s incredible.”
“It’s yours then,” Shandian said.
“But I coul
dn’t eat this.”
Noble handed me a candy butterfly with a smile. “One bite will help.”
I nibbled a wing and immediately wished to be by myself. The taste spread quickly out through my body. I’d never taken drugs, but they might have been something like this. The confection took over. Shandian gave Noble an unreadable smile and nodded.
Noble handed me another candy, a flower this time. I stuffed it in my mouth before I had time to think. Heat coursed through my body, leaving a naughty feeling. Shandian winked at Noble, who handed me another flower.
I stuffed that one in too, though my mind warned me to stop. This flower hit me like centaur hands. So turned on. Could I get Iya away unnoticed?
“My regular confections are far more potent than this one,” Shandian said to Iya.
Ooo. Iya looked nearly as delicious as the candy. I stalked toward them, planning to catch him and . . .
“Noble’s magic is perfectly suited as an aphrodisiac. Though for most regular occasions, his confections are simply euphoric.” Shandian still spoke to Iya.
What was an aphrodisiac again? I ought to know. Something in the back of my mind said I should be offended.
“Do you have trouble getting with the ladies?” Iya mocked.
Shandian laughed. “Not really, but the younger ones are sometimes intimidated by an akuma and a demon lord. A bit of dessert and they’re mine. It’s incredible. There’s a little succubus even in the most reserved naiad.”
I’d reached Shandian and slid a hand across his back on my way by. “You’re a dirty old man,” I giggled.
“But you . . .” I grabbed the front of Iya’s shirt and jerked him down to face-level.
My stomach burned with the candy, and I pressed my lips to his. I wanted to eat him alive, not in a goblin sense, but in a way which should have made me blush. Whatever magic the candy contained had turned off my filters, and instead of blushing, I wanted it . . . him . . . now. I didn’t even care that Noble and Shandian were still in the room.