by K T Munson
“If you had your way, Elisabeth would never have left the safety of these walls,” Malthael said, gesturing to their home.
“I preferred when she was younger and impulsive and you had to keep her here,” Tiss grumbled. “After that terrible boy, you should have locked her up and thrown away the key to keep her safe.”
Malthael reached across his body and put his hand over hers. She glanced up at him, her perfect face surprised at his show of affection. “I worry as well, but we all raised her right. A Sin Eater could not take her, and every decision she has made has been for others.”
“I wish we had raised her to be selfish,” Tiss said, but her voice held no heat. “Perhaps then she would be safely with us.”
“Safe, but not living. Out there she has a chance,” Malthael replied. “A choice.”
Tiss put a hand to his face. “You are a far better mortal than you ever were a demon.”
“Smart enough to save you with all your beauty,” he said, honestly admiring her perfectly formed features.
She patted his cheek. “Not even your flattery can distract me from my worry today. I’ll make us some tea.” She slipped her hand free and went toward the door.
He watched her serpentine body and perfect imitation of a mortal’s upper torso leave the room. He was not the only one who was better for having known Elisabeth. Tiss used to lure men to their death with her beauty and trap them in the Netherworld, feeding on their souls. So long as she remained close to the gate, Tiss would never need to feed on another soul to keep her youth. Hunger no longer drove her, and she had become as invaluable to him as Milo had once been.
Milo.
The name still stuck in his craw. Elisabeth had felt betrayed, and it had scarred her. Malthael only felt anger for the lesser demon. Milo had been a blackguard to do as he did—to assume what Elisabeth wanted and push her toward her darkness so that she might be queen. Even now Malthael wanted to wring the demon’s skinny little neck. Elisabeth trusted so few, and one of them had turned out to be untrustworthy. It made her trust even less now in everyone else. He so wished Elisabeth could be spared further disappointment.
Malthael sighed heavily. He knew good and well that Elisabeth was destined to be disappointed again. As long as she lived, there would be something vying for her life or her attentions, and eventually she would be let down by someone again. He resolved to tell her about her mother and admit that he had been too blinded by his demonic ways to save her.
He wished he could pray. He wished he could speak out to someone about his fears, but he was a demon and demons did not have souls. It is why Serena had come to him in the first place all those years ago. Elisabeth had been a danger to everyone around her from the moment of her birth. Serena had known enough to find a demon to protect her daughter.
Something occurred to Malthael that had never occurred to him before. How had Serena known to come to a demon? The other half-breeds were kept a secret. Elisabeth had been a threat because her father was the most powerful of the Soul Collectors. Darienith had once been a supporter of the Black King but had betrayed him when he became too powerful. When Aryan the Black had taken the life of every person on Croatoan into himself, Darienith had betrayed him. He had only survived because of what he had been before becoming a Soul Collector—a powerful member of the Divine Court.
Somehow Serena had known enough to barter a favor from Malthael. He had been one of the stronger high demons and had few bargains that could have been traded. There hadn’t been many left unpaid—most had been used or the holder had been dead. How had she known?
Someone must have told her.
Someone with enough power to barter a favor from another high-ranking demon or member of the Divine Court. Someone who had masterfully manipulated events to bring the Black King back. Someone who could do so without King Nauberon or anyone finding out for over five decades. Someone who had acted in the shadows.
Malthael was suddenly very afraid—as terrified as he had ever been in his many lifetimes. Whoever the puppet master was, Malthael knew his daughter was a part of the plot. He scoured his memory and knowledge. The list of names was short and terrifyingly dangerous. Malthael wasn’t sure what role she was to play, but he had to warn her.
Malthael put his hand against the windowpane, using it for support. His heart was beating in a dull thud in the recesses of his mind. There was only one way to warn her.
Malthael was going to have to go to the Netherworld. He was going to have to go home.
Chapter 35: Unknown Planet
Elisabeth tried not to think of how close they had come to losing their only way home. The journey to get Ki was important, but so was a return trip. She had to rescue him and ensure that they all returned home safely. Subconsciously her gaze was drawn to Nanette as she slept. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to Nanette.
They were inside a roofless cave. A small waterfall fell at the back of it into a stream that rushed underground. Elisabeth had found the water was drinkable. They had fashioned a door at the opening out of the massive leaves on the tops of the tall branchless trees. Nanette had told her that in Oran there were islands that had similar trees, ones to the south of where she had grown up, where it was much warmer. Elisabeth had never seen anything so strange. She made a mental note to see more of Oran when this was done.
Elisabeth sat atop the highest vantage point in the cave that looked out over their makeshift door. Turning to the sun as it rose over the horizon and filled the air with golden light, she took a deep breath. She felt different here. She felt normal. Her powers were diminished, and her hunger for life force was subdued. Her demonic half couldn’t breathe as deeply as she did. Here, Elisabeth felt mortal. She might have accepted that her demon half, Elsariel, was a part of her but she liked the feeling of normal. It was nice knowing what that was, or as close as she would ever get, so that she could go back happier with herself. The thing about being different that she’d never considered was that it made her stronger and better equipped to protect those she cared for. In retrospect, the price suddenly didn’t seem too steep to pay.
Nanette sighed in her sleep and shifted slightly. Elisabeth was again thankful that she had not taken this journey alone. Nanette’s nose wrinkled and she rolled onto her back to get comfortable. She rolled partially off their improvised mattresses and opened her eyes. With a heavy sigh, she turned her head toward Elisabeth.
“Just once I’d like to wake up and know exactly where I am,” Nanette grumbled before shuffling to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
Elisabeth only smiled as she watched her friend amble out of the cave and through the leaf door. They had dug a latrine in a well-marked location. Elisabeth had used it in the early hours of the morning when slept had defied her. It had been some time since Elisabeth had needed to sleep in a place that was not a bed.
Fishing the charm out of her pocket, she inspected the markings. The ash had settled in and dried overnight. Elisabeth whispered the word to activate it and watched as it glowed softly in her hand. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that diminished, which meant Ki must be close. Nanette returned to the cave and rubbed at her eyes. She pulled her outer dress from the makeshift clothes line, and Elisabeth could see that it had dried while they’d slept.
With mild curiosity, Elisabeth watched her work out the stiffness in the fabric. They had spent many hours together talking about their childhoods, but Elisabeth had been careful to gloss over the worst parts—other children bullying her and cruelty from some planet dwellers had been mentioned, but not specified. Nanette had mentioned that her mother had died and that she had grown up in poverty, but she hadn’t elaborated on what it was like not to be able to remember a parent or how it felt to have hunger gnawing at one’s stomach. Elisabeth herself could remember having this feeling early in life, before Malthael had become Ashlad’s Gate Guardian and they had constantly been moving. Her last memory had been of Asilla and their shack on the beach
before the great splendor of the manor.
Elisabeth was grateful for her friend’s company now, when uncertainty of success sat heavy in her gullet. Watching Nanette tie her outer robes, Elisabeth realized that this was not the first time Nanette had found herself in love. Ethandirill was not the first to capture her heart or the first man with whom she had entangled herself.
Elisabeth swallowed, listening to the quite flow of water. She opened her mouth to ask a question but closed it again. Taking a deep breath, she decided to ask it despite her reservations. “Was it scary?”
Nanette turned back to her as she tied the last of the tiny bows. Her eyebrows were pressed down in confusion, and Elisabeth understood her mistake. “Was what scary?” Nanette asked.
“Your first time,” she said and cleared her throat, uncomfortable. Nanette’s eyebrows shot up, and she tilted her head. “With a man,” Elisabeth added.
Nanette’s eyes bulged wide, and her mouth turned into a little ‘o.’ They had spoken of love but little else beyond that. Elisabeth had been afraid to ask, but now she couldn’t help but to wonder. Nanette’s face fell, and Elisabeth immediately jumped down and headed toward the temporary door.
“Never mind,” Elisabeth said, embarrassed.
“It isn’t that I don’t want to share, but my experiences are not fond memories. There was no love,” Nanette explained. “I am not the right person to ask.”
Elisabeth felt her stomach fall, and then she felt anger. She spun and faced her friend. “Did he force himself on you?”
“No,” Nanette responded right away. “It was his right, and I was not unwilling. I knew what came with agreeing to be his wife.”
Elisabeth crossed the distance and drew her friend into a hug. “I shouldn’t have asked,” she whispered.
Nanette hugged her back, and Elisabeth heard her sniffle. They stood, embracing as the first birds of the morning started singing to the sunlight. Elisabeth finally eased back when Nanette reached up to wipe her tears away.
“I have made many terrible choices in my life for the wrong reasons,” Nanette admitted.
“Not all of them were terrible reasons, but they were terrible choices,” Elisabeth said, which elicited a laugh from Nanette.
“You are absolutely right,” Nanette said, patting Elisabeth’s arm. “I did make some bad choices. At the time I thought they were the right thing to do.”
“Come on,” Elisabeth said. “Let’s go.”
They set out across the unknown island. The creamy sand was fine and soft. Elisabeth left her boots on, but it wasn’t long before Nanette untied the ribbons on her slippers and walked barefoot. Nanette didn’t seem tired as they explored the island. Elisabeth, on the other hand, felt strange, a sensation that grew the further they traveled from the gate. Exhaustion settled in, and her entire body felt heavy. She imagined it was the closest she would ever feel to being mortal.
From time to time she would hold up the talisman and correct their course. After a while, they left the soft sand and started up the rocky face. The strange brown rocks were stark against the soft sand. Nanette begrudgingly put her shoes back on. Soon they climbed over the slight hill of rocks and found a sloping area leading up to a great mountain.
Elisabeth narrowed her eyes as Nanette came to stand next to her. Nanette gasped and whispered, “It’s a volcano.”
“I’ve only ever seen one from far away,” Elisabeth admitted.
“There is a quiet one on one of the larger continents, along the southern chain of smaller islands.” Nanette shielded her eyes to look up to the top of the volcano. “I went there once when I was a child. My father had to deliver a set of specialty books personally. I remember him telling stories about the other volcanoes that spewed dangerous smoke.”
“I would like to see that.” Elisabeth could feel Nanette’s sadness. “Perhaps we shall see this quiet volcano once we return.”
Nanette smiled as they crested a hill. “What is that?” Nanette pointed past Elisabeth.
A body lay prone on the ground, unmoving. A sudden fear clenched her heart—was she too late? Nanette dashed around her as she called, “Ki?”
Elisabeth felt lightheaded as she ran. Her legs carried her to where her heart called while her brain sluggishly caught up. When they were nearly there, Elisabeth felt a subtle power and her Soul Collector senses tingled, like a silent warning system. She threw out an arm. Nanette slammed into it and stumbled back before falling.
Nanette rubbed her chest. “What was that for?”
“I’m not sure.” Elisabeth crouched down not far from Ki’s body. She picked up a small rock and tossed it toward him. Nanette gasped as the rock hit an invisible barrier and was vaporized.
“Thank you,” Nanette whispered with an edge of fear in her voice.
Elisabeth nodded before standing. She paced around the barrier a few times, inspecting it. In all her life she had never seen such power, but Ki had known runes and secrets long forgotten. Looking at him now, she could not help but to think he was so close yet still unattainable.
“What is it?” Nanette whispered.
Elisabeth realized she was clenching her jaw and tried to get it to relax. With a heavy sigh, she admitted, “I don’t know. Some sort of protection.”
Nanette glanced toward the horizon, and so did Elisabeth. Already the sun was on its slow descent. Apparently the days were much shorter there, but so had the night been. Elisabeth sat cross-legged and started tossing larger and larger rocks. Nanette raised her eyebrows, which Elisabeth ignored.
With a sigh, Nanette sat beside her. She picked up a stone and rolled it between her fingers as she stared at Ki’s prone body. “Is he asleep?”
“I don’t know,” Elisabeth whispered and tossed another rock, which met the same fate as those before it.
“I wonder if it is like that old tale,” Nanette wondered.
“You mean the one where the prince broke the death curse with a kiss?” Elisabeth asked with a skeptical look.
“It is a story about the first Butterfly Princess,” Nanette replied with a soft expression on her face. “Perhaps you can start a story of your own.”
“No one wants a story about a half demon and an assassin.” Despite her words, Nanette’s optimistic outlook warmed her.
Nanette shrugged. “You never know,” she said as she tossed the pebble. “Although wouldn’t he be a hero, not…”
They both froze as the pebble bounced off Ki’s chest. Nanette’s shocked expression mimicked her own. A million pieces of information ran through Elisabeth’s mind as she stared at the uncharred pebble.
“How did you do that?” Elisabeth asked and immediately leaned forward as she picked up another pebble and tossed it. It sizzled out just like the others had. Elisabeth nudged Nanette. “Try it again.”
Nanette complied, and once more the pebble struck home. This one landed on Ki’s still body. “What am I doing differently?”
At first Elisabeth shook her head, and then a realization dawned on her. “The Black King.” A hand went to her chest. Within her was a shard of The Black King. He had taken most of them, but not all of them. Could that be the cause?
“What?” Nanette asked, interrupting Elisabeth’s thoughts.
“The Black King came through the portal with Ki. If he tried to inhabit my body and I wanted to protect myself, I would have made it so the Black King couldn’t get to me,” Elisabeth theorized aloud. “If Ki did the same, he would have made sure that no part of the Black King could get into his body, including the pieces that are within me.”
“So…” Nanette said.
“You can very likely touch him and move him.” Disappointed, she shook her head. “It’s just that I cannot.”
Chapter 36: Unknown World
Nobody watched the shadow from the safety of the forest. It slithered between them. Nobody could hear his undertones on the wind. Every fiber of his being cried out that he should run, but he didn’t. The Soul Eater didn’t r
un. It whispered, and the people of the island knew it.
He couldn’t leave them. If he slept, he would lose too much time. Instead he observed, like the useless witness he was. The Soul Eater, however, was slowly gaining ground in this unknown world. The Soul Eater could take control of things that he struggled with. Fear kept him awake, but he was exhausted. Nobody craved sleep. He could hear voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He looked over his shoulder, but something told them they were much further off. His eyes scanning the woods for the source of the whispers. In the end, he ignored it.
As the night turned to dawn, the Soul Eater left, slithering back into the safety of the trees and the shadows. This is when Nobody approached the village to see the people and their nightmares. Hours passed as he sat on the guard wall and listened.
Nobody heard the sound of a horn and stood to see a group of men approaching the village. Many hurried down as sailors waved at them. Out in front a man in fine livery nodded his head. The man who seemed to be in charge of the village, Ralph, hurried out to meet him. Ralph called out to the approaching men. Nobody assumed it meant something like good morning. He listened as the man replied. The only thing he understood was a name, “Francis Drake.” Based on their hand gestures, he could see that they were talking about the charred fence. The leader turned back and pointed toward the forest, from where the tanned men had attacked.
Eavesdropping on their exchange from the wall as the heat from the afternoon filled the village with light, Nobody felt the nervousness that emanated from the villagers. He knew why. Even if they didn’t understand the words, he was sure they felt the Soul Eater’s presence. He continued to listen to their conversation, although he could only guess at some of it. Apparently the man who called himself Francis Drake had been successful in some place further to the south. They had come across the water and somehow had knowledge that the settlement was there.