by G. K. DeRosa
This time, Delacroix led us to the banquet hall. As I trailed behind the hellus demon, my mind flickered back to the last time I was here, to my cousin in the dungeons. I’d never asked Delacroix about the shadow I’d seen down there. Who was that? I’d never even told Talon, and I wasn’t sure why. The memory raised the hair on the back of my neck.
We reached the vast hall, and I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind to consider later. Deep crimson tapestries lined the walls, the entire chamber bathed in gold. From the ornate candelabras to the cutlery, it was the one room in the dreary castle that screamed extravagance. And the one room that brought back somewhat pleasant memories. Thax’s demon staff could definitely cook. I’d eaten many a sumptuous meal at this very table. Too bad the company sucked.
Delacroix folded his tall frame into the wing-backed chair at the head of the never-ending table, and his demon followers filled the seats around him. “Sit, and I’ll fill you in on the plan.”
Talon chose the seat farthest away from the demons, and Hayden, Dallas, and I followed suit.
Delacroix steepled his fingers, leaning on the polished timber. “I’ve invited the warlords of each of the five realms to dine with us this evening. I’m hoping that we can come to a diplomatic arrangement and cement my confirmation to avoid bloodshed. I believe that your presence here will aid in that likelihood.”
His gaze lifted to meet mine. That’s why he wanted me here. Shockingly, the ex-prison mob boss didn’t want a fight. He must have known Thax had been parading me around to all the dark lords during my imprisonment in the Underworld. Did he really think I would have some sort of sway over them? Or was it because of Lucifer? Delacroix knew of our relationship and maybe he thought my grandsire could influence the other warlords on his behalf.
“That seems too easy,” said Talon.
Delacroix shrugged. “I hope you’re wrong.”
“So do I,” Hayden retorted. “A peaceful transition of power would make things better for everyone involved. Including the people currently paying the price in the human world due to the faulty wards.”
“Hmm. Yes, that is a pity.” The dark lord sat back in his chair. “I only hope their plight will ensure that the four of you do everything in your power to secure my reign.”
I bit back a snarky response. The sneaky demon had us right where he wanted. We had to help him to save the humans.
“We’ll do what we have to,” Talon replied.
“Wonderful. That’s exactly what I hoped to hear.” He motioned to one of the guards, and the narkin scurried away. “We have an hour till their arrival. Until then, the staff will provide some food and drinks. Just remember to go along with everything I say, and we should be able to put an end to all this unpleasantness.” He rose, and his demon entourage along with a few guards followed behind him. The remainder of the narkins took their posts around the sprawling chamber.
“So now what?” asked Dallas, drumming his fingers on the table.
“Now we come up with our plan. Just in case.” Talon leaned in and motioned for us all to do the same. “Azara, a little privacy please.”
“You got it, boss.” I called my powers to the surface and whispered the words, “Silencium.” The smoky scent of magic filled my nostrils, and a wave of warmth danced over my tattoo. “All set.”
The four of us huddled at the end of the table as Talon laid out the details. I hoped everything would go as smoothly as Delacroix had described, but in case it didn’t, we’d be ready for those dark lord douches.
Fierce gazes lasered in my direction, warming the side of my face. I kept my head down and nervously fiddled with my fingers as the dark lords began to arrive. Exactly as Delacroix had intended, each and every male that entered did a double take when their eyes landed on our side of the table. Points for shock factor. As if my surprise presence wasn’t enough, the three burly males surrounding me had the warlords bristling.
Murmurs whooshed around the table, some more blatant than others. From the looks of it, each of the dark lords had brought their second in command along with their demon entourages and the cavernous hall was quickly filling up. The words Thax and paramour were the most predominant ones whispered, and I couldn’t help my lips from curling in disgust. To think my cousin was trying to set me up with one of these vile creatures.
Talon nudged my shoulder, and I lifted my gaze to his. Deep lines creased his forehead, his jaw set in a hard line. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. You?”
“Anxious to get this over with and you out of here.” He squeezed my knee under the table, and I relaxed an inch. Until a scuffle caught my attention at the entranceway.
My gaze shot to a towering figure with ebony hair, a thick barrel chest and tattoos racing down muscled arms. Bile rose up my throat, and all the blood seeped from my face. I blinked and a pair of vacant onyx eyes zipped across my vision. It can’t be. I squeezed my eyelids shut, forcing the image away and focused on the man being stripped of his weapons.
Flashes of the night I’d met Drayax, the dark lord of the third realm, at the Underworld club rocketed through my mind. Then the night he came to the castle and tried to force himself on me. And finally, those blank onyx eyes staring into nothingness after my demon had stepped in to save me from being brutalized by the savage. He was dead. I was sure of it.
The warlord’s eyes locked on mine as he searched the room, the scorching intensity stealing the breath from my lungs. I gasped for air as he stalked closer. Nope, definitely alive.
Talon leapt up as Drayax neared, his broad frame blocking me from the dark lord’s advance and scathing glare. “Step back,” Talon growled.
“Not until I speak with her.” His pitch eyes threw daggers, each and every one piercing my flesh with guilt.
Hayden and Dallas shot up, each flanking Talon and forming an impenetrable wall of muscle between the fuming dark lord and me. “I don’t think so,” Talon hissed.
Drayax’s second moved beside him and reached for an empty scabbard. Thank the gods Delacroix had the sense to disarm all his guests. Not that every person in here couldn’t inflict considerable damage without weapons. The number of claws, horns and fangs greatly outnumbered their missing armaments.
“Do we have a problem?” Delacroix called out from the opposite side of the room.
“We will if this demon doesn’t back off,” Talon shot back.
“This female attempted to—” Drayax’s mouth slammed shut as he glared at me. He shook his head and pressed his lips together. “No problem,” he gritted out.
I searched the profound darkness in his eyes, and a gravelly voice echoed in my mind. I cannot admit this female nearly killed me. I’d be the laughingstock of all the realms.
I clapped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. Idiot. Once I got over the initial hilarity, I focused on the more important part. I’d just read Drayax’s thoughts without even trying. Point for GG’s magical tutoring.
The furious warlord spun away and stalked to his chair at the opposite side of the table, and the Triad returned to their seats surrounding me.
“What was that about?” Talon whispered.
I hadn’t told Talon all the dirty details of my escape from Thax’s underground fortress. Not only because of the shame of what I’d done, but more to spare him the pain of my assault. Now that Drayax was still alive, I doubted he’d remain that way if Talon knew what he’d attempted. The a-hole deserved to die, but I wouldn’t put that on Talon’s conscience.
“I thought I killed him when I escaped the castle,” I murmured back.
His hard gaze darted across the room to the sulking warlord before settling back on me.
“I guess I didn’t.” I shrugged, hoping to put an end to the conversation.
Delacroix clapped his hands, and all eyes turned to the newest dark lord. With the six leaders of the realms plus their seconds and us, there were nearly twenty people gathered around the table. The air reeked of tension a
“All those years in that penitentiary dulled your wits,” one of the warlords barked, a crown of thorns tangled within his dark locks. “This is not how matters are settled in the Underworld, Balthier.”
Delacroix didn’t flinch. “Perhaps they haven’t in the past but should be in the future.” He raised his arms and motioned across the table. “We are not animals, nor savages. The Underworld has had a seat at the Etrian Assembly for decades now. Why shouldn’t we behave in a similar manner?”
I sat gaping as Delacroix spewed diplomatic jargon that actually made sense. Not for the first time, I was shocked at his choice of brains over brawn.
“Because that is not how it is done,” Drayax shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
“But why not?”
One of the older dark lords stood, his wiry frame betraying his age. Unlike the others whose faces were contorted in fury, this warlord’s expression was a mask of calm. “Perhaps you are unaware, as you’ve been absent from the daily runnings of the Underworld for several decades now, but any time a potential dark lord rises, it is commonplace for the others to challenge his position. Only the strongest can rule and if the newcomer can hold his own against the current leaders, he will be deemed fit.”
“Briden is right,” one of the others chimed in. He ran his claw across the table, the squeal making my skin crawl.
Delacroix clucked his teeth. “There must be a more expedient manner to confirm the future leader of the realm.”
“There isn’t,” Drayax snapped.
I was fairly certain I was the root of his foul temper, and poor Delacroix was bearing the brunt of his fury.
“Fine then.” A wicked smile lit up the hellus demon’s face, showcasing a row of brilliant white teeth. “We are all here. Let’s fight it out.”
Talon tensed beside me, every muscle in his body going taut. He shot Delacroix a narrowed glare, and I didn’t have to snoop around my dragon buddy’s mind to know what he was thinking. This was not what we’d agreed to.
“Would you like to challenge me one by one or shall we make it an all-out brawl?” Delacroix continued, revealing a broadsword from beneath the table. His fingers ran over the pointy end, an evil grin on his dark countenance.
What the hells was he thinking?
“Right now?” the dark lord of the second realm hissed. “You don’t even have a second.”
Delacroix ticked his head at me and smiled. “Oh, but I do.”
A rock the size of the Draeko mountain range sank to the pit of my stomach.
“I choose Azara as my second. She is after all, the previous dark lord’s cousin and mine as well. I don’t believe you’re familiar with her talents, or at least not all of them. Care to become acquainted?”
A torrent of gasps whooshed through the room. Apparently, my reputation preceded me.
Talon leapt up, his wings snapping out behind him. “Absolutely not,” he roared. His talons extended and silver scales rippled over his arms.
“Are you volunteering, dragon?” Delacroix smirked. “You would be my second choice, but I’m not too picky these days.”
“There will be no need to choose a second.” Briden, the oldest dark lord, rose again. “Perhaps Balthier is not mistaken in his call for a new approach.”
A wave of dissent rustled over the table as the other warlords grumbled.
“Or perhaps you’ve outlived your prime, Briden.” Drayax stood, his imposing form commanding the attention of the others.
“Watch your tongue, demon.” A flash of yellow zipped across the ancient warlord’s dark eyes. “I may be old, but I’m not too old to teach you manners.” He cleared his throat, leaning on the edge of the polished timber. “I’m not giving Balthier my blessing. I am merely stating his opinions deserve our consideration. The reason the Underworld had been banned from Azarian politics were for issues such as these. Perhaps it is time we consider a new manner going forward.”
“Thank you, Briden.” Delacroix shot the old man a placating smile.
“Do not thank me yet. If you cannot prove worthy of controlling your realm, I will be the first to come in and take it from you. Gaining a seat in the Etrian Assembly was a long-fought battle, and I will not sit idly by and allow you to squander that. If your demons continue to break through the wards and attack the humans, Lucifer will rescind our privileges. That I will not tolerate.”
Delacroix dipped his head. “Fair enough.”
“Very well. We will reconvene in a few weeks to confirm Balthier’s position or remove him by any means necessary. Everyone in agreement?” Briden’s beady eyes circled the table.
Drayax and the other three, whose names I never bothered learning, nodded. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to search their minds, but nothing but a general sense of anger seeped through. Which I didn’t need magical ESP for. The hard expressions carved into their faces told me all I needed to know. They may have agreed to this now, but the battle was far from over.
“That nasty business concluded, let us eat.” Balthier lifted his hands and the servants appeared, dropping enormous platters across the table. The aroma of roasted meats and spring vegetables filled the air. My stomach rumbled, but there was no way I could relax and eat in front of this bloodthirsty bunch.
Once everyone had eaten and consumed their fair share of Underworld wine, each of the warlords and their seconds filed out of the room and with them, the tension in the air. My shoulders slumped, and I leaned back against the chair. “Well, that went well,” I whispered to Talon.
“Too easy if you ask me,” Dallas chimed in. Damned super vamp hearing.
Talon rose and took my hand, tugging me up. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” If it had been up to me, I would’ve opened a portal in this very room and magicked our asses back home on the double.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a glance at Drayax’s massive form in the doorway. Good riddance. Hopefully I’d never have to see that giant ghost from my past again. I dismissed the thought, focusing on Hayden’s joke about dark lords and a light bulb.
Talon rested his hand on my lower back and turned me toward the door. A flash of silver shot across the room, and a scream lodged in my throat. In slow motion, a dagger flew end over end right for me. I tried to scream again, to summon my magic, to move, but I was completely frozen.
“Azara!” Talon’s cry kicked my addled mind into gear a second before his massive body crashed into me.
I hit the floor with a smack, all the air ripping from my lungs. Another scream, then a spine-tingling growl echoed around me as I flailed beneath a warm body desperate to suck air back into my lungs.
A trickle of warmth pooled on my back, and I lifted my head, but I couldn’t make anything out from beneath Talon’s massive form. It suddenly occurred to me that my dragon bodyguard had gone awfully still. “Talon?” I opened my mouth, and the pungent metallic scent of blood sent my heartrate skyrocketing. “Talon? Talon?”
I struggled beneath him, trying to squirm out from under his suffocating weight. “Hayden!” I cried.
A second later, footfalls boomed across the stone floor, and Talon’s body was lifted off me. “Oh gods, brother.” Hayden’s voice sent panic coursing through my veins.
“Is Talon okay?” I struggled to stand, my feet slipping out from under me. A pool of blood collected beneath my feet. No. No. There was so much blood. My head spun, and my knees began to wobble. My hand shot out to reach for something to cling onto but met nothing but vacant space.
My legs gave out, and I braced myself for the cold smack of the floor. Instead, strong arms wrapped around me, familiar dark skin cradling me. “Dallas…” I murmured.
“I got you, girl.” My head tipped up to meet his eyes, and his nostrils flared. He pulled his arm out from under me and lifted his hand up. Deep crimson liquid coated his fingertips. His eyes widened as fear etched into his shadowed eyes. “Hayden! Azara’s been hit too.”
No wonder I was all numb and tingly. The fleeting thought fluttered through my mind an instant before the darkness swallowed me whole.
Chapter Ten
I opened my eyes a crack, and bright neon lights overhead shot through the narrowed opening. Squeezing them shut again, I groaned and rolled over, burying my head in the soft pillow. Soft pillow? My foggy brain synapses began to fire, and I took a sniff of the white linen beneath my nose. Fresh laundry and disinfectant.
I was definitely not in my cell.
Forcing my eyes open once again, I focused on the sterile white walls and the familiar odor of antiseptic in the air. The infirmary. My heart crashed against my ribs as my hazy brain finally kicked into gear. “Talon!” I shrieked and shot straight up.
A muffled groan from the other side of the room spun my head to the right.
“Oh gods, Talon.” I leapt out of bed and bit back the scream as a sharp sting pierced my upper torso. I took a peek under the hospital scrubs and found a large bandage stretched across my chest. Ignoring the pain, I hobbled to the chair beside Talon’s still form. His eyes were closed, but his chest rose and fell sluggishly.
I took his hand and squeezed, trying to warm his chilly fingers and electricity crackled over my skin. Huh, odd. Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on his face, the slack set of his jaw, the tiny lines around his eyes. “I’m here, Talon. Please be okay, please be okay.” My hand lifted to his cheek, gently caressing his pale skin. My eyes ran down the rest of his body as anxiety gripped my insides. His bare chest was exposed, white bandages crisscrossing his massive torso and concealing the dragon beneath.
Images of the night at Delacroix’s dark lord pow wow zipped across my mind. We’d been so close to making it out of there scot-free. Drayax’s looming figure in the doorway skittered to the forefront of the memories. That bastard tried to kill me. Okay, maybe I’d deserved it, but Talon didn’t. “Why’d you jump in front of that dagger, you crazy dragon?”
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