I interrupt him. “Why?”
“Because there are over seven billion people on the planet, Megan, and far, far less demons. Years ago, demons could have easily won a war against the humans, but now?” Landon laughs lightly. “Now, even with their speed, strength, and training, they’d still probably lose. Think about it. Let’s say there are thirty thousand demons in existence and seven billion humans. That means that in a war the demons would be outnumbered two hundred thousand some to one.”
The reality surprises me as I comprehend this truth, but I don’t get what this has to do with what we were talking about. “Wait, so why don’t the humans just get rid of you? Why make a deal not to slaughter them for lack of knowledge?”
Landon shrugs. “I’m not the one who makes the treaties with the humans, but I’d say because the humans need us. If the demons were killed off, then who would sort their souls when they died? Who would pick out the tainted ones and get rid of the pure evil? Of course we’ve missed some terrible ones in the past, you can’t get them all though.”
I think about Hitler and have to agree that someone messed up badly there.
“The humans know they need us for their society to function and they don’t know exactly how many of us there are or that they can defeat us. They know we’re strong and fast and they don’t know that our reason for existing is to actually help them and not kill them. They think we’re helping them for other reasons. Reasons outlined in another treaty. We help them sort out the bad guys and make sure their world isn’t chaos and they let us take human souls to feed on. Hell, there’s enough humans out there, like I said. They cover it up for us. You know, say, a plane goes missing, or every few years some strange disease runs through the land. They’ll throw a man in jail for serial killing when he’s really innocent. You know, for the ultimate sake of humanity. You must risk some to save the whole.”
I’m suddenly looking at the world I grew up in with different eyes.
Landon continues with one last huff of a breath. “Looking back in history, you know some—not all of those—catastrophic events? You know, like the black plague or oh, hell, the holocaust? That was us replenishing our stock of human souls to feed off of for a while.”
I gape and find my hand coming up to cover my mouth in utter surprise. A deep sense of loathing fills me as I comprehend this.
Landon doesn’t look surprised by my action. “You didn’t think one little man could brainwash nearly an entire society, did you? That a single man could lead to the deaths of millions? That’s blasphemy. Have you ever wondered where diseases start? How they start? Of course, it’s been covered up by the humans for us with science, but all disease that’s ever existed has stemmed from the demons. We have to eat.”
I feel utterly sick. Cancer? AIDS? Everything?
“New souls are created every single day, Megan. A near three hundred fifty thousand people are born each day. Of that, about ninety percent are new souls that have been created. The other ten percent are souls that have lived at least once before. Something like one hundred fifty thousand people die each day. Only thirty thousand of those or so are because of demons. The rest die naturally and their souls go through the process of being sorted here in hell. The ones that are chosen to live on get tossed into a lottery with the newly created souls and are born again eventually. For some, they could be reborn the next day. For others, maybe not for a thousand years.”
Landon rubs his chin and stands from his lean. Then he looks over the balcony again. “Anyways. I was talking about cross road demons before I got off track.” He bites his cheek and pauses. “They are demons who make deals for souls. They’re sort of salesmen and women. They go around and make deals. Each soul they take ends in a new changeling being made. You see, changelings can’t be made unless they want to be made and only some humans are thought worthy of the job, which is why not every soul we consume results in a new changeling. By law, we can only change the ones worthy. In the case of changing a hunter, you never have to go through the law and their permission isn’t needed. They are all accepted because of their knowledge, skill, and training. Their permission isn’t needed because of some loophole that was made when the hunters were created. There really isn’t an explanation.”
He goes on to tell me that there are a select few demons who don’t need to have the human’s permission to change someone or the law’s because of this ability they have. Lucian was one, Aiden is another, and our father another. He tells me that he doesn’t have this skill, but Blayk does, so I might too as it seems to be an inherited gift. I realize that this must be how hunters are turned into demons because I can’t imagine any one of them would willingly select becoming the very thing they were created to kill, even if it meant they’d die with no chance of living again in another life.
I find myself crying like a little baby, like the world is ending or something even though this is just life. It’s another side of life that I’ve never seen before, but this has all been going on forever. Since humans have existed. I know that I have to accept it all because there’s nothing that I can do to change anything. I’m just a girl. Even if I did try to change anything, I could mess up a lot more stuff than I fixed. It’s so entirely frustrating.
“Anyways, look at me getting off subject again. The crossroad demons. The hell hounds are demons who do the cross road demons’ dirty work. They actually retrieve the souls and change the humans into changelings. In the human world, many of these people are missing persons that’ll never be found.”
Another blast of anger hits me harshly in the gut. “Why would those people do that to their families? Don’t they know what they’re doing?” I ask angrily.
Landon nods. “Good question. Some think they’re protecting their families. Some humans trade fortune for their souls so their kids and spouses can live long happy lives.”
I’m filled with mixed feelings.
Landon seems to sense my internal struggle. “For demons like you, me, and Aiden, it’s a lot tougher. We feel things other demons don’t. You have to remember that demons are the way they are so that they can do the job they’re meant to do. They’re tough, soulless bastards for a reason.”
I have to agree and deep down even though I’m angered, saddened, and frustrated by all of this, I feel a little more respect for the heartless pure blooded demons.
We are interrupted by the door to the balcony swinging open and a very angry looking Blayk marching towards us.
“Looks like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed,” Landon muses, a smirk plastered across his face as he looks to Blayk. Something about Landon shifts and he seems to become more tense, less relaxed, and more rigid.
Blayk scoffs and glares at Landon intensely. Landon glances to me and widens his eyes slightly like he’s trying to tell me something. I realize that I’m nearly shaking with fright. I hate Blayk. I hate him, and I’m scared of him.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! I come to Tartarus to report you missing, thinking the hunters escaped and killed you. Only to find out that you’re playing house in the castle!” Blayk doesn’t really seem like he was actually all that concerned for his brother’s safety, but more annoyed with him.
Landon rolls his eyes, showing no emotion. “Oh my god, Blayk, I was missing for a few days. Aiden requested my presence and he is dealing with your...prisoners. They’re locked up here,” Landon lies. Only one prisoner is here. The other Aiden let go.
Blayk’s eyes widen and he snorts. “Aiden requested your presence? You expect me to believe that? What could he ever need your help with besides tying his shoes?”
Landon doesn’t let this get to him. “Perhaps I’m not as useless as you and father thought.”
Blayk laughs harshly and then seems to notice my presence. He turns to me and smiles a toothy, eerie grin. “It’s you again. I’ve heard rumors about you. You’re kind of a celebrity, you know.” Blayk’s grin widens. “Sounds like Aiden’s taken a liking to you.” H
e looks me up and down taking me in. “What’s so special about you?” he asks rhetorically. “I don’t see anything special.”
Landon rolls his eyes. “Brother, stop being an annoyance to Aiden’s companion. Surely he would not appreciate such attitude. You should respect your superiors.”
Blayk looks taken aback. “Companion?”
Landon nods and looks to me. “Would you not say that you and Aiden are companions?”
I find myself frozen and unsure of what to do. I eventually nod, but I don’t speak.
“Are you mute, girl?” Blayk demands.
I shake my head. “No, I just have no reason to speak to you,” I admit with venom in my voice. I don’t mean to say the last part. It just slips out. Blayk looks surprised by my words.
Landon laughs genuinely and sets one of his hands on Blayk’s shoulder. “Feisty, isn’t she? Now would you get out of here and let me do my job?”
Blayk looks surprised again. “Job?”
“I’m her teacher,” Landon says proudly.
Blayk glances between the two of us with a disbelieving look on his face. “Out of all the demonic teachers there are, Aiden picked you?”
Landon nods. “By law, since I am working directly under Aiden, I am now technically higher up than you in the pyramid, Blayk. I have the power to dismiss you from this castle, even from Tartarus. Don’t pick a fight you can’t win.”
Blayk looks surprised again but then seems to comprehend everything. He looks to me with new eyes. “What was your name again?”
“You’ve forgotten your own sister’s name?” Landon asks rudely.
Blayk glares at him.
“Megan,” I answer without emotion. If Landon the has authority to make him leave, does that mean I do, too? I sure would like to kick his ass out of here.
“Ah, Megan. Well, Megan, I do apologize for my behavior,” Blayk says, and then to my utter surprise, he bows. He fricken bows before me like the servants do.
I hold my mouth shut so it doesn’t fall open and glance to Landon. He smiles smugly.
“Please go now, Blayk,” Landon demands and points to the door. “Aiden won’t be happy if he hears you’ve disturbed Megan’s lessons.”
Blayk apologizes and then is out the door in an instant. I stare at the door for a few moments trying to understand what just happened.
“All demons must respect their leader. If they don’t, it’s punishable by death,” Landon offers, trying to cure my confusion. “You don’t realize just how important Aiden is to the demons because you’ve never seen him at work. To them he’s a god, a god who will smite them for as little as disrespecting him by annoying his companion or one of his workers. You must understand that Lucian was ruthless and even Aiden at times must be ruthless, too.”
I cross my arms and take one last look over the balcony. “Is there anything else that you need to tell me right now? I need to rest and think about all of this.”
Landon agrees and opens the door for me.
“Why were our father and Aiden such good friends anyhow?” I ask Landon, not getting it. Our father, Blayne, was such a dick.
“Aiden is not like other demons, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a dark side, Megan. In some ways, Aiden is more demonic than most other demons. The elixir in his veins was not given to him directly but through the blood of his mother. It’s not as strong and I’ll bet that Aiden fights darkness far more than you or I each day. Aiden is soft around you. That doesn’t mean he’s soft around everyone. He has a temper. You’ve only seen one side of Aiden, Megan. He has the elixir in his blood but he is still a demon, a very royal demon.” With that, Landon is gone, leaving me alone in a hallway lined with guards. One notices me and comes to my side, knowing that I’m to be guarded at all times.
The guard is a young girl who looks like she was changed into a changeling as a teenager. “Miss Megan,” she says “Where are you heading?”
“My room,” I decide.
She leads me through the halls silently.
“What’s your name?” I ask her. She’s pretty with blonde hair that goes past her shoulders and a dainty, little nose.
“Mildred,” she answers. Her name makes me think she’s been a guard for a long time.
“How long have you worked in the castle?” I wonder absentmindedly.
She thinks about it. “Fourteen years, ma’am.”
That’s a long time to work for the royal families without getting killed. I have to remind myself that the castle, aside from the last attack, hasn’t been attacked in a long, long time. I have to remind myself that this is usually a safe place even though I don’t quite know it is after the way Aiden’s spoken about it lately. He didn’t even want me here for my safety.
“Have you worked here ever since you became a demon?”
She shakes her head and laugh lightly. “If only it were so easy to be able to serve royalty. I served the man who changed me for many years before he died. Then after, I had the opportunity to attend extra training. I trained for eight years and then was assigned a new master. After he passed a decade later, I was assigned to a little pure blood girl who eventually happened to marry a son of one of the royals which is why I am here in the castle.”
I have yet to meet any of the royals living in this castle. I’m not allowed to even venture to their section of the castle and Aiden’s banned them from this section. I’m curious about them. After all, aren’t they kind of family? A sickening feeling stirs in my stomach and a thought occurs to me. If Aiden and I are both from royal families, does that mean we’re related? I have to be the descendant of one of Aiden’s brothers or sisters. Doesn’t that make him a great great something uncle to me or something?
When we arrive at my room, I dismiss myself from the guard, forgetting to thank her. I dive into the pile of books Aiden left me to read for entertainment, looking for something on history or family trees. I’m interrupted by a knock on the door.
I assume it’s Tamzen and invite the guest in. It’s not Tamzen. It’s Mason.
“Megan, thank god you’re okay,” he says, approaching me.
I smile at him. I’m so glad he’s okay, too.
“What are you reading?” he wonders, looking over the stack of books I have in front of me.
“Do you know anything more about my family history? I mean, besides who my father is?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I guess. I don’t know. I crossed paths with your grandfather before he died.” Mason scratches his head. “I uh…I uh may have killed him, honestly.”
I bite my lip. I’m just going to come right out and say it. “Is Aiden my great something uncle?”
Mason’s eyes widen and then he bursts out in laughter.
“I’m serious,” I beg.
Mason contains himself and wipes the smile from his face. “A very distant relative, yes. You have to remember that Aiden’s mother was an alchemist, your mother a human. You also must remember that pure blood demons used to cross breed with humans far more often. Your blood, DNA, whatever has been so diluted over centuries and millennia by human, alchemist, and who knows what else’s blood, that you have nothing to worry about.”
I sigh in relief.
“You also must understand that the royals who are alive today are...well, they’re not like Aiden’s nephews and nieces, they’re further down the line. Lucian was alive a very long time and many, many of the demons with the purest blood are dead. Aiden has the purest blood, the next closest royal is probably fifteen children down the line of one of his siblings or more.”
I decide to change the subject. “Is Aiden back yet?” I ask.
Mason rolls his eyes at me playfully. “No, Megan, he just left like an hour ago.”
Has it only been that long? I make a pouty face. “How’s Crispen?”
Mason shrugs. “Haven’t gone to see him. I’m trying to think of what to say honestly.”
I don’t really blame him for not going to see Crispen. Crispen isn’t exac
tly on friendly terms with any of us and him being locked up probably doesn’t help that matter. I look at Mason and can’t believe that not long ago he and his siblings attacked Aiden’s house to come after me. In Mason, I can now see bits and pieces of Crispen. The Crispen I knew before I began living with Aiden. The one who’d do anything for me, not the one that wants me dead. I wonder how Aria is, though, she’s only been gone for a few days.
“Have you heard from Aria?” I ask.
Mason shakes his head. “Aiden is going to set up a time for us to talk in a while when he’s not so busy.”
I nod.
“I’m on break. I just came to ask if you wanted to go grab something to eat with me,” he explains, crossing his arms. I know he’s asking if I want to go downstairs and find a soul to consume with him. Only, Aiden warned me not to consume any souls while he or Landon weren’t around. Why? I have no idea. Well, okay, it’s probably because I go psycho each time I consume a soul.
“I’m not supposed to go without Landon or Aiden,” I admit. I really don’t want to piss either of them off, plus after all the demon talk with Landon, I’m not all that bent on consuming a soul. In fact, it almost makes me feel sick, but I know that I have to consume a soul soon if I don’t want to lash out and lose control. When was the last time I had a soul anyway?
I debate this long and hard as Mason waits in the doorway for my final answer. He finally nods and then turns to leave. “What if I go find Landon?” he attempts.
I do need to satiate myself. I’m trying to learn control, not force myself to lose it. “Fine.”
I follow Mason out and about around the castle as we search for Landon. We find him in the most unlikely of places. He’s in Aiden’s office, at his desk, looking at what looks like the jewelry box Aiden told me about. The one with the pearl inside.
Me and Mason—having special privileges to enter Aiden’s office—are surprised to find him here.
“Landon?” I ask approaching him. “What are you doing?”
Landon looks up to us and smiles warmly. “Oh, hey,” he mutters and closes the lid of the box. “Just working on something for Aiden.” It isn’t until then that I notice the large stack of books at the corner of the desk and array of papers scattered about.
Changeling (Black Petals Book 2) Page 8