How to Love a Blue Demon

by Story, Sherrod

  “How can you have theater and no music?”

  “Well, you’re right actually, that’s about the only place you will find anything approaching music. And then it’s only a series of sounds here or there for emphasis or to facilitate plot. It’s not that we don’t like music, it’s just that for the sake of the peace, we’ve had to do without it.”

  “Come again?”

  “Most demons really are tone deaf, my dear. It’s an unavoidable flaw in our makeup. And most demons seem to like music, a lot. So, if it’s played we wouldn’t be able to help ourselves from singing along or trying to play. Then someone else’s peace would be disturbed, and that is against the law.”

  “You know, that sounds completely crazy. You punish people for noise pollution for having bad voices?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  She laughed. “Ya’ll must be pretty bad singers.”

  Eyoen rolled his eyes. “You have no idea. So you see, your musical ability is just one more reason why my people will love you.”

  “I just hope your mother likes me.”

  Chapter thirteen

  The Queen would indeed like Cass. But the Queen liked almost everyone. Except perhaps the elders who were aggravating her beyond reason as she tried to carry out some of her husband’s duties.

  It wasn’t that they thought her incapable, at least, she hoped that was not the case. But they certainly seemed to think she was in need of their advice. On everything. At every moment. No matter how many times she told them she did not!

  She sighed irritably, and the demon closest to her backed away from her husband’s desk. He’d been hovering where she sat looking over some papers that required the royal seal, and he opened his mouth to speak further, but shut up at her sharp look. He’d been explaining, for the fourth time, what she was looking at and what the King had always done in similar situations.

  She knew exactly what the King would do. They seemed to have forgotten she could read her mate’s mind, and that he had never withheld anything from her. They also seemed to be forgetting that the minutia of running a kingdom was all familiar to her because at one time or another over the centuries she’d been right by the King’s side while he took care of business.

  Whenever anything new happened, he was the first one to come and tell her. Their lives were so well ordered and peaceful, anomalies were one of their favorite sources of entertainment.

  She scrawled the intricate seal that marked the royal pen and gestured for the next paper.

  The demon began another long winded series of explanations, which she ignored, quickly scanning the document and waving for the next one. The demon continued talking. The Queen wondered if he talked this much when her husband was sitting behind this desk.

  She rubbed her chest. There was a funny ache there that had been growing in strength for the past hour. It was completely unfamiliar, and she wondered if she needed to visit the healer.

  Perfect, she thought. Now was not the time to come down with an ailment. Carlow was growing weaker all the time, and –

  “The King!”

  The demon was so startled by her outburst he stopped talking.

  “What of the King, my Queen? Is there some problem?”

  “No, no, I just, have, to, ummm. I have to go and tell him something. Let’s adjourn until tomorrow, yes?”

  The demon bowed, and swept the papers away to be locked in the safe until they could be pushed through the proper administrative channels to the next rung of the demonarchy ladder.

  As soon as the servant’s blue back hit the door, the Queen poofed herself into the throne room. She breathed a deep sigh of relief to see the King sitting quietly in his chair. But her heart rate began to accelerate when she scented blood in the air.

  She flew to his side, and immediately noticed his hand clutching his side; a nearly foot long gash had laid open his flesh and was bleeding fitfully.

  “It’s nothing, my dear.”

  She scowled. His weak, thready voice said differently.

  “How did it happen?” she asked, snapping in a bowl of water, a flesh sewing kit and a cup of heavily sweetened tea. “Drink this.”

  Carlow drank, though his large hand shook a bit around the tea cup.

  “A skirmish.”

  “And why are you fighting battles on the front lines?”

  Carlow smiled. His Queen was trying to be calm, but he heard the worry and anger she tried to hide as clearly as he could see her beautiful face. “I was not on the front lines, my dear. Technically we are not at war, remember? Sad as may be, I was ambushed in secret.”

  The breath whistled through his teeth as she cleaned the wound and waved a healing crystal in front of it to numb the area before she began to stitch.

  She crooned, making the clicking sounds she’d made when their pups were small and hurt themselves. She was pleased to see they had the same soporific affect on the King.

  “You promised me many moons ago that you would only wage war on our enemies in your mind. You assured me that you would have no problem leaving the battle to our soldiers in the Guard.”

  Carlow’s golden eyes met hers, his pain mirrored in the sudden lines between her brows.

  “I know, my dear. But things have changed in the centuries since I made you that promise. I did not want to break it, but I had no choice. The consequences are too dear.”

  She said nothing as she set the final stitch, cleaned the wound a final time and fixed a soft, skin-like bandage over it. She dropped to her knees, one of the King’s large hands caressing her dark hair as she kissed the wound. He shivered as tingling energy spread from her lips into his body. It would heal in minutes, such was their connection.

  She looked up at him, her large lavender eyes shiny and deep in the throne room’s muted light. “You cannot continue to fight this battle alone, Carlow.”

  Carlow. Not the King or my King. Hmmm. She meant business.

  “Of course I can. It’s my duty, and it’s my privilege.”

  “And it is my duty as Queen to ensure your health and well being, and I say this needs to stop and stop now.”

  “And what would you have me do, my dear? Bring in our sons, expose them to danger? Perhaps our daughters would be suitable for the stealth missions I undertake trying to uncover information to keep our people safe? Tell me, Queen. What would you suggest?”

  “Don’t you take that tone with me, your Highness. You know perfectly well that I –”

  “What’s going on here?”

  They both turned in surprise. It was Cinque. His scent was familiar and nonthreatening, which had enabled him to sneak up on them.

  “I smelled blood as I was walking by. Father, are you injured?”

  Carlow sighed. There was no way to hide his condition from his oldest son. He was a healer.

  “Yes, my son. But your mother had patched me up. I’ll be right as rain soon.” He smiled encouragingly, but Cinque only scowled as he strode closer.

  Gently he brushed his mother aside. He could find no fault with her work – it was she who had started him on the road to becoming one of the most sought after healers on the star – but Carlow could clearly see him examining the wound, speculating on its cause.

  “Who did this to you?” The low words were any angry hiss through gritted teeth.

  “It was an accident,” Carlow deflected, not answering the question.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  The King raised one finely arched black brow.

  His son’s head bowed gently in apology, but he continued undeterred. “Please, my King. Father, tell me. You know I am discreet. I am your son!”

  The King sighed, shooting the Queen a look as she smiled, pleased to be getting her way despite his best intentions.

  “Is this why you’ve been spending so much time in here lately?” Cinque asked her, obviously putting two and two together. “Does this have anything to do with your sudden interest in handling affairs of state?”
<
br />   The Queen nodded. “I’ve been easing your father’s burden as best I can. He’s been,” she paused. “Busy of late.”

  “Busy,” Cinque repeated. “What does that mean? Exactly what is going on here? Does this have anything to do with Eyoen’s absence?”

  The King sighed. He never thought he’d rue the day he’d produced such intelligent children.

  “I don’t want to discuss this.”

  “For star’s sake why?”

  The King’s large fist came down hard enough on the arm of his throne to make both of his family members jump.

  “Because it’s not time!” He roared.

  “When will it be?” Cinque shot back, unafraid. He’d been the cause of too many of his father’s outbursts to let one frighten him now.

  Carlow sighed irritably and stretched. The Queen murmured in distress, fearful he might pull his healing wound apart.

  “It heals, my dear,” he assured her.

  “The skin is already knitting,” Cinque confirmed, distracted. “Mother did a good job. But you still have not said who would dare do this?”

  His confusion was genuine and understandable. To harm the King was treason, punishable by instant death. No one in all the centuries that Carlow had ruled had even made an attempt on his life. But that wound –

  “Someone was trying to kill you,” Cinque realized, his eyes widening in understanding. “What is going on?” He demanded.

  The King sighed. He was tired. There was no point trying to hide anything. Cinque would tell his brothers what was happening no matter what, and he couldn’t blame him. There was nothing so important as the preservation of demon life, and at the top of that list logically was one’s family, whether or not your sire was the King was irrelevant.

  Carlow gestured for his son to sit in his chair. He did sit, but he chose to sit at his father’s feet, a move that both surprised and comforted the King.

  “Talk,” Cinque ordered, sounding so much like the King, the Queen’s eyes welled up. “What have you been hiding from me, father?”

  ******

  “You don’t need all that luggage.”

  “It’s not clothes.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Gifts for your family.”

  Eyoen hugged her so tight she thumped him on the back.

  “Lay off, will you? I’m not trying to show up on another planet in traction,” she pretend groused. She was so nervous she was trembling, and Eyoen loved her even more for her nervousness. “Are you sure it’s not going to hurt?”

  “No, my Cass. It will feel like rushing wind from a car window. Then you’ll open your eyes, perhaps have a spot of vertigo, and we’ll be there. Are you ready to go? You’ve been packing for quite some time. It’s never taken you this long before.” They’d been on several trips together since he shed Lee’s body. She never took more than 20 minutes to pack her suitcase. This time she’d been at it for hours.

  “I guess so. Am I dressed okay? I know I have to wear the local garb, but I still want to be sure I make the right impression on your family when I arrive. I think I’m dressed too casually.”

  He’d told her to wear her usual, which was dark blue jeans and some variation of tank top. This one was canary yellow silk with a pocket over her left breast. Out of respect for the local culture, her jeans were a soft, wide legged denim that just skimmed her hips and butt. They were the only non-tight jeans she owned, and she’d bought them special for this trip. She wore huge gold and diamond hoop earrings, and she’d had her hair done and a mani pedi. All activities she usually reserved for award show season. “It’s not like it’s a car trip, for fuck’s sake,” she muttered.

  Holding back his smile, Eyoen asked patiently, “What do you want to wear?”

  “Nothing, nothing. This is fine, I guess.”

  “If you want to wear nothing, I guarantee my brothers will love you.”

  Cass laughed as he’d intended. “That kind of adoration I don’t need. I’m walking into the unknown as it is. The last thing I need is for your male siblings to get any funny ideas. Ya’ll aren’t Mormons or anything are you?”

  “Mormons?” Rierdane asked.

  “Mormons?” Eyoen asked.

  Cass nodded. “It’s a religion where men are allowed more than one wife.”

  Eyoen laughed. “No, my dear. We keep harems, but once one marries, the wife decides whether or not the husband can keep any of his houris. My mother made my father disperse his. I plan to do the same.”

  “You wanna keep other women in a harem after we’re married?”

  “Tread carefully, sire,” Rierdane warned. “This could be a trick question.”

  “No,” Eyoen said simply. “I can’t imagine wanting that kind of intimacy with anyone other than you. My father is the same. He has been faithful to my mother for more than four centuries.”

  Cass laid a hand on his cheek. “Well, if you’re sure no one’s gonna hurt me where we’re going –”

  “No one,” he vowed. “I will protect you with my life, but the danger is very low. And should any occur, I will simply send you back to Earth until I can come to get you.”

  “And if you’re sure time will not pass as quickly, and I won’t miss much here –”

  “You will be back in plenty of time for your trip to Japan.”

  Cass sucked in a deep shaky breath. “Does it take a lot of resources to get from here to there?”

  Eyoen shrugged. “Not really. There’s no chance we could get stuck or anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  She grinned. “Okay. Fuck it. I’m ready. Beam me up, Scotty.”

  “Eyoen,” he scowled.

  She rolled her eyes. “I know that, fool. It’s just an expression. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”

  Approximately a half minute later…

  “Open your eyes, darling.”

  “Are we there?”

  “Yes. Take a look.”

  “I’m scared to.” She wobbled a bit, and he reached out to steady her, charmed when she grabbed onto his hands and wouldn’t let go.

  Eyoen burst out laughing. “Are you going to spend the whole of your visit with your eyes closed then? It could make meeting my family a bit awkward.”

  “No! But, this is a big deal for me. It’s been like a minute, I thought I’d have more time to, well. I don’t know. Is there anything really odd in front of me right now? I don’t wanna see anything too strange right away, you know? I don’t wanna freak out, and then meet your mother and be a sweaty, babbling, neurotic mess. Just turn me toward something not too outlandish. Ease me into this thing, okay?”

  Eyoen took her by the upper arms, pulled her forward, turned her slightly and said, “Open your eyes and look up a little.”

  Cass did, and saw his smiling face. It was the perfect first thing to see in a new place – something familiar and dear.

  She grinned and stood on tip toe to kiss him. “Clever puss.”

  “You called me a cat,” he said curiously.

  “Term of endearment, sire.”

  “Ree! You’re here. I’m here!” Cass threw her arms around the demon whose eyes bugged comically before he cautiously patted her back, eying the prince warily.

  Cyani demons were not known to be kind to other males touching their females, but Eyoen just smiled indulgently.

  Cass stood back and took her first look around. “My God,” she said. “It looks like Earth, only without buildings. Everything’s so clean and crisp and vibrant. That water’s green!” She ran toward a pond, dropped to her knees and looked into the water.

  A small fish swam up and looked back at her. It smiled, showing two perfect rows of razor sharp teeth.

  “Shit!” Cass fell back on her butt.

  Eyoen burst out laughing and picked her up. “Careful, dear. You might want to move a bit slower until you get the lay of the land.”

  “Indeed, miss. There are many wondrous and beautiful things on Cyanus, but everyt
hing you see is not always as it appears,” Rierdane cautioned.

  Recalling the predatory glint in that cute little fish’s eye, Cass believed him.

  “Point taken.”

  “Eyoen!”

  He turned, arm firmly around Cass’ shoulders and raised his hand to the man walked toward them from perhaps a mile away. “Materen! It’s my second oldest brother,” he told Cass.

  “He looks just like you except for the eyes and he’s not as tall.”

  “No, but he’s a very gifted builder. You’ll see his work when we get to the palace.”

  “Yes, I remember you telling me about him. Where are we now?”

  “In the yard behind the palace.”

  Yard? It was more like a plain. There was nothing as far as the eye could see in any direction except shrubs and trees, or a close approximation of trees. These were tall and narrow, but the trunks were curved not straight, almost wave-like, and the branches were the same. She realized nothing around her was stick straight, and the tree leaves were blue and pink, while the flowers were green, a neon, lemony green that waved cheerfully in the breeze.

  The air smelled wonderful, like cloves laced with honey, and Cass walked toward the scent as the breeze touched the flowers of a nearby shrub. Eyoen grabbed her hand.

  “No, my dear. The smell is a trick. It lures animals closer for the trees food.”

  She blinked at him. “The trees eat animals?”

  He nodded. “It’s one of many safety mechanisms at play out here. That’s why you will never be away from the palace unescorted.”

  Suddenly she felt a little queasy.

  “Breathe through your mouth, miss,” Rierdane urged.

  She did and instantly felt better. “And I thought the streets of Chicago could be rough.”

  “This must be your Cass.”

  She jumped and spun around at the new deep voice and found herself looking into a pair of bright, sparkling green eyes in a slightly older version of Eyoen’s face.

  How had he gotten over here so quickly?

  Magic, my dear. He only hailed us from a distance to be polite.

  Ah. Magic. I’d forgotten we could talk to each other this way. Will you always poke around in my mind? She teased.