‘My Lady?’ she inquired.
‘Could you please summon the council? I need to speak to them.’
Within moments of Aleth’s departure, the council congregated in my throne room. A collective scowl appeared on their faces as they clapped eyes on the golden haired demon who was obviously the reason they had been summoned from their other duties.
‘Lucas,’ I said, addressing the highest demon of the council, ‘could you tell me about the marking done by scarring? More specifically, that done by Karthragan to mark his succession?’
‘My Lady, the crescent scar that you bear marks you as the first successor.’
‘And if it were to be around my left eye?’
‘Then it signifies that you are second in line for the throne.’
I leant back in my throne. ‘Lucas, what would happen if I died without marking an heir?’
‘We would seek the demon with the left scar.’
‘Thank you, Lucas, you have been most helpful and given me much to ponder. You may depart, and please take Teran with you.’
Aleth appeared as soon as the council had filed out, having a quick word with the guard on duty outside the chamber before returning to my side. I glanced up at her before taking my mask off. Goddess, I was tired. I had my first major rival. I wasn’t sure, but I got the feeling that he wouldn’t hesitate to stoop to the lowest available means to gain the throne. I would have to be prepared.
‘Aleth, could you bring me a sword, by any chance?’
‘Of course, my Lady.’ A few moments later, I belted a short sword around my waist, concealed a dagger within my bodice and a second up my sleeve. No way was I going to let Teran get the better of me. I hadn’t spent the best part of three years trying to repair the dimension left to ruin under my father’s reign just to let someone, who was likely to undo all that work, take the throne. I leant back against the elegant chair, rubbing my temples. My vulnerable period was coming up. It always gave me a massive headache and I had a tendency to get rather irritable. Holly used to call it ‘PMS’, and joked that although he was a guy, Jamie suffered from it permanently. Sighing heavily, I dropped a hand to scratch Wraith’s head. She thumped her tail happily. Suddenly, she pricked up her ears, sitting bolt upright. Her nose quivered. She seemed ready to bolt after whatever it was that had caught her attention, but her sense of duty forced her to stay. I grabbed my mask, tying it over my face once more.
‘Okay, Wraith, let’s go see.’
Still quivering with anticipation, Wraith set off at a controlled trot. I strode after her, wondering what had excited the wolf so much. When she darted down a dimly-lit passage, I hesitated slightly. For all I knew, Teran was waiting for me down there. On the other hand, I was probably just being paranoid. I had to start being more like Amarath, sticking my hand into the box even though I didn’t know if the contents would be friendly or whether it would bite me. Squaring my shoulders and straightening my spine, I followed Wraith.
My eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. Being a part demon thankfully brought good low-light vision. A dull torch flickered, throwing dancing shadows across the black walls. A new smell wafted past my nose. A familiar smell. One I hadn’t smelt in so long. Just over three years, in fact. It couldn’t be…he would have to had really screwed up. Purple fur glinted a little in the firelight. Red eyes gleamed from the shadows. Wraith barked.
‘You!’ I spoke the single word, the English sticking a little in my throat after years of only speaking demonic. An air of slight confusion emanated from the figure in the shadows.
‘I don’t think we’ve been introduced,’ growled Bart’s voice. I couldn’t help but smile. Of course he wouldn’t remember me like this. Last time I had seen him, I hadn’t made the transition to ruler.
‘No, you wouldn’t remember me. I shall introduce myself. I am Princess Shadow Wolf Alexai Roth.’
The red eyes widened in the gloom. He tried to speak, tripping over the word ‘princess’. After a moment, he sank into a deep bow. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I placed two fingers under his chin, lifting him out of the position of subordination. For a handful of heartbeats, I studied his face, smiling a little behind my mask.
‘You really messed up this time, didn’t you?’
‘Yeah, I really screwed up. I don’t even know how I managed to change dimensions, Your Highness!’
‘Not ‘Your Highness’,’ I corrected, ‘Shadow.’
‘My Lady?’ called Aleth’s voice. I turned to see my lady’s maid hurrying towards me. She looked flustered. That wasn’t normal for her. She was usually so calm and composed.
‘What has happened?’ I asked, switching back to Demonic.
‘An ambassador from Alena has arrived, my Lady. Alena is an ice dimension close to ours and he suffers here. It is most urgent that you receive him immediately!’
I sighed, a little irritated. ‘Okay, Aleth. Could you take Bart to the garden hall? I will receive the ambassador in my private reception chamber. It’s cooler in there.’ I smiled briefly at Bart, but then remembered that he wouldn’t be able to see it through the mask. I glanced down at Wraith, motioning for her to follow Bart. Her tail drooped a little, but she obeyed, trotting reluctantly after the Kraferr. An ambassador from Alena couldn’t be bringing good news. Relations between our dimensions weren’t hostile, but they were far from friendly. Gritting my teeth and preparing myself for the worst, I strode towards my private chambers, Phantom following close behind me.
I paused at the door, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer light. The usual torches had been replaced by orbs of magic that gave off light, but not heat. I gazed at the ambassador, catching my first glimpse of an Alenan. I had never even heard of them, let alone seen one. He stood on two bird-like legs, the knee joints facing the opposite way to a human’s, with four toes apiece, each one tipped with fearsome talons. His upper body and head were human enough, although his hair was composed of long feathers, the back of his arms also lined with softer looking plumage. A pair of wings was folded neatly against his back. His skin shone a little with sweat despite his only clothing being a knee-length skirt that resembled human kilts. What struck me the most, however, was his pallor. His skin was only a couple of shades darker than his white feathers and, when he turned to face me, eyes that were such a pale green that they were hardly distinguishable from the white. He bowed low to me.
‘Princess Shadow,’ he murmured respectfully.
‘Ambassador,’ I replied, inclining my head and gesturing for him to take a seat. ‘I believe that we should dispense with the usual formalities. It must be most uncomfortable to be in this dimension.’
‘Thank you, Your Highness.’ The Alenan seemed somewhat relieved as he folded his awkward limbs to sit down. ‘My Lord and Master, Prince Melek of Alena wishes to mend the bridges that he burned with your predecessor and hopes to build new, more intimate bridges with you.’
I had to process that information for a moment, but still had to ask for clarification. I had an idea about what he was saying, but you can never be too careful when it comes to diplomacy. That and, if I was right, I really didn’t like the idea of what he was proposing. The Alenan ambassador laughed coldly.
‘Why, he means to unite our dimension through marriage.’
Damn, just what I didn’t want to hear. Now I had to tread really carefully for fear of starting the war Karthragan had nearly managed to begin. Marriage between dimension rulers was a finicky subject at best, and this was definitely not ‘at best’. ‘Hypothetically, and this is by no means my answer, what would happen should I decide that it was within the best interests of my people to decline his most generous offer?’
The ambassador seemed aghast. ‘No female could refuse my Lord and Master! His wings are strong, his talons sharp and his eyes bright! He is the perfect male! But he has told me, and I shall relate to you his exact words: ‘Should she decide to refuse me, I will raze Aspheri to the ground’.’
I dismissed the Ale
nan as quickly as the rules of diplomacy allowed. I tried to calm myself, but I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. Aleth poked her head around the door. She gasped as she saw my state and rushed to my side, grabbing a goblet of Stykka. I gulped the sweet, spiced juice as she waited patiently for me to tell her what had happened. She could wait a little longer.
‘Prepare a small bag for me. I will accompany Bart back to Earth and remain there for a couple of days. On my own.’
‘But my Lady…’
‘Now, Aleth!’ I felt my voice take on the deep rumbling of my demonic side. Aleth squeaked and darted away. I listened to her rummaging through my clothes for a good few minutes before she returned with a satchel, looking distinctly unhappy. I took the bag, apologising for my outburst before setting off for the garden.
Another messenger intercepted me, looking harried. I ground my teeth. I had to get away and deal with getting Bart back to Dominique before he managed to get himself into even more trouble. Deciphering the babbled message about an uninvited warrior appearing in the main courtyard, I fought down my anger and turned around, heading towards the doors that would lead onto the courtyard.
What I saw there made me realise exactly why the messenger had been in such a state of panic. The being in front of my eyes certainly looked humanoid enough, but surrounding him was an air of evil so potent I could almost see the darkness around him. Drawing myself up to my full height in an attempt to look in charge, I strode towards the creature, passing through the ring of guards.
‘Who are you, stranger to my realm?’
The being looked down at me through strange turquoise eyes. And when I say ‘looked down’, I mean that this creature stood at about my height and half again, a giant, even by the terms of the demons who more often than not stood a good head and shoulders over me. His pale skin seemed all the more pale because of the spiked, black armour that covered the majority of his skin. A helmet had been tucked under his arm. Dark hair had been left loose to fall to brush his shoulders and, when he spoke, he showed two rows of teeth sharpened to points.
‘I am Kaleb of the Dead.’ Although he spoke in a quiet voice, it seemed all the louder and more powerful by his presence and what his name meant.
‘The Would-be King…’ I murmured. That’s what legend called this creature. The Would-be King of the Dead Dimensions. Named so since he ruled over everything dead and dying, but it was considered that, since the dead were the dead, he ruled over nothing. For species such as demons, who knew about the legends of the great legions of the undead who resided in other dimensions, this was untrue. So he was named the Would-be King. Many religions paid tribute to him to watch over their ill and deceased. Yet, here he stood, in my dimension. He chuckled deep in his chest, his eyes fixed on my mask.
‘I believe that it what they call me.’ His eyes fell to Phantom. Unsure of his intentions, I laid a hand on the wolf’s head, unnerved. ‘May I become acquainted with your wolf friends, my Lady?’
‘I have only one of my guards at my side for the moment,’ I explained. ‘His name is Phantom.’ The wolf curled one lip back, showing his teeth. Phantom’s usual way of greeting people.
‘I am gifted with Truesight. I am able to see your other companion inside the palace, as well as the Kraferr. I see things as they really are. No amount of magic can disguise anything. Your mask, for example, provides no challenge for me. You are quite lovely, if I may say so without meaning any disrespect, My Lady. I know it is by law that you wear it.’
My hand flew to my mask, my eyes widening. The guards had raised their weapons, but I motioned for them to stand down. There was no need to antagonise the Would-Be King. If legend was accurate, he could obliterate the dimension in the blink of an eye. I closed my eyes briefly, regaining my composure. I had to try to find a way around this.
‘Why have you come here, Kaleb of the Dead?’
‘I seek companionship, my Lady, a place to stay where the inhabitants will not be put off by my presence.’
I nodded once, turning to one of the guards nearby, instructing him to find suitable quarters for the Would-Be King. Turning back to Kaleb, I inclined my head. ‘You will be given a place to stay here for as long as you wish, Would-be King. Should you allow me to excuse myself, I have affairs that require my attention.’
Bart was sitting on the bench, waiting patiently. He jumped as I walked in. His eyes dropped to my shaking hands, but to his credit, didn’t comment. Instead, he enquired about the bag across my shoulders.
‘I’ll be taking you back to Earth and staying there for a couple of days,’ I explained. ‘I don’t want you messing up again and ending up in yet another dimension.’ Without another word, I held out my hand for him to take. He took it immediately. Smiling slightly, I focused my mind, and teleported.
PART 6
EARTH – THE KRAFERR TIME
Earth was colder than I remembered. I pulled my cloak closer around me, shivering briefly while I got used to the smells again. Oh, the joys of polluted air. It stinks. It made me glad that the demons had no use for industrialisation, not while we had magic in its place. We had landed on the roof of an apartment building where I guessed Bart lived with Dominique. Both the Kraferrs’ essences were infused into it. Bart lead the way down a few flights of stairs, taking a set of keys from his belt to open a heavy front door. He gestured to me to pass, closing and locking the door behind him. I leapt back as a homicidal hurricane streaked past me in a flash of fur and metal, pinning Bart to the door with a formidable growl and a knife at his neck.
‘Where the HELL have you been?!’ Dominique snarled. The knife clattered to the ground as the Kraferrin crushed his ribs with a hug. Bart looked completely bewildered by Dominique’s violent mood swing, wearing an expression that made me wish I had brought a camera.
‘Dominique?’ the Kraferr gasped, ‘Dominique, we have a guest…’ The Kraferrin released Bart, but the glare she dealt him declared that she wasn’t finished. She straightened her clothes, turning to run a critical eye over me for a heartbeat before her face took on an expression of forced welcome.
‘Sorry about that. I’m Dominique…’
‘I know,’ I replied. She looked a little confused by my answer. I reached up to pull off the mask. A look of delight crossed her face before she nearly bowled me over with a hug. I patted her back, trying to draw breath under the affectionate attack. It was almost a relief when she let me go.
‘I can’t believe you’re back! Bart told me that you had to go and take over from your dad!’ She glanced over her shoulder at the Kraferr in question. She wrinkled her nose slightly. ‘Bart, why don’t you go and take a shower while Shad and I catch up?’ She turned back to me. ‘I’m guessing you’re going to be here for a couple of days at least if you’ve crossed dimensions. You can stay with us.’ I opened my mouth to argue, but Dominique shot me a silencing glare. I shut my mouth again. I may rule a dimension, but I wasn’t going to argue with a Kraferrin on her home turf. I kinda liked having all my limbs attached to my body, thanks.
Dominique showed me to a small guest room. I thanked her and put my satchel down. I held my mask a little longer before placing it on the bed along with the circlet that told the world who I was; It felt a little odd to take it off. I had been wearing it for so long that I barely felt its weight any more. Now my head felt strangely light.
‘What brought you back to Earth? I mean, Bart told me you weren’t planning on coming back, that you were an important figure over there.’
‘I rule the dimension,’ I admitted. ‘I took over from my father.’
‘And you just left? Surely that’s not a very, uh, royal thing to do?’
I sighed heavily, sitting down. ‘I had to get away from Aspheri. I’ve got to make a really difficult decision.’ I rubbed my temples in an attempt to alleviate my headache. ‘To make a long story short, I either marry the prince of another dimension, or go to war and see Aspheri destroyed.’
‘So there’s a man who thi
nks he can bully you into marrying him because he can’t get a girl any other way,’ Dominique clarified. ‘Do you want to marry him?’
I snorted in laughter. ‘Alena’s an ice dimension. Aspheri’s fire. Even if I did love this guy, there’s no way I am going to share a bed with an ice cube in human form!’
Dominique smiled at that. ‘But you can’t refuse him or you’ll lose your dimension…’
I shook my head. ‘I’d lose Aspheri no matter which option I chose. I guess I’m just going to have to do a little diplomatic stalling until I can ally with a few more dimensions.’ Dominique looked down at her hands, blushing a little. I could tell that there was something she wanted to talk about. Pushing my own problems to the back of my mind, I waited patiently for her to speak.
‘Shad, is there any record of a part-demon becoming a full demon?’ She looked up at me, worry written on her face. I tilted my head to one side, inviting her to elaborate. ‘Well, there have been times when Bart’s turned demonic and struggled to come back. I want to know if…if there’s any chance he won’t be able to come back.’
I leant back on my hands, trying to put my thoughts into words. ‘Part-demon minds are complex,’ I began. ‘We have our non-demonic sides, but there’s also the demon. We can’t survive without it. The two sides of us are constantly fighting for control, and only one can be in command at any one time. Bart was raised as a human. That part of him will always be stronger, but it also means that when he does submit to demonic possession, the demon will hang onto control with everything it has. There are ways to help someone come back, as well as training yourself to fight it, but it’s a lot of work, especially for an Unborn like Bart. You have to help them focus on something very human to get them back from a demonic possession. The clan used pain, for example.’
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