‘He’s…he’s not awake yet,’ she murmured. She dragged a sleeve over her eyes, sniffing before looking back at me. ‘He will wake up, won’t he?’
I looked at the floor, unable to look at the Kraferrin. I had no idea what I had even done to Bart, or what had happened during the fight. Dominique hiccupped a sob, looking back at Bart. I chewed my lip, trying to think of anything to say.
‘Dominique, I’m…’
‘Sorry? Possibly. I know you probably did what you had to do in order to break up the fight. I just wish I knew he was okay.’
‘Well, isn’t this an interesting situation?’ A figure detached itself from the deep shadows of the room. Golden hair glinted in what little light there was. Teran barked out a single burst of harsh laughter. Dominique shot to her feet, her eyes flashing in anger. She pulled a knife from her belt, growling.
‘Don’t you dare come any closer!’
‘ How…cute. The Kraferrin standing up for her friends even though she knows that she has no hope in defeating me. The Kraferr, the great protector, unconscious and unable to defend his loved ones. This would simply kill him to know that he could do nothing. The princess, so weak in her human form, powerless, incapable of protecting her friends. And the crystal demon who would do anything to protect the princess, but even he knows that he’s no match for me.’
I reached a hand up my sleeve to draw my dagger but snarled in pain, the blade clattering to the ground as pain shot through my arm. Ilrune’s arms grabbed me, pressing me to his chest in an attempt to protect me.
‘Leave here, Dementius,’ Ilrune growled.
‘Come, come, Wingless, the Kraferrs are well known for their hospitality. ‘My dear Dominique, how trying this must be for you. The only unblooded demon in this room. I know that you asked your little friend on the bed to blood you, but he refused…Such a selfish thing for him to have done, wasn’t it?’ He took a step closer, holding out one hand to the Kraferrin. ‘I am willing to blood you, if you are willing to accept…’
‘No!’ Dominique snarled, baring her teeth at the demon.
‘Such a gift as demonic blood could give you what you most desire.’
‘Shut up,’ Dominique said quietly, her rage echoing through her voice.
‘Are you sure? No one from Shadow’s clan will accept to blood you, and your little friend has already denied you. Why remain weak when you could be strong, strong enough to protect your loved ones?’
‘Shut up.’
‘Strong enough to bear a child?’
‘Shut up!’ Dominique’s claws were millimetres away from Teran’s throat. They trembled slightly.
‘I have no qualms about giving you what you want.’ Her hand shook, then folded into a fist and dropped back down to her side. She picked up the knife she had dropped, holding it tightly as if in reassurance.
‘Don’t!’ I shouted in warning. He mustn’t blood her. He must not! It was against every protocol in the book! It was not something to be taken lightly. He would want something in return, that was almost certain, and you couldn’t accept gifts from a snake like him!
‘Do it,’ Dominique murmured. ‘Give me the blood.’
Teran smirked at me, defenceless, imprisoned in Ilrune’s arms. He knew exactly how much I treasured my friends, how I wanted to please them, but I had never even considered what he was planning to do to Dominique. It was barbaric, crude and painful. Turning his gaze to Dominique, he rolled back his sleeve, using a claw to draw a neat gash down his forearm. At his prompting, the Kraferrin copied his gesture. I struggled against Ilrune’s hold but, as a human, I had more chance of head butting my way through a brick wall than I had of breaking free, and he wasn’t about to let me go running into danger. Curse this half-blood status! All I could do was watch in horror as the demon and the Kraferrin pressed their wounds together, demonic blood starting to flow into Dominique’s veins. She collapsed to the ground in agony, clutching her arm. Teran wiped the blood from his own wound on his sleeve, looking down at the Kraferrin.
‘I will return when she has converted,’ he vowed before vanishing. Ilrune let me go. I fell to my knees, using my cloak in attempt to stem the blood flow. The scarlet was turning dark. Black veins stood out around the wound, starting to travel up her arm. By the time they reached her heart, she would be in pure, burning agony. Already, her eyes were wide, staring at the ceiling, her claws starting to gouge grooves into the floor. I chewed my lip, applying more pressure to the wound. There was nothing to do but wait for the conversion to finish.
‘Ilrune, try to wake Bart up. He’s going to be pissed off enough without delaying things.’ Ilrune did nothing, simply glaring at the Kraferrin. ‘Ilrune!’ Still, he didn’t more.
‘They’re consorting with Teran, Shadow. They deserve everything they get. We should get back to Aspheri and get you to safety before Teran returns with no qualms about the law.’
I growled low in my throat. ‘You’re such a pain!’ I snarled, grabbing a scarf from the top of the dresser, binding it tightly around the wound. Casting a glare at my fiancé, I started shaking Bart’s shoulder. Getting no response, I started to grow desperate. Tears began to prick the back of my eyes as I begged the Kraferr to wake up.
‘Oh, Goddess, Bart, please wake up! I need you to wake up! Dominique’s in danger! Teran’s given her demonic blood! Goddess, I don’t know what to do! Please, Bart, please wake up!’
Something in my plea must have gotten through to the Kraferr’s subconscious. His eyes snapped open as he sat bolt upright. He snarled at Ilrune and me, dropping down next to Dominique.
‘What the hell did you do to her?!’
‘I didn’t do anything!’ I pleaded with him to understand. ‘I couldn’t do anything!’
‘That’s just it, isn’t it?’ he growled. ‘You didn’t do anything and now she’s going to end up as a part-demon as well! She was the last pure Kraferrin! You’ve ruined everything!’
My tears began to run down my face. I couldn’t have done anything to save her. There was nothing I could have done! I was only human. I had no strength, no magic, no way to hold a blade in order to fight. Bart had been unconscious at the time. How could he blame me? I couldn’t have done anything to stop Teran. Nothing!
‘You don’t get it, do you?’ I screamed at the Kraferr. ‘I’m human! Human! I have nothing to fight with!’ Dragging my sleeve across my eyes, turning on my heel and leaving the room, I closed the door behind me without waiting for an answer.
I sagged against the window, trying to regain some semblance of dignity and composure. I wiped my eyes again, sniffing hard in an attempt to stop crying.
‘Aw, has the little princess had an argument and come out here to cry?’ asked a mocking voice. I didn’t have to think very long to guess who owned it. And what was it with me being called the ‘little princess’ by everyone? Okay, I was short for a demon, but that didn’t mean anything! I rounded on Teran, who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall, intending to yell at him. It didn’t really turn out as I expected it to. In a single heartbeat, my back was against the wall, standing on my toes with Teran’s hand at my throat. I scrabbled at his hand, trying to relieve the pressure on my windpipe, unable to draw breath, starting to become light-headed. Teran released his hold a slight degree. I gulped down air desperately.
‘Weak little human,’ he crooned. ‘I’m not even close to being finished with you. I may not be able to challenge you for a while, but I can certainly make your life hell until I do.’
Ilrune burst out from the bedroom like an enraged bull. I half expected him to grow horns. Bart wasn’t far behind him, a look of anger personified on his face. Teran let me go, turning to face the two Unborns.
‘How sweet, it would seem that the Kraferr protector and the crystal demon have formed a rescue party. I didn’t think they would be able to work together without ripping each other’s throats out.’ Teran commented conversationally. Bart pulled back a fist to punch Teran. A ball of fur erupted
from the bedroom, knocking the Kraferr back.
‘Leave him alone,’ Dominique growled.
‘Are you feeling better, my dear Dominique?’ Teran asked.
‘Dominique…What has he done to you?!’ Bart growled.
‘The worst is going to come soon, Bart,’ she answered quietly, ‘After this…we’ll be able to save our race.’
‘Are you fr—’
‘Quiet!’ she snapped, frowning slightly at Bart before softening her voice slightly. ‘Quiet, please. I want to be able to do this alone for once.’ Teran smirked a little. Ilrune was speechless. I wheezed quietly, still feeling Teran’s hands at my throat.
‘I would guess that you are better, Dominique,’ Teran said, smiling. ‘We can move on to the next stage. Bart and Ilrune, you will stay here.’
‘Yes, she murmured under her breath, ‘let’s go. You can finish whatever you have to do and then get the hell out of my home.’ Glowering at Bart and Ilrune, Dominique swept back into the bedroom. Teran smirked at the two Unborns, seized my arm and followed the Kraferrin, but not without a parting threat.
‘If you wish no harm to come to your loved ones, I suggest strongly that you stay out here and keep quiet.’
There was no way I could have fought against Teran with any hope of winning, so I didn’t. It would only have make things worse, for either Dominique or for me. Instead, I curled up quietly where he had left me. My broken arm ached. I wanted to go home. I wanted to get away from Teran. I wanted my family. Teran got Dominique to lie down on the bed, telling her to relax before he turned back to me. I knew what he wanted, and tried not to resist. He rested his hand on my stomach, careful not to allow his hand to pass through my skin. He drew out a tiny white orb, carefully suspended over his palm. A tiny fragment of my essence of who I was. An orb of magic that could grow into a whole new being. My coding would be overrun by Dominique’s, all it needed to become a child was a piece of Bart’s essence. Teran leant over Dominique for a moment, speaking softly to her in a voice too quiet for my human ears to hear Whatever it was, she agreed to it, and Teran pressed the tiny orb of magic into her belly. Dominique gasped in pain, her hands fisting in the sheets beneath her. Teran straightened up, staring to search the room. From a small, journal-like book, he drew a second orb of magic, which he carried to Dominique. Bart must have kept a diary or something. That’s all I would think of that could give Teran enough of his essence to satisfy his needs. Physical form wasn’t the only thing that could be used to house a person’s essence. It was anything and everything personal and unique to a single person, and handwriting was one of the most personal and unique non physical things a person had.
‘Congratulations, my dear Dominique, you will bear twins in approximately five months.’ Bowing low to the Kraferrin, he took hold of my arm once more, teleporting out of the flat.
Wherever he took us, at least it was warm. I knew that it was still Earth. Teleporting between dimensions left a strange feeling of having jumped into a bucket of cold water for a few moments. Teleporting within a dimension left only a brief sensation of pins and needles. As soon as I could, I scrambled away from Teran. I had no intention of joining Kaleb’s ranks any time soon. This bastard of a demon wasn’t about to change that. I bared my teeth, feeling the acute lack of fangs to scare him with. No fangs, no claws, no strength and no magic, what a fine state I was in now.
Teran cornered me easily, a manic grin fixed on his face. He took hold of my broken arm in a parody of gentleness, prodding the break with a light touch. I gritted my teeth. I wanted to pull away, but it would only make matters worse. With one quick movement, he twisted my arm, snapping the healing bone easily. I couldn’t stop the scream from escaping my throat. Teran barked a laugh, still holding my arm in his hand, grinding the broken bone beneath his fingers.
‘Teran!’ bellowed a, unfamiliar, female voice. An angry looking woman who looked very similar to Teran strode towards us, closely followed by Ilrune and Bart. The relief on Ilrune’s face was obvious, as if he hadn’t expected to find me at all. He darted to my side, carefully cradling me in his arms. I buried my face in his chest, desperately needing his support. My arm was in agony as I held it against me, my tears beginning to seep into Ilrune’s shirt.
‘Elva,’ Teran growled in response. The woman tossed her hair out of her eyes glaring at what I guessed was her twin.
‘I’m only doing this because I need a favour from the Roth-Mercians and Shadow is technically the head of it,’ she said before turning her yellow gaze to me. ‘I saved your ass. In return, you tell Vrael that Elva’s back in town. Now get the hell out of here.’
Ilrune held me for a moment longer as we arrived in Bart’s flat. I squirmed a little in his grip, but he refused to let me go. He rested his forehead on my head, murmuring quietly to me.
‘Gods, next time, please scream or something so I will know that things are not right.’ Only then did he let me go. With tender care, he touched my broken arm, wincing as I hissed in pain. Murmuring something under his breath, he let his magic flow, putting the bone back together with crystal. I flexed my hand gingerly, expecting the usual flash of pain. Nothing. Healed. I flung my arms around his neck, pulling the taller demon down to hug him tightly. Summoning my courage, I let him go and turned to check on Dominique.
The Kraferrin was huddled in a corner of the room as if terrified. As soon as she realised who had walked in, she refused to look up at me. Carefully arranging my skirts, I sat, cross-legged, opposite her, close enough to comfort, far away enough not to threaten.
‘I’m sorry,’ she murmured. I could see the tracks from her tears, still fresh, gleaming in the room’s low light.
‘It’s okay, Dominique. No one was badly hurt apart from you.’
‘It’s not okay, I sold you out to that bastard!’
‘Then I forgive you.’
‘No! There are some things that are unforgivable!’
‘I choose who I forgive and, right now, I forgive you, Dominique Kraferr. There are far worse things that could have happened, but they didn’t, and for that I am grateful.’
For a moment, Dominique remained silent. Behind me, I heard the door creak open. Ilrune, standing silhouetted against the light, glared at Dominique. I glowered back, causing him to back up a couple of steps. I pointed a finger at him. The crystal demon quickly made himself scarce, disappearing back into the living room. For all I had been complaining about him for the past while, he was still intelligent enough to know not to cross me. I turned my attention back to Dominique, rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her.
‘Hey, it’s okay, he was just annoyed earlier because Teran was being a bum. He won’t be hurting you any time soon if he values his crown jewels.’
Then, for the first time, she looked up at me. ‘Am I really pregnant?’
I took a moment to think carefully through my answer. ‘Demonesses are quite a bit different to humans in that respect. I’m not sure about Kraferrs though. Basically, we don’t have periods, we’re always ready to reproduce, there’s a high chance of becoming pregnant when we have intercourse, we never miscarry and we always give birth to twins. In short, yes, you are pregnant.’
‘Two children…’ Dominique repeated, lowering her head, ‘Am I really sure of what I’m about to get into?’ she asked herself, ‘I mean, two lives to take care of…I’ve already seen Kraferric mothers give birth and I have already seen how newlings are treated. Physically, I’m able to do that, but will I be able to keep up? I don’t want to screw anything up by doing this…’ Dominique let her hair fall over her face as she spoke. ‘I’m willing to be hurt for them, I’m willing to do anything for them. I just don’t want to make any mistakes.’
‘And you won’t,’ intervened Bart’s voice. I glanced over my shoulder to see the Kraferr leaning against the door jamb. I briefly wondered how long he’d been there. He gazed down at Dominique. ‘Sure, you made a big mistake by risking all of our lives with this,’ he continued, crossin
g his arms, ‘but something tells me that what you’re doing is right. You always wanted to save the Kraferrs, and even though they will never be what others call ‘pure’ Kraferrs, they will still be descendants. By doing this, maybe you’re braver than most. Maybe now you’ll achieve your goal. And I respect that. The ends don’t justify the means to me, but hey, I’m pretty happy that we won’t be the only Kraferrs on this planet.’
‘But you won’t be alone in this,’ I added. ‘You can call me any time and I’ll be back as soon as I can.’ I stood up, pushing my hair off my face. ‘Ilrune had better get me back to Aspheri. They need me there.’ I smiled slightly at Dominique. ‘Get Bart to call me whenever you need me here or when you go into labour. I’ll help you through it.’ Before walking out to the living room, I paused by Bart, talking to him under my breath so that only he could hear.
‘You’d better look after her. Pregnancy isn’t easy at the best of times, and demonic pregnancies have a tendency to be worse.’ Ilrune stepped forwards to take my hand, preparing for the teleportation. I cast one last look at the Kraferrs, my mask in hand. ‘I guess I’ll be seeing you. Thanks for putting up with us and all the crap we’ve put you through.’
PART 8
ASPHERI – MARRIAGE
Ilrune and I landed slap-bang in the middle of a heated argument between my guards. Well, we landed off to the side, hidden a little by the shadows of the room. Kaleb seemed to be doing most of the shouting which, if the faces of the rest of the guard unit was anything to go by, was one of the scariest things they had ever seen. Then again, if I was the one being shouted at by the Would-Be King, a creature powerful enough to destroy an entire dimension in the blink of an eye, I would be close to wetting myself as well.
‘For the love of the gods, does no one plan anything using a calendar? It should have been obvious that her trip to Rathol coincided with her vulnerable period! On top of that, no one has been able to find her! Has no one ever thought to try and memorise her human energy signature? Don’t look at me like that, I know you’re capable of doing it, even if I can’t!’ He started pacing the line of demons. ‘How would you lot like to have to tell the people that we lost the princess when she was defenceless!? I can tell you now that it would not be a fun job! Just be glad that I haven’t had any messengers coming here and asking me why the hell the Princess of Darkness turned up in one of my realms! Not only that, but we lost the demon engaged to the princess! And do any of you know how to find or contact the first in line?’
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