by Debra Dunbar
In consolation, I caressed her face with my hand, pinching hard at an earlobe as she closed her eyes in ecstasy. "I need to speak to both of you about our upcoming battle strategy. Dar, will you join us?"
I heard a spray of air and spit that could only be Dar's amusement. He strode through the door, his body rounded and full, covered in sparse gray hair, his long, naked, pink tail twitching behind him.
"Strategy? We’re demons, Mal. Any strategy you're thinking better not be longer than three seconds."
I pulled away from Leethu, immediately missing her coolness, and picked up an iron poker from the fireplace.
"Here's Wythyn," I drew in the dusty floor with the poker. I really needed to get someone to clean this fucking place. Who the hell was in charge of housekeeping, anyway? “Four main cities—the capital, Chime, then Rush, and Sweep. I haven't heard from Taullian, and he's probably not going to reveal his exact plans, but I'm assuming he'll use the relays to transport troops within the capital. It will cause a huge disruption, and the element of surprise will be on his side."
Dar pointed a clawed digit toward the dots on the dusty map. "If he's got a brain in his head, he'll gate some troops into these cities too. It will cause a distraction, and he'll quickly take the small number of fighters there in a show of power across a broad geography."
I nodded. "How can we best support his efforts, then? I've requested a wide variety of magical weaponry from Gareth for our household. Where should I place them?"
Dar locked his little red eyes onto mine. "Magical weaponry? Mal, what exactly did you buy?"
I squirmed. Dar might be under my household, but I always considered him a peer—more, actually, since he was a few decades older than me and was the only demon who had ever been able to sway my decisions on a regular basis.
"Just a few things. Some non-detection spells, snare nets, paralyzation potions, slippery skin amulets, a phantom-hands garrote scroll. Oh, and a chicken wand. I couldn’t resist that one."
Dar's eyes glowed, his whiskers vibrating at the speed of light. "Mal. You. Are. Fucking. Joking. Me. Where? How? Money?" he sputtered.
I shrugged with a deceptively casual mien. "Don't worry about that. We need to make forty demons seem like an army, and I don't want to risk my household against skilled elves without some kind of advantage on our side. I want to try to get everyone out of this alive. They’re my household, my responsibility."
Dar blew out a huge breath and clasped his furred cheeks with clawed hands. "Mal, they’re demons. They'll risk themselves because it's fun and exciting, and probably half of them will die. That's the way things are here in Hel. Have you forgotten? There's no need to bankrupt yourself to save a bunch of Lows and demons that you've adopted from dead masters."
I pulled myself up to full height, staring him down. I hadn't forgotten, but that didn't mean I had to play by the old rules. I wasn't that demon anymore, and I refused to backslide just because I was in Hel again.
"This is my money, Dar. My trust fund, my spoils from Haagenti's blood feud. If I choose to use it to protect Lows and my adoptive households, as well as your and Leethu's households that I folded in under my own, that is my decision."
His eyes wavered, and he finally dropped his gaze, covering the submission by pretending he was looking at the map in front of him.
"What shall I do, Ni-ni?" Leethu moved to stand beside me in support. Dar glared at her under bushy eyebrows.
"Each member of my household should have a slippery skin amulet, to protect against both the elven nets and the restraint collars. Your household is the most sneaky, and I'd like to use all five of them for one specific purpose."
Leethu glowed at the compliment. Sneaky was a trait all demons aspired to, and she was proud of her small, handpicked household. "We will give our lives in your service, Ni-ni"
I hoped not. "Your five will have the non-detection spells. I need them to enter the capital and disburse the vials of paralyzation potion in the food, wine, water supply—whatever would be best. Timing is critical. The effects last for a month and wear off very slowly, but a sudden onset would tip off the elves and they'd be on the alert for the attack. I need them to time their poisoning so the maximum amount of debilitation takes place as close to Taullian's arrival as possible."
She nodded. Of all the demons, Leethu's household was the one most likely to follow direction to the letter.
"Here," Dar said, his voice grumpy as he pointed toward an area to the east of the capital city. "Here, and here. These areas are just outside the major barracks. We can create a diversion in the woods, lure the elven soldiers in then snare them in the nets. I hope you asked for the bladed ones. It would simplify the whole affair."
I knelt, looking at my makeshift map. Dar's plan would split the troop numbers, greatly lessening what Taullian would be facing.
"Timing would be critical here, too," I said. "If you wait until Taullian is in, none of the elves will be fooled. If you go too early…."
"There is no 'too early'," Dar contradicted. "We're just demons. Pesky demons who have caused a riot in the woods. The elves will come out to deal with the minor inconvenience, and no one will come back. By the time they figure out something is wrong, Taullian is in and their attention is on him. We can jump the gun by twelve hours and still be effective."
I looked up at him, noting the eager bead of sweat along the fur of his upper lip. Dar always loved a good fight, but he especially loved the planning. "As long as no one gets away. That's critical, Dar."
He shrugged and licked his lower lip with a long pink tongue. "Not really. Feille might suspect you're behind it, but he'd never believe Taullian was coordinating an attack with demons, or that demons would ever work with elves in organized warfare."
He was right. Dar was so fucking smart. I had no idea why he'd put up with me all these centuries. "You stupid fucking dick-for-brains. This better work, or I'll rip the fur from your balls with duct tape."
He grinned, his teeth sharp as knives. "Promises, promises."
I grinned back. "Okay. Everyone gets a slippery skin amulet. Dar gets the snare nets. Leethu gets the non-detection spells and the paralyzation potions. I want Leethu to have the phantom hands garrote, also."
Her dark, chocolate-colored eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth opened in a lovely 'O'. It was a lavish gift, but of all my household, she was the least skilled in combat. She was a diplomat, a manipulator of great skill, but I was worried that even her expertise wouldn't keep her safe in a violent encounter against elves. They'd always seemed immune to her charms, and I didn't want to find her dead in the forest. Dar was brutal, a fierce fighter, a survivor, but Leethu… . I feared for her, and I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her. Amber would never forgive me either. An orphan. I couldn't do that to her.
"What about the chicken wand?" Dar asked, his chest quivering with amusement. He didn't seem envious of my extravagant gift to Leethu, in fact, he seemed to approve.
"That's mine." I was defensive. It was a stupid waste of money. A chicken wand. What the fuck good would that do me? Still, it was one of the coolest things a sorcerer could create, and demons loved a good chicken wand. I'd never been able to justify the cost, and still couldn't, but if I didn't get one now, I'd probably never have the chance. Between this insane battle and my thousand years with Ahriman, I'd most likely not live to get another chance. Might as well seize the moment.
I took the poker and drew five squiggly shapes extending out either side from my map of Wythyn. “Okay. Post battle. How should we stabilize this mess?”
And a mess it was. The southern elven kingdoms were basically in a line, east to west, separating the stretch of demon lands from the mountains to the north. Li was the furthest to the west and the most diverse in terms of topography—rivers, marshlands, peaks that divided them from the northern elven kingdoms, along with the dwarven lands on their western border. Cyelle nestled against them to the east and slightly south, a forest
of autumn color no matter the season. Tonlielle was along their northeast edge, miles of grassy plains broken by ancient foothills. Wythyn the next, a floral forest in palest green, then Allwin, the most eclectic with its mix of mountains, forests, and plains. At the east end, Kllee stood, the northernmost elven kingdom. Kllee was smack in the middle of steep mountains with dangerous precipices, unstable outcroppings, and towns perched on cliff edges.
We stared down at my makeshift map, each of our faces registering despair.
“There aren’t enough of us,” Dar said mournfully. “Unless Taullian has a few key people, we’ve got six kingdoms and three to act as diplomats. And with Cyelle and Wythyn right in the middle, it will be a logistical nightmare to handle two kingdoms. They’ll go through a truck-load of elf buttons just getting us around in time.”
“Well, Cyelle should run just fine with a proxy.” I checked that squiggle off with a sweep of my poker. “Which one of these is going to be the biggest pain-in-the-ass? What kind of approach would work best with each kingdom?”
Leethu stepped forward, gently pulling the poker from my hand. “Let me, Ni-ni. I am familiar with all of the northern and southern elven kingdoms.”
She flipped the poker, tapping the sharp edge against her lips. We all watched as she contemplated the crude map. Leethu got around, and not just in the carnal sense either. Unlike most demons, succubi and incubi were skilled at following social conventions. They could make small talk, entertain listeners with lively, audience-appropriate, stories. They knew which fork to use, and actually used it. As long as one could resist the overwhelming sexual lure, they were the ideal party guests. Leethu made the rounds. Demons, elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, trolls, it didn’t matter. She always received a second invitation, and she often got lucky. Of all the beings in Hel, Leethu was the most able to negotiate the convoluted culture and conventions of elven society.
“I think….” She tapped the poker again on her lip before reversing it to smack the floor. “There. Taullian should take Cyelle and Tonlielle. They have the most similar government structure, and they’ve been very intimate with each other during the last two hundred years.”
I pursed my lips in thought. I remember I’d had no problem passing through Tonlielle when I was working for Taullian this past winter. I’d got the feeling they were allies.
“Lady Moria was having a clandestine affair with Taullian. They tried to keep it quiet, but the gossip was on the streets. Neither kingdom seemed to be displeased by the rumors, either. I think she was paving the way towards a more permanent joining, of both their kingdoms and their personal futures. He can frame this as revenge for his lover’s death and the elves will eat it up.”
It was true. For all their stuffiness, elves loved a good romance—especially one that ended in poignant tragedy. Tonlielle would welcome him with open arms for avenging their beloved Moria’s murder.
“Wythyn is the obvious problem,” she continued, smacking the poker over the appropriate squiggle. “They will chafe under another kingdom’s rule, even those who despise Feille. Taullian will not be able to initially have a self-governance model with them. It will be too dangerous. He’ll need his strongest people in that kingdom for a few centuries before he can ever trust them.”
I snorted. “Taullian may be a good bureaucrat, but he’s weak. They’ll eat him alive in Wythyn. He should get the heck out of Dodge after he wins the battle and leave the bloody work to someone who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty.”
“That would be me.” Dar raised his hand like an eager schoolboy. “I’ll whip those fuckers into shape. They’ll be begging for Taullian to waltz in with his festivals and forest preservations after a month, guaranteed.”
Leethu shot him an admiring glance. “I think I need to take Kllee,” she said with another whack of the poker. I feared for the condition of my floor—not that it didn’t have plenty of dents and gouges in it already.
“Kllee?” Dar leaned over the map as if it would miraculously reveal information. “I don’t know anything about that kingdom. Aren’t they reclusive?”
“Which is why I need to be there. I’ve visited them a few times, so they know and trust me more than they would elves from other kingdoms. They’re the most likely to give Taullian the finger and go off on their own. They’re isolationists. Feille claims he’s conquered them, but they’re a very painful thorn in his side. They’ll never submit.”
Leethu had a look on her face I could only describe as rapture. She clearly knew something about the Kllee elves that no one else did.
“Okay, slutty-girl, spill it,” I encouraged.
“Have you noticed they appear rather… diverse for elves who avoid associating with other kingdoms?”
I hated it when Leethu teased. Well, I loved it, but not this kind of teasing. I’d never seen an elf from Kllee. I’d never been within a mile of their border. Their lands were not the easiest to navigate, and they trapped all mountain passes with an intense paranoia.
Dar waved a sharp-clawed digit at the succubus. “I’ve only met two, but they had smaller ears and were shorter with a more muscular build then other elves. They also appeared rather dark for southern elves. Are they breeding with their northern cousins?”
Northern elves were more commonly called the 'dark elves', which mean their skin tone ranged from latte to the deepest midnight. Their hair tended toward black and mahogany, although some kingdoms had a genetic streak that delivered an odd, colorless, white hair. It was shockingly attractive, especially combined with a dusky skin-tone.
I gasped, more for effect than because I was truly shocked. After all, I was a demon and very little actually shocked us. “But Eresh separates them from the closest northern kingdom. That’s pretty far to go for a quickie.”
Leethu shook her head, practically exploding with her secret. “Noooo. Guess again!”
Arrrgh! “Leethu, I’m going to make the next hour very unpleasant for you if you don’t spill it!” She grinned, knowing it was an empty threat.
“Where is their gate? The elven trap?” she prompted.
Dar and I looked at each other, both lost. Where the fuck was she going with this?
“Uh, about fifty years ago it was Cairo, but they usually move them every decade or so and I haven’t kept up. It’s not like I’d ever be seven-thousand feet up on a mountain in the middle of a remote elven kingdom to use the fucking thing anyway.”
Leethu waved her hand at Dar. “Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” she shouted. She’d stayed at my house far too long this winter and had picked up some unfortunate human colloquialisms. “Cairo, then Dar es Salaam, then Harare, and now it’s Lagos. It’s been there for the last two decades. They’ve always favored locations on that particular human continent.”
Lagos. I wracked my brain with earth geography until I settled on Nigeria. I hadn’t been in that part of the world for at least a century, but had fond memories. Who knew that those fat hippos could tear the shit out of a demon? I’d bet on one of them against an angel any day of the week. Those fuckers could fight.
“They’ve been secretly mating with their humans.” Leethu whispered as she leaned in, only to pull back with a mischievous look on her face.
Dar stared, uncomprehending while I sputtered in outrage. “Leethu, that’s racist. Just because they look different than their neighbors, doesn’t mean they’ve been forcing the humans to have their offspring!”
“Not forcing.” Leethu looked smug. “It’s all very hush-hush, but humans there have rights. They hold property. They earn wages. And, most importantly, they are not sterilized. They are allowed to form long-term partnerships with each other and some are in consensual relationships with elves. It’s not common, but they are allowed to intermarry. They no longer do changeling exchanges, and they've even taken to returning humans that fall through their trap and choose not to remain.”
Dar and I could have caught an entire summer’s field full of flies with our mouths. No shit.
Was this part of the reason they were so reclusive? No other elven kingdom would remotely approve of that sort of thing.
“This might go easier with them than you think,” I told Leethu. “If Taullian is able to unite the kingdoms, the humans will have the peninsula of Cyelle as their own. It opens the door to the practices in Kllee being acceptable.”
Leethu raised a sexy eyebrow. “Freedom for humans is one thing, Ni-ni, but allowing sexual relationships with them and treating them as the equivalent of consort is another. Plus, Kllee will resist the closing of their gate.”
I sighed. Yet another hurdle to overcome. Why were these elves such pains in my ass? “Okay. You get Klee.”
She rapped the poker back and forth between two squiggles separated by three shapes. “That leaves Li at the west, and Allwin. Which shall you take, Ni-ni?”
An awkward silence fell, and Dar looked at me with sympathy and sorrow.
“I won’t be able to help with this, Leethu. I have another commitment.”
I felt the temperature drop at least twenty degrees. Odd. I hadn’t known Leethu could do that sort of thing. Slowly, her dark eyes rose to meet mine, full of an unfamiliar anger.
“Ahriman.” It felt as if her voice seared through my veins with ice. It made me realize there was far more to Leethu than I ever realized. She raised the poker and smacked it down again near my feet, edging closer to me, one menacing step at a time. It was not an appropriate way to treat the head of her household.
“You’re sending us away. What have you done, Ni-ni? What have you done?”
Dar, that unhelpful bastard, jumped in before I could even open my mouth.
“He’s not even remotely supportive of this project. She used his name and his influence in this whole elven thing. He’s going to be livid when he finds out. She’s sending us away to be safe, so he doesn’t punish her by hurting those she loves.”
Leethu grabbed my face, her eyes meeting mine. Deep in their brown depths, I could see her pride that I cared so much for her and Dar that I could not hide it, and anger that I was choosing to face this alone.