by Dove, Raquel
“It keeps it from spoiling,” Sam said with an amused smile as he watched Balthazar studying the food, “and makes it easier to buy and carry.”
“Odd,” Balthazar said, setting the package down on the counter. Sam watched him from the corner of his eye as he went about fixing lunch for everyone. He could see why Alex had become so smitten with the demon lord. He was a very intriguing creature, and though it was clear to see that he was lost in their world, he was adapting surprisingly quickly.
Alex followed the amazing aroma of Sam’s cooking into the kitchen, utterly surprised to find her best friend giving Balthazar an impromptu cooking lesson. It deeply pleased her to see them getting along so well. One look at the demon lord and it was easy to see that he didn’t belong anywhere remotely near a kitchen. But he was watching Sam intently as he demonstrated how to test the potatoes to see if they were soft enough to eat. Balthazar watched with all the seriousness of a heart attack, as if he thought he was going to be tested on the lesson. Alex stood in the doorway, watching them both with a smile on her face.
“You are feeling better?” Balthazar asked without turning around to look at her. She thought she was being sneaky, but once he spoke she realized he had most likely sensed her as she was coming down the stairs. There was very little that got past the demon lord’s sensitive senses.
“A bit,” Alex said, stepping over to the island in the kitchen and hopping on one of the bar stools. As soon as her butt touched the seat, the doorbell rang out in the massive house.
Sam looked uneasily at Alex, as if he hated having to ask her to answer it. He knew she was still feeling unwell, but he just couldn’t leave the food untended, and Balthazar had no business cooking or answering the door. The sight of him would likely send whatever visitor was there running for the hills.
“It’s ok,” Alex said with a half-smile, understanding Sam’s wordless request. She slid off the stool and made her way to the door as the bell chimed again. She swung the heavy wooden front door open to find four brown haired women standing there, wide smiles plastered on their oddly similar faces.
“Hello,” one of the women said with an overly excited smile, “you must be Alexandra. We have been waiting for you.”
Chapter Eleven
Alex returned to the kitchen, a confused look on her face as four brown haired, brown-eyed women trailed in behind her. They all wore the same faded blue jeans and green long sleeved shirts, and they also all looked remarkably similar.
“Um,” Alex tried to get the attention of Sam and Balthazar who were occupied with their cooking lesson. “We have guests.”
Alex gestured to the girls, unsure exactly how to introduce them and hoping they would step in to introduce themselves. As soon as the women’s eyes fell upon Balthazar a mini hysteria broke out amongst them. They whispered excitedly to themselves, pointing and gasping. They seemed to be speaking some strange language that Alex didn’t recognize. The apparent leader of the group finally broke from the conversation.
“He is demon?” she asked Alex with wide-eyed fascination.
“Yeah…” Alex said, looking back and forth between the newcomers and Balthazar, who had a less than pleased expression at becoming such a sudden curio. The woman commenced their gasping and secret language chatting. Finally, the leader signaled for them all to calm down.
“Forgive me,” the woman said, “we have only been told stories of demons. We never truly believed we would meet one in person. It is an honor…”
“Lord Balthazar,” Balthazar said to the woman’s expectant expression, to which he received a fresh bout of gasps and chatter. Alex could swear she saw him puff his chest out proudly at the admiration that shone in the women’s eyes. She felt an ever so slight pinch of jealousy at the act.
“You are a demon lord?” the woman asked Balthazar with awe.
“I am,” Balthazar replied casually.
“Then it truly is an honor to be in your presence,” AnnaBeth said. “Allow me to introduce myself and my sisters. I am AnnaBeth, this is AnnaLee, AnnaMarie, and the youngest, AnnaBelle,” she held out her upturned palm, gesturing for each of her sisters to come forward as she introduced them.
“How did you…” Alex began to ask but was quickly interrupted.
“We felt your powers,” AnnaMarie said up with a cheery smile.
“But who…” Alex tried to ask another question.
“We are the sisterhood,” this time it was AnnaLee that interrupted Alexandra’s question.
“Sisters,” AnnaBeth spoke up, holding a hand up to quiet her younger sisters. “We are meant to be your protectors Alexandra.”
“I hate to burst your bubble,” Sam said as he gave the simmering meat a stir, “but you’ve done a pretty lousy job of being her protector.”
“Yes,” AnnaBeth said, as her sisters whispered to each other behind her, “unfortunately we were unaware of your existence until only recently.”
“I’m sorry,” Alex said, shaking her head, “this is all a bit…”
“We will explain everything to you,” AnnaBelle interrupted, a polite smile stuck on her narrow little face.
“That would be great,” Alex said, trying to calm her rising annoyance at being constantly interrupted. Just because they were polite about it didn’t make it any less irritating.
“There is so much to discuss,” AnnaMarie said, more to her sisters than the others. The group of strangely similar woman once again began to chat animatedly amongst themselves in a strange language.
“Uh..excuse me,” Alex tried to interrupt, to which she received a not so pleasant, chastising glance. Alex took a deep breath, looking at Sam and Balthazar with tight lips. She was trying her best not to lose her patience with these women. If they were going to be hanging around protecting her, they were going to have to lay down some ground rules.
“Why don’t you explain what’s going on over lunch,” Sam said noticing his friends rising irritation, as he switched the stove off.
“That sounds perfect,” AnnaBeth said, clasping her hands together. Alex fought the strong urge to roll her eyes.
“I’ll set the table,” Alex said with a heavy sigh.
Chapter Twelve
Alex and Sam stared at the sisters, mouths slightly agape. Balthazar was staring as well, although with a much more dignified expression on his face. The four sisters were shoveling the cooked meat and potatoes into their mouths as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks. They were already on their third helping each, and they showed no signs of slowing. Alex never would have thought it possible, judging by the waffishly thin figures of the four sisters. When they finally finished, peculiarly all at the exact same time, they placed their forks down in unison.
“Delicious,” AnnaMarie said, a smile spreading across her face as she looked up from an empty plate.
“Delectable,” AnnaLee said, dabbing at her lips with a napkin.
“Scrumptious,” AnnaBelle said, a small belch escaping her thin lips.
“It was indeed quite tasty,” AnnaBeth said, leaning away from the table as if making room for an invisible bloated stomach.
The four women then simply sat quietly, pleased smiles on their faces as their eyes darted from Alex to Sam to Balthazar, completely oblivious to the fact that they were waiting for an explanation.
“So,” Alex said, when it became apparent that the sisters weren’t going to explain themselves. She honestly could not take much more of their polite rudeness. “Are you going to tell us what is going on?”
“Of course,” AnnaBeth said, her polite smile widening and her eyes forming cute little half-moons. She looked from Alex to Balthazar and back again. Her eyes narrowed as if she was thinking for a moment, and then she tilted her head as if trying to make sense of something.
“Ah,” she said finally, “I see you two have begun to form a bond. Interesting, very interesting indeed.”
Alex and Balthazar glanced at each other then back at the sisters. AnnaBeth saw the inter
action and her expression hardened ever so slightly, a crease forming between her eyes.
“You two were already aware of this?” AnnaBeth asked. The other sisters looked to each other, but this time they did not begin whispering amongst themselves, although their expressions mirrored their older sister’s.
“Well, we’ve heard that before,” Alex said. She was careful not to reveal too much to these strange women. She didn’t know if she could trust them or not.
“I see,” AnnaBeth said, her expression, as well as that of her sister’s, returning to the calmly pleased look that had remained on their faces since they had shown up. “And you are already aware of your powers?”
“Sort of,” Alex said, “I mean, I’ve used them a couple of times…but…”
“But you know nothing of them, correct?” AnnaBeth said, a slight tilt in her neck at she stared back at Alex.
“No,” Alex said, “I kind of happened upon them in Balthazar’s world.”
The faces of all four sisters fell simultaneously. Their mouths hung slightly ajar as they tried to process what Alex had just said. They quickly regained their composure, their faces returning to nearly identical serene masks.
“Do you mean to tell me,” AnnaBeth said, her eyes going back and forth between Alex and Balthazar, “you have been to the demon’s world?”
“Well, yeah,” Alex answered, a little unnerved by the sisters’ sudden shift in demeanor. Again, whispers broke out between the sisters, more excited and active than any before.
“Oh my,” AnnaBeth said finally, with an exasperated sigh as she motioned for her sisters to settle down, “that is interesting. How did such a thing come about?”
Alexandra’s brow furrowed for a moment as she thought about the questions. She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer. She never was able to remember how exactly she had gotten to Balthazar’s world.
“I don’t really know,” Alex said finally, with a helpless shrug.
“Alexandra was found in my lands by my younger brother,” Balthazar said, “a silver box made by the craftsman of my palace was found in her possessions.”
“So you must have used a key,” AnnaBeth said.
Alex, Sam, and Balthazar shared another knowing glance that was quickly caught by the woman sitting across the table from them.
“I see you have been told of this as well,” AnnaBeth said, again eliciting chattering whispers from the women sitting beside her. Alex was growing extremely tired of this.
“Forgive them,” AnnaBeth said to Alex, catching onto her irritation, “they are only discussing the implications amongst themselves.”
“That’s ok,” Alex said, her gaze shifting between the sisters as they settled down, “I guess.”
“Now,” AnnaBeth said, turning her eyes onto Balthazar, “How is it you have come to our world?”
“I am unaware of that fact as well,” Balthazar said.
“No matter,” AnnaBeth said, waving her hand, “we shall sort all of that out shortly. It is a very small matter for Alexandra to recall her memories. Have you had any peculiar dreams as of late Alexandra?”
That struck a chord with Alex, and the answer was written all over her face. She had told Sam a little about the dreams that she was beginning to realize were not normal, but as Balthazar looked curiously at her she felt slightly guilty that she had not divulged that information to him.
“I see,” AnnaBeth said, “those are symptoms.”
“Symptoms?” Alex said, her forehead scrunching up as her eyes returned to the sisters.
“You have not learned to properly harness your powers,” AnnaBeth said, a small amount of guilt creeping into her voice. “That is our fault I am afraid. And unfortunately they are wreaking havoc on your aura. The dreams are an outlet for the need to use those powers in your waking life. If left as is, you will eventually die from the dreams.”
“You will ensure that does not happen,” Balthazar said, the threat clear in his voice and an ever so slight glimpse of hiss deep concern showing in his eyes.
“Of course,” AnnaBeth said, trying to relax the demon lord. She was pleased to see the amount of affection he had for her. “We are here now, and we will teach you how to properly use the powers you possess.”
“What exactly are these powers?” Alex asked. She had felt her powers, had been told how strong and important they were, but she still didn’t know exactly what they were.
“You are so very special, Alexandra,” AnnaBeth said. She reached across the table, as if hoping to grab Alex’s hand, but the gesture went unfulfilled. “You have been chosen amongst us all, to protect us. You alone can tap into the omniscient force that rules us all. Your powers are immense and indefinite, limited only by your own will, and training, of course.”
Alex sat quietly at the table, letting the weight of this revelation fall fully onto her. It was a huge responsibility, and she was only sure of one thing, that she was not at all prepared to receive this information, much less act on it.
“Now,” AnnaBeth said, perking up, the seriousness vanishing and being replaced with that perpetually cheery smile, “we must return to the world of demons.”
Chapter Thirteen
“So, you know how?” Alex said, perking up. Her eyes darting around to everyone seated at the table.
“But of course,” AnnaBeth said, “we will use a key.”
“But there are no more,” Sam said, his brows furrowed. Once again, the women broke into chattering whispers.
“Ok, seriously,” Alex burst out, glaring at the sisters and effectively cutting off their secret conversation. “You have got to stop doing that.”
“Apologies, Alexandra,” AnnaBeth said, looking only briefly at her before turning to Sam, “No more keys you say? Wherever did you hear such a thing?”
Sam hesitated to answer, looking at Balthazar and Alex.
“You may as well tell them,” Alex said, throwing her hands in the air.
“You indeed should,” AnnaBeth said, looking expectantly at the trio across the table.
“A woman named Pani came to the house earlier,” Sam began to explain.
“A half-breed,” Balthazar said. The disdain was clear in his voice, and Alex couldn’t help but feel a slight sting at the insult. She wondered if he would feel that way about all half-breeds, such as one her and him might one day have. She quickly squashed those thoughts, realizing their relationship was nowhere near that level.
“In this world?” AnnaBeth asked, looking at Balthazar, a fierce seriousness overtaking her expression.
“Yes,” Balthazar said with a slight nod.
AnnaBeth turned to one of two sisters on her right side, spoke a few words in their peculiar language and turned back to Alex, Sam, and Balthazar. Her expression brightened again, and the two sisters rose from their seats and left the room.
“You are correct to dislike her so, Lord Balthazar,” AnnaBeth said. “We will take care of her.”
“Wait,” Alex said, “What do you mean ‘take care of her’?”
“Alexandra,” AnnaBeth said, “it is our duty to protect you, and we will do whatever it takes to do that.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Alex said, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in the chair, glaring at AnnaBeth.
“Now is not the time,” AnnaBeth said. “We must concentrate our efforts on returning. Which means we must procure a key.”
“Do you know where one exists?” Balthazar asked, ignoring Alexandra’s pouting. He could sense her displeasure, but he also knew she would quickly get over it. Her emotions flipped so quickly through her.
“Of course,” AnnaBeth said. She glanced at the remaining sister, who pulled a small book from her pocket that looked eerily like the big book they had been reading from. She quickly flipped through the pages of the book, finding the one she was looking for and showing it to Balthazar. “Does this look familiar to you?”
The recognition immediately hit Balthazar. He h
ad never seen the article that was drawn on the page in person, but he had seen many depictions of it. The item had at one time been part of the crown jewels of the Devas.
“It is Devasi,” Balthazar said, “the royal pendant of the Sultana.”
“Yes,” AnnaBeth said, with a rather pleased smile, “and it is a key between our worlds.”
Sam and Alex sat, slack jawed and wide eyed looking at the picture.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alex said, looking at Sam, who was mirroring her dismayed expression.
“Nope,” AnnaBeth said happily, “all you have to do is retrieve this item and we can all return.”
“Oh, well,” Sam said, throwing his hands in the air, “we may as well give that dream up now.”
“I do not understand,” Balthazar said, looking at Alex with confusion settling on his brow.
“There is no way we are going to be able to get that,” Alex said, shaking her head, as she pointed a finger at the picture.
“Why ever not?” Balthazar asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“That’s the Hope Diamond,” Sam said. “We aren’t getting anywhere near that.”
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s the most famous piece of jewelry in the world,” Alex said as she glared back at Balthazar, who didn’t seem to understand the problem with obtaining the item.
“So,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.
“So,” Alex said, taking in a deep breath and preparing her next line of arguments, “it’s held in the Smithsonian.”
“So,” Balthazar said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in the chair.
“So,” Alex said, letting out a heavy sigh of annoyance, “it is probably the most secure place on the planet.”
“So,” Balthazar said, tilting his head. Alex rolled her eyes with an exasperated huff.
“So, we are never going to get it,” Alex nearly yelled at him.