by Sam Cheever
As one after another of the dark creatures dropped to one knee and folded into a deep bow that brought their foreheads to the floor, I gaped around me with wide eyes and flapping mouth. I felt like a country mouse visiting the city for the first time. After I’d stumbled over the rug a few times, I decided I’d better pay attention to where I was going and pulled my gaze from the bowing dark worlders around us to refocus on our path.
It seemed we were to address the court, which was even now seated in their assigned places behind the long, semicircle of a table. My eyes ran the gamut of their beautiful, golden faces and took note of several empty chairs, including two in the center of the table. Unbidden, my mind jerked back to the evil Rayanne and I wondered if the creatures in that room knew I’d killed her. And if they did, would they want to eat me? They were giving away nothing with their blank, even bored-looking expressions. That bothered me more than hostility. I always like to know where I stand with the enemy. Suddenly I was glad Dialle was there with me.
Speaking of Dialle, he had started to climb the wide, shallow stairs at the front of the room, pulling me with him. I realized with a jolt that he was moving toward those two empty chairs and I knew I was not going to put my butt into one of them. I tried to jerk my hand away but he tightened his grip and continued to pull me forward.
I wanted to fight him, but at the same time I didn’t want to allow the evil inhabitants of that room to witness even the tiniest crack in our alliance, so I initiated a field trip into his mental drawers.
Dialle, I am not going to sit at that table!
Yes you are.
Look asshole…
Astra, we have many battles ahead of us. Let us not fight with each other too. We will only survive if we are united in our goals.
I thought about this for a minute. Maybe I could be united if I knew what our goals were.
I will tell you as soon as I can. For now you’ll need to trust me.
Oh, crashin’, a member of the royal Devil Court is asking me to trust him. I must be losing my frunkin’ mind.
He turned to grin at me as we reached the empty chairs and then stood to one side, ordering me into the evil Rayanne’s chair with only the smallest of nods and a flashing of eyes that were…shit…black as night again. When had that happened?
I hesitated only the barest fraction of time and then, realizing that trusting him was my only choice at the moment, I reluctantly lowered my butt onto the impossibly soft seat. As I landed, a murmur started around the room and grew in intensity until Dialle turned to glare at the crowd on the other side of the table. The room fell instantly silent.
Then Dialle lowered himself into his own chair and the room erupted in thunderous cheering and applause. The explosion of sound was too much for my jangled nerves. I started to jump up and my hand went to where my knife usually rested in its sheath before I even knew what I was doing. Dialle’s hand shot out and clamped itself over my arm, dragging me back into the chair before I killed somebody. Too bad.
He let them cheer for a while and then turned his midnight gaze on them and, without a word, they fell silent. The silence throbbed around us for a full minute before he spoke. He kept his hand on my arm as if he feared that I would make a run for it. I wasn’t entirely sure the precaution was unnecessary. Never had I felt so sure I didn’t want to be somewhere. Never had I been so sure I shouldn’t be.
Dialle’s voice was pitched low, but somehow it reverberated around the room, filling the space effortlessly. It was drenched with power and the force of it kept everyone in the room rooted to the spot. I watched their faces as his words began to insinuate themselves into the varying depths of their brains. It was the first time I realized how powerful he was. It was a power that he projected effortlessly and seemingly without thought. It was the scariest type of power, because it didn’t feel scary.
I was so engrossed in the sound of his voice that it took a minute for me to realize that he was telling a story. A very important story.
“That, although the battle left hundreds of soldiers and members of both courts dead…including our queen…” The room erupted in hostile murmurings. Dialle waited it out and then silenced them by raising one hand. The room fell silent immediately. “Nille and Nerul have survived and have left to rebuild. They’ve taken several of the court guard, a few dozen females and their children. I expect they will situate what’s left of the court somewhere safe and will be back to deal with us. I intend to be ready.”
As the room rumbled with murmurs and many heads bobbed in approval and agreement, I thought about what Dialle had said and the fact that he hadn’t even mentioned the angels. I was pretty sure this crowd wouldn’t support angelic intervention in this fight and I was equally sure that the angels’ part in the fight wasn’t something Dialle was willing to mention. As Dialle continued, my gaze moved around the room, taking in the rapt expressions of one and all. I was beginning to realize that members of this Devil Court at least, were much like every Royal Court from the beginning of time. They all looked for entertainment in all its forms. They all loved a good tale, tall or not. This tale was a good one—I just wasn’t sure how much of it was tall.
“Princess Astra killed Rayanne.” My ears and heart picked up this little bombshell just about the same time and I jumped in my chair. I felt Dialle’s fingers dig painfully into my arm as the room erupted in anger. He let them rumble for a few minutes before raising one hand to silence the room.
The room full of creatures dropped into silence but hundreds of pairs of cold, dark eyes rested on me, causing me to tighten my grip on the knife in my thigh sheath. I checked out the members of the court who sat at the table with us and some of their previously bored faces now held a trace of something that looked like surprised awe. A few of them gave me the slightest of nods and smiled as my eyes met theirs. I suddenly felt as if I’d passed the initiation to join a club that I didn’t want to be a member of. I also felt like I needed a shower. A really long one. In very hot, very holy water.
Dialle kept his gaze on the hostile crowd but I could feel his power, like waves of heat off a summer highway, rippling away from him and coating the room. It made the air so thick that I could hardly breathe through it. But it had the desired effect. After a few tense moments the members of the court removed their skewering gazes from poor little ol’ me and fixed their attention on Dialle. He continued his story.
“Rayanne had become our enemy. She betrayed me and joined forces with Nerul to plot my death. By killing her, this Tweener has earned more than our gratitude, she has earned the title Princess of the Court of Dialle the First. With this rank comes my guarantee of her safety. Let it be known throughout this court, that, from this day forward, Princess Astra is under my protection and shall be awarded every consideration that comes with her rank and position. Any who attempt to harm her will face my wrath. I would see her honored with the good wishes of this court, nothing less.”
He allowed that to sink in for a moment before turning to scan the length of the table, measuring the gaze of each of those seated there before he raised a hand toward the gathered court dwellers. “Leave us now.” The crowd bowed low and started filing out of the room until only those who still had places at the table remained.
Dialle turned to a well-decorated guard standing just to the right of the long table, “Gerch, you will join the Princess and me in my quarters. We have much to discuss.” Then he stood, grabbed my hand and pulled me up with him and turned away from the table.
The tall, exceedingly lean royal who had been seated next to me at the table stopped Dialle by placing a long, golden hand on his arm. Dialle simply turned the midnight black of his gaze to the taller man with barely concealed hostility. “Dialle, you cannot confer in private over matters that concern us all.”
“You will be informed in due course, Fallen.”
The taller devil held Dialle’s gaze for a moment longer and then dropped his eyes and stepped away. I could feel anger rolling
off of him but apparently he didn’t feel secure enough to confront Dialle in front of the gathered court. My eyes raked the beautiful golden faces that had gathered around us and saw varying degrees of anger there, not much else. With that quick assessment I realized Dialle was holding the court together through sheer force of will. No loyalty would be given him. I wondered why.
Dialle turned away and pulled me with him through the door in the wall behind the table. I hurried to keep up with his longer, energized strides and tried to gape around me as we flew down a brightly lit hallway that reminded me a little bit of a well-appointed hotel. I wondered what lay behind each of the dozens of doors that segmented the long walls. Dialle slowed, finally, as he approached the single door at the very end of the hallway. The door flew open before him and we entered without losing even a tiny fraction of a stride. As Gerch and two of his men followed us into the room, the door swung shut behind them and I heard it lock. Apparently we weren’t expecting visitors. Or maybe we were…
Dialle moved to stand in front of the wall of windows, located directly opposite the door. He paced back and forth before the windows for several minutes without speaking.
I sank into a hard, white upholstered chair close to the door just in case I needed to make an escape. For the moment my curiosity was keeping me there together with some other things, which I wasn’t going to explore too closely.
Taking my cue from the guards, I waited patiently for Dialle to speak. He finally stopped pacing and dropped into a long, white divan that appeared to be covered in incredibly soft mohair. He glanced sharply at me before turning to his captain of the guards. “Where are the angels?”
Gerch cast a quick glance at me as if to question whether I should be privy to the conversation which was about to occur. Dialle simply continued to stare expectantly at the lesser devil. Finally Gerch gave a slight bow of his thick, red body and spoke.
“They have been taken to a safe place where they can be picked up. Even now their armies gather. The Council of Light has spread its spies across the Earth in a hunting expedition. Nille and Nerul will have gone into the shadows. It is unlikely the light ones will find them there.”
Dialle nodded thoughtfully. “I agree. That is why Princess Astra and I must find them. The shadows are no place for the angels.”
I frowned. I didn’t like the direction this was going.
Gerch looked concerned. “My Lord, you cannot face them alone.”
Dialle grinned but it was decidedly lacking in mirth. “I will not be alone, I will have Princess Astra with me. Together we shall,” he turned to me and the grin gained a little as his dark eyes sparked, “kick ass, as the lady is fond of saying.”
I couldn’t help it, I grinned back.
“But My Lord, just two of you against Nille, Nerul and his court?”
“It is the way it must be. Our powers have merged and we are a considerable force now, we have no choice. Nille must not fulfill his destiny.”
“Yes, but let us help. My men have served the Court of Dialle the First for thousands of years. We cannot leave you to face this enemy alone. Please don’t ask us to.”
Dialle stood and moved to stand facing his captain. Placing a hand on each of the guard’s shoulders he gave him a sad smile. “And can you guarantee the loyalty of all of your guards, Gerch?”
For the merest sliver of time the truth flitted across the guard’s thick, red face. Then he masked his concern and nodded briskly. “My men would follow you to Heaven, Prince Dialle. They will do what needs to be done.”
Dialle stared into the guard’s eyes for a moment longer and then shook his head, dropping his hands. “Nay. Your wishes do not make truth. Your forces are as divided now as my court. We are safer without them.”
Gerch’s head drooped as he shook it. But when he raised it to look upon Dialle again there was fire in his black eyes. “At least let me pull together a small force of men who I know are loyal, my Prince. Let at least some of us fight at your side in this.”
Dialle turned to look at me and I shrugged. “I think he’s right, Dialle. I know you and I are pretty scary as a team,” I grinned at him and he grinned back, “but we’d be stupid to refuse a little help. You yourself said that Nille was too powerful.”
Dialle nodded and turned back to Gerch. “Choose very carefully, my friend. Millions of lives depend upon our success in this.”
Gerch bowed over Dialle’s hand and kissed it. “It shall be done, my Prince.”
Dialle’s face darkened as he watched Gerch and his men leave. The look on his face made me distinctly uncomfortable. It wasn’t fear exactly, but something related. I had just grown used to the idea that devil royalty were damned near invincible. And now, when the fate of the world depended on at least one of them being invincible, I had to get used to the idea that they weren’t. Sometimes life just sucks.
I stood, drawn to him somehow and moved across the room. His arms opened as I neared and I slid into them without thinking. As we touched my body responded immediately, flaring to life and leaving me liquid with need. Our lips seared together and his sharp, white teeth worried gently at my lower lip. I drew in the hot, musky taste of his breath and ground my body against his. I couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t touch him enough, couldn’t taste him enough.
Just as I began to get pulled into the mindless heat of his flesh against mine, I remembered something more important than my sex life and pulled sharply away. “Where’s Emo? Is he alive?”
Dialle sighed and moved away from me. “He lives. His soul drains away from him though.”
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with him?”
Dialle dropped back onto the divan. Draping one golden, muscular arm across the back of the divan, he splayed his long legs and frowned at me. “Rayanne poisoned his soul before she mutilated his physical form. It was one of her specialties.”
To avoid the panic that had welled in my chest I hid behind sarcasm. “I can see why you lusted after her. She was such a gentle, nurturing creature.” I scowled down at him and he grinned.
“I generally don’t search for such charms as those to grace my bed, lovely Astra. If I did I wouldn’t lust after you as I do.”
My traitorous pulse picked up and I cursed myself silently. Emo might be dying and I was standing there thinking with my…well…whatever. “I want to see him.”
Dialle shrugged. “I’ll take you to him.” He stood and placed his hand out toward me, palm down. I hesitated only a fraction of a second before I placed my own hand over his. The universe shimmered into neutral and, for the second time that day, I trusted my gorgeous devil to guide me to my friend. I just hoped my friend would still be among the living when I got there.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fading Away
So pale, so pale, so near death’s door, the lady’s friend awaits,
A devil’s poison fouls his blood and disengages fate.
He was lying in a shadowed room without windows. The air in the room was cold and smelled filtered, with just the slightest taste of mildew around the edges. As I neared the bed where he lay, I couldn’t detect any movement at all. No breath, no flutter in the grayed-purple eyelids, no twitching in the grayish-red hands which lay palms up, as in death, alongside his oh–so-still form. My heart clenched looking at him and, for about the tenth time in my life and about the fourth time in just the last week, I felt tears filling my eyes and escaping down my cheeks.
I sat down next to him on the bed and pulled one of the lifeless hands into my lap, clasping it tightly with both of my own. Still nothing. It was as if he’d already left me. I looked up as Dialle moved to stand beside the bed and my eyes asked him the question I couldn’t voice. He returned my gaze for a moment and then shook his head briefly, reluctantly and looked away, toward the dying devil on the bed.
I raised Emo’s hand to my lips and kissed it. As my lips touched the cool leather skin of his hand, it shimmered and changed. My eyes flew to his
face and I gasped. Lying there, eyelids still stained with the grayish purple of pain and weariness, was the devil who’d sat across from me in my living room, showing me for just the briefest of seconds what he’d been before Nerul had played with his destiny. With that thought my heart tightened again, but with anger this time. I would avenge Emo’s life and his death, even if it meant my own.
“Nerul’s curse has left him. I wonder…”
Dialle’s voice startled me out of my angry thoughts. I pulled my gaze away from the friend I no longer recognized. “Why?”
Dialle turned to me, pity lay like a veil across his gaze. “Sometimes when we die, we return to our natural state, outside forces cease to affect us.”
My eyes filled again and I nodded, swiping angrily at the weakness that poured from my eyes.
“Or else…”
My head shot up, hope soared through me, “What?” I asked.
“Or something might have happened to Nerul.”
I frowned, feeling the hope slide away. “But he’s with Nille. Together they are more powerful than almost anything else.”
Dialle continued to stare at Emo, his thoughts seething behind the calm façade of his beautiful, golden face. “Yes. Together they are.”
I didn’t have time to explore the unspoken question in his voice. The door to the room flew inward, crashing against the cement block wall behind it. Apparently dark world types had never mastered the art of the gentle, understated entry. Gerch strode into the room, flanked on both sides by the two guards that had accompanied him in Dialle’s chambers.
Dialle moved across the room, meeting the Captain of the Guards halfway and a murmured conversation followed. I paid only a fraction of my attention to the interaction between the Prince and his Guard, my eyes remained locked on the, now beautiful, features of my dying partner and friend. But when Dialle’s voice rose on the name, Nerul, it pulled me away from my despair. I twisted my gaze reluctantly away from Emo to look at him. He turned to me.