The Huntresses' Game (Eve of Redemption Book 5)

by Joe Jackson

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Yes?” she called.

  The door opened a crack, and Virginia peeked in. “Uh, ma’am, there’s…someone here to see you.”

  Kari shook her head slightly, wondering why everyone was always so hesitant to let any guests come and see her. Certainly, she was busy but, as head of the Order, there was always someone that needed to come and speak to her. “Who is it?” she asked, using the inquiry to help mask her impatience.

  “Get out of my way,” came a gruff voice, and Virginia disappeared from the doorway. It swung open quickly a moment later, and in stepped the impressively-muscled, eight-foot form of Celigus Chinchala. The demon king was about as manly a specimen as Kari had ever met, and with the physiques and machismo of most of her in-laws, that was saying something. He had nary an ounce of fat on him, his gray skin covered in soft white fuzz showing off the veins and corded muscles beneath. His ivory mane was long in much the same manner as a rir warrior’s, and Kari suspected perhaps for the same reason: to demonstrate how long it’d been since he was defeated in battle. The fact that he wore naught but a pair of black half-trousers and a leather harness that held the vicious black greatsword to his back gave Kari more than an eyeful.

  Most interesting, however, were the eyes: pools of swirling orange and red that were in a constant state of flux, giving the appearance of something molten. In that moment, they seemed stern but passive, suggesting he wasn’t here to yell at Kari. But then she thought of her previous trip to Mehr’Durillia, when he had graced her with only a single-word response telling her not to go. If he was here in person now, she imagined it must be a more forceful plea for her to not go to the realm of his peers, and especially one of the most powerful and volatile of them.

  Kari started to rise, but the demon king waved her to sit right back down. “Don’t get up on my account,” he said, shoving the door closed in Virginia’s face. He took a seat across from Kari, his broad girth barely fitting into one of the padded chairs. He seemed to pay his seating arrangements no mind, however, and merely leaned to the side, a curled hand to the end of his canine snout as he considered Kari.

  “If you’re here, I’m guessing your advice not to go is going to be a little more strongly worded,” Kari offered to break up the growing silence.

  One of those thin white eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “No, advising you not to go would be a mistake, as would you following any such advice. At this point, you’ve committed to go to Mas’tolinor and spend time in Koursturaux’ company. To change your mind or miss your appointed time would be a grave, and possibly fatal, error.”

  Kari stared across at Celigus and tried to put the entire situation into context. Here was a demon king who had betrayed his peers – to some extent, at least – giving Kari advice on how to interact with one of them, and one he had an intimate relationship with, no less. That made Kari wonder if he was here for exactly that reason: Koursturaux was his kast’wa, and would anyone know her better than he did?

  It was all so strange to Kari. Having the lord of the brys or even Amastri sit across this desk and speak to her of the affairs of demons was strange enough. To now have Celigus, one of the “Major Kings,” as they called them among their Council in Anthraxis, come and give her his time, his attention, and his advice was something she couldn’t quantify properly. At the most basic level, he was a demon king, and should have been her enemy, but he wasn’t. He was an ally – however limited – to the gods, and thereby an ally to Kari and her Order.

  “So then you have some advice for me, I assume?” she prodded again. It was odd that he came to see her but wasn’t initiating conversation.

  He continued to stare at her, but eventually he glanced out the window into the bright grounds of the Order and sighed. “I wonder if you understand what you’ve gotten yourself into,” he said before meeting her gaze again.

  “Do you think I’m in danger?” Kari asked.

  “Absolutely,” he answered without pause, but then he held his hand up. “Not while you are her guest, of course, but you’ve become entangled with her, and with several other kings. As I told you when we spoke in Anthraxis, they have their hooks in you, Kari. Their schemes and plots are going to come more forcefully, and more often, and you’re going to find that those you love may be used to leverage power over you.”

  “I don’t see how that’s any different than before.”

  Celigus glared at her briefly, but he turned his head to the side slightly with narrowed eyes and then blew out a snort. “It is. You’re right, in a sense, but the intensity will be greater. That’s what I meant.”

  Kari conceded the point; as much as she wanted to pretend otherwise, he was, of course, completely correct. “I know. I’m holding to the hope that I can play most of your fellow kings against each other, and that we can handle whatever manages to get through that defense.”

  The demon king nodded. “That is and has always been your best option,” he agreed. “There are some kings that will not move against you directly – those like Emanitar, or Morduri, and perhaps a few others. But they may still use you to their ends, to garner reputation, power, or perhaps even favor among our peers. The simplest way I can put it is to tell you to never, ever regard any of them as friends; some may not be your enemies in a direct, overt sense, but you can’t ever make the mistake of thinking they are your allies. In some instances, your goals may align with theirs and you may find help from them – as you did with Koursturaux and Morduri on your previous visit. But never go to them expecting that you will get such; make them come to you, Kari. Always make them come to you.”

  “Well, here you are,” she teased.

  Celigus smirked. “Sense of humor; good. You’re going to need it where you’re going. Not that my kast’wa is one for telling jokes, but certainly you’re going to find a lot of things out of place or confusing. I recommend you keep a good sense of humor about it, at least until you are safely back home.”

  “Amastri said that I’m going to end up playing a lot of chess, and maybe listening to King Koursturaux play the piano, but she wasn’t very specific on anything else.”

  “Yes, well, let’s get down to the reasons I came here,” Celigus said. “There are a number of things you should remember to do and not do while you are in Mas’tolinor, and especially in the presence of Koursturaux.”

  “First and foremost: always make certain to refer to her as Your Majesty, and use king should you call her by name, unless she gives you permission otherwise. You seem to already be familiar with referring to the kings as such, so that’s good. On that note, make sure to never call her queen, or use the nickname the Crimson Queen unless she gives you her permission. And, equally as important: I know it can be difficult and unnerving to stare into those black eyes, but maintain eye contact with her whenever you are speaking. Looking away or failing to meet her eyes is always taken as a sign of either weakness or disrespect, both of which will earn you her contempt, if not her scorn.”

  “I assume I should bow the first time I meet her, right? I mean, she’s not going to be informal like you are, is she?” Kari asked.

  “She may tell you to dispense with doing so, but I’d advise you to the first time you meet as a token of your respect. Respect will be the cornerstone of your relationship with her, Kari. You don’t have to trust her, agree with her, like her, or work with her willingly, but as long as you show her the proper respect, she will do likewise. Your relationship with her will be of the reciprocal variety but, if she crosses a line with you, you’d do well to protest, but do so in a respectful manner. This way, you do not come across as weak, but neither do you come across as disrespectful.”

  “I asked Amastri about a gift, and she had me get some sheet music for Her Majesty. As I said, I understand she plays piano?”

  Celigus nodded. “She’s brilliant at it. I think you’ll be surprised.”

  “Not really, I think I heard her playing the first day we were i
n Anthraxis the last time,” Kari countered.

  “Ah, yes, that was probably her, then,” he said. He leaned to the other side in his seat. “Another thing I want to go over is her living arrangements. There are no males living or serving in her palace. To dispel any rumors of impropriety, she doesn’t keep any males on her staff, not even eunuchs. Likewise, her female staff and servants live apart from their mates, or some work in the palace and then return to the city at night. But her closest servants and several of her advisors, like her court mage, live in the palace. Did she invite Grakin to go with you?”

  “She did, but he’s going to stay home,” Kari answered. “He’s not really in any condition to travel to Mehr’Durillia, much less spend a few days riding in a coach to Mas’tolinor.”

  “That simplifies things, then. If he were to…,” he continued, then stopped. Kari looked back up to his eyes and realized her emotion must have played out across her face in those brief moments. Would a demon king understand? Did Celigus know what it was to lose a loved one? Was he even able to care as a demon king? The fact that he’d stopped speaking seemed to suggest he could, and did. “Are you all right?”

  Kari sighed. “I have to be honest, Celigus, your kast’wa’s timing on demanding this meeting is frankly quite awful. I don’t have a lot of time left with my husband, and even two weeks away from him to go play some political game with her is far too much. To be honest, I’d rather she come here if she wants to meet, as ill-advised as that would be.”

  “Hmm, careful what you wish for,” the demon king grumbled, and Kari almost chuckled for the way he’d echoed Amastri’s warning on the matter. “I can understand your feelings. Is Koursturaux aware of Grakin’s issues? Did you tell Amastri?”

  “She knows virtually everything about me, I didn’t think it was necessary.”

  “Don’t ever take information for granted,” Celigus chided her gently. “Amastri knowing something doesn’t necessarily mean that Koursturaux knows it. If Amastri is trying to gain more favor with her king, she might have hidden that fact to get you into Koursturaux’ presence more quickly.”

  “Well, I’ll be sure to bring it up with Her Majesty, and then Amastri can explain herself to the king,” Kari muttered. In a way, it amused Kari to think of Amastri getting a beating from her own king for something she did to offend Kari. At the same time, though, she realized that as annoying as Amastri could be, the woman was a good source of information, and whoever was sent to replace her should she fall out of King Koursturaux’ favor might not be so open with Kari or her Order. “Maybe.”

  Celigus chuckled, and Kari followed through on her previous thoughts. “You had a twin brother according to a book Sonja read when we were in Anthraxis, is that right?”

  He looked shocked, but Kari wasn’t sure if it was because she was changing the subject and possibly wasting his time, or because he didn’t want anyone to know about that. “What’s this about, then?”

  Kari made a semi-apologetic gesture; she couldn’t let the demon king’s normal casual nature cause her to treat him as an equal or worse. “Nothing, I just thought you’d understand how I feel about Grakin.”

  “Completely different relationships,” he returned, though his tone was nowhere near as short as his words sounded. “And my brother was killed in battle, it was not a long, drawn-out thing like you’re facing. I have lost consorts and even some children along the way, Kari, so I can understand what you’re feeling, even if I don’t exactly know.”

  “But losing a twin must have–”

  “I don’t want to discuss this,” he said curtly, and Kari dropped the line of questioning without protest. “Let us stick to the matter at hand, since if I know your Order, it won’t be long before…”

  He trailed off, looking at the door after a few moments, and Kari understood why when there was a knock. “Come in,” she called, and she got to her feet hastily and offered a salute when Master Arinotte came in with Lord Allerius in tow.

  “Lord Chinchala! What an unexpected and pleasant surprise,” Master Arinotte said. He offered a handshake to the demon king, who looked at the priest’s hand, then his face before rising to his full eight-foot height. Kari wasn’t sure what to expect, but Celigus did shake after that short delay, Master Arinotte’s hand all but disappearing in the grip of the demon king. “I take it your visit involves Lady Vanador’s impending trip to your homeworld?”

  “Yes, and to assuage your own fears about it,” Celigus answered, taking his seat once more. “I’m sure her family, friends, and all of you are quite concerned about Koursturaux’ intentions. You needn’t be.”

  “So Amastri was being forthright when she said Lady Vanador will be under King Koursturaux’ protection while on Mehr’Durillia?” Lord Allerius asked. He and Celigus didn’t shake, but the demon king’s reaction to Kari’s former superior seemed much warmer than that for the priest. Kari assumed Celigus knew Allerius well from the War, when the Order had been coordinating efforts between DarkWind’s resistance and the demon king’s forces in the Ceritan Mountains to the north.

  “Quite,” Celigus answered. “You may safely trust that Koursturaux has not invited Kari to her realm to see any harm done to her. As such, Kari will be considered a guest, almost an ambassador if you will, and will be under Koursturaux’ protection during her sojourn.” He turned those smoldering eyes back on Kari. “This is not to say, however, that you will ever be completely safe from harm. Should you insult her, grievously offend her, or do something unimaginably stupid, it will be answered swiftly. On that note, there are some things we must go over with regard to how you interact with her.”

  Master Arinotte tried to interrupt, but one of Celigus’ large hands being held up before the priest’s face kept him silent. “First and foremost,” the demon king continued, “you should become well-acquainted with the phrase we will not speak of this further. If she should say this to you, do…not…attempt to continue your train of thought. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve offended her, but you have reached the extent of her patience on the matter, and are advised to simply drop it or suffer the consequences – which can range from being punched in the mouth to having your tongue cut out, depending on how irritated she is.”

  “You certainly have a lot of courage in choosing her as a kast’wa,” Lord Allerius joked.

  Celigus turned and looked at Allerius. He didn’t seem annoyed by the interruption, but there was something in that wolfish countenance that managed to be amused and predatory at the same time. “What makes you think I chose her?” the demon king queried, but then he snorted at his own words. “Well, aside from the obvious.”

  The irony of Kari, Allerius, and Master Arinotte sharing a laugh with a demon king wasn’t lost on anyone, which only made them chuckle harder. “You’re saying she chose you?” Lord Allerius pressed.

  The demon king waved off the topic. “It’s a long story, one I’m not getting into here and now. Getting back to the matter at hand, there are numerous little things you should be aware of, Kari. Don’t sit at the supper table until Koursturaux has been seated. Observe all the etiquette you might at your own table, and then some. Don’t speak with your mouth full. Don’t belch in her direction, and excuse yourself when you must. Keep eye contact when she’s speaking to you, and show deference when you speak back to her.”

  He paused for a minute, considering his own words. “I mentioned that there are no males living in the palace, and generally, visitors are quartered in the city of Maurinoth. That being said, however, Koursturaux observes some particular rules about nudity and…fraternizing. I understand nudity doesn’t faze you as a rir, but in her palace, you will be expected to observe more human rules of modesty. And you will no doubt be offered the services of any willing female in the palace itself.” Lord Allerius’ and Master Arinotte’s brows rose in perfect tandem at this statement. “Keep any experiences of such to yourself, no matter what you decide. Do not kiss and tell, as I believe your people would put i
t. Likewise, make no comments to anyone about Koursturaux’ bedroom activities, whether assumed or witnessed.”

  “I don’t think that will be an issue,” Kari said slowly. “I suppose this means you won’t be spending any time with her while I’m there?”

  Celigus shook his head. “I will not be welcome in her realm while you are her guest. Remember, Kari: she’s not my wife, she is my kast’wa. As tempted as you may be to share, I don’t want to hear a thing about your meeting with her, or anything that occupies her or your time while you are there. As far as she and I are concerned, treat me as one of her enemies when it comes to sharing your experiences with her. What she wants me to know, she will share with me when I see her.”

  “She’s not going to try to seduce me, is she?”

  “I would find that extremely unlikely,” he answered evenly. “However, I can’t say for certain. She may take that much of a liking to you. She may make a pass at you simply to test your integrity – you are married, after all. And as much as it may surprise you to hear so, she respects the sanctity of marriages among her people. Considering how powerfully that bond can manifest itself among the syrinthians and beshathans, it is one of the things that her people are most fond of in their ruler.”

  Kari tilted her head, and Celigus chuckled. “Yes, you heard me right,” he said. “You may assume that the people of Mehr’Durillia all hate the kings, but that would be rather biased and naïve, don’t you agree?”

  That could complicate things, Kari thought. “No, I suppose it does make sense. So it sounds like I’m going to visit the court of a noble – because I am,” she said. “I guess I’ll just try to be on my best, most noble behavior, and keep my intrusive questions to myself, then. But do you have any idea if she’s going to interrogate me about the Order, perhaps the Temple, and the fact that I’m Salvation’s Dawn?”