by Amber Cook
"So many questions and I have just arrived back! Do you know where Brynx and Marly are?"
The child walked beside the mare, which seemed to settle in the presence of the children. Adira could feel its tense nature beneath her thighs the whole ride. It had felt like a firecracker waiting to explode. "Hm...I guess I do. Last I saw them, they were talking to the Commander."
Commander? That piqued Adira's interest.
She did not allow it to show on her face, but Adira settled back and allowed her energy to be spent on focusing on their words. The world tunneled, and all she could do was hear. She could hear the hammering of the mare's heart, along with the children's, as if it were in her ear. In the distance, she could hear someone shouting, as well as she could hear someone telling a lie. It was as if only sounds expressed the world, and Adira could suddenly understand them.
Zen seemed to understand, and he reached down, ruffling the top of the kid's head with his hand. "Don't get into too much trouble, do you understand?"
"Me? Getting into trouble? You have the wrong person." The child mused, turning his attention towards Adira. Beneath the weight of his eyes, Adira could not stop her fingers from tensing. Children had always been gifted, unlike their older counterparts. No matter what magic she used, what spell was performed, children could see through it. Even if they did not realize it, they were the only ones who could see the truth. They were the only ones who could see a demon's true face and sometimes even their true name.
The child's eyes widened, and he took a step away from Zen and the mare. The cloak concealed her face, but that did not stop her slitted eyes from peeking out. The child immediately latched onto them and could feel the weight and power beneath her gaze. It caused his skin to whiten. "Who is that?"
"Ugh...It's a secret."
"A secret? Isn't that a de-"
"Sh..." Zen warned, pressing his fingers against the child's lip. "This is top secret information that only you have been trusted with. Can I trust you with it?"
"Yes! I won't let you down, Zen. I won't tell anyone."
Zen's lips pulled into a soft smile as he stepped away from the child. "Will you tell Brynx and Marly I'm back?"
"Hm, what is in it for me?"
"I should have a bag of candies from one of the towns I stopped at."
"Candy? Say no more! I'll tell Brynx and Marly. What if they ask where you are?"
"They'll know. Just tell them I have what they want."
The child nodded his head, not needing to hear anymore. The only thing on his mind was the candy that had been offered. He darted off, not waiting for Zen to say anything else.
Adira's eyes followed the child as he disappeared into the thicket of the crowd. Zen's face seemed to have softened, something that she had not expected to see. Whenever he looked at her, he never showed that warmth. It wasn't like she wanted to see it either.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Adira had not even realized that Zen had turned towards her, his face pulled in a scowl. She sat up, straightening her spine as she looked away from him. "Was I looking at you? Don't take it as a compliment."
Zen's brows darkened, but his fingers tightened around the mare's reins. He pushed her forward, and the mare complied. Adira rocked in the saddle, swaying with the horse's movement. Her body still ached all over, and the ride wasn't helping. In the Demonic Realm, they did not have horses like this. The ones they had were formed of fire, damned to the very depths of hell.
"Where are you taking me?" She gritted out, and Zen answered soon after.
"To the place you belong."
"Back to the Demonic Realm? How lovely. It's been too long."
Zen did not answer her. He simply continued forward into the throngs of people, oblivious to every word she spoke.
✽✽✽
The ride lasted for more than an hour. Zen led the mare through the people with ease. When people saw him, they seemed to disperse. It wasn't that they were terrified of him. They respected him.
Adira simply kept the hood covering her face. Every crowd they passed looked at him first, then her. Adira did not want to be viewed by so many humans. They gawked at her, not realizing that they should be marveling at her feet. It was disgusting to see so many humans there, staring at her as if she were some prized possession. There were even a few times where she had heard the words, 'Zen' and 'bride.' She wanted to spit in their faces. Hell, she would gag on them to make sure they understood how disgusted she was by their comments.
When Zen finally brought the mare to a stop, the world was entirely different. Only minutes ago, the air around them was so cheerful. There were kids running around, screaming at the top of their lungs in joy. The town seemed to be coming alive, but now there was no town. The only thing surrounding the two of them were towering, daunting trees. When Adira looked up at them, they towered hundreds of feet into the sky.
The forest was quiet. Everything was still as if there were no animals left. Adira knew why. Whenever the presence of a demon, especially one like her, was in an area, all living things fled. Animals, just like children, had that unique intuition. They could sense things far in advance.
Ahead, there was a towering structure that blended in perfectly with the world around her. The tall trees nearly concealed it, and the path to it was not well worn. It was evident that someone did not want anyone to know about this building. The mare tensed up once she saw the towering building. It was like before. She was petrified to even move a muscle. Something was inside that building, and she wanted to put as much distance between herself and it as she could.
"What is that?" Adira asked as Zen walked over towards the side. Adira's eyes were still pinned on the structure. She could not describe it, but she felt as if something was pulling her there. Something inside of it was calling out to her.
"What do you think it is?" He murmured beneath his breath, and he reached towards her. "It's time to get off."
Pushing her hands against the saddle, Adira tried to shift her leg, but she couldn't move. The previous injuries, along with the long ride, made her legs feel like jelly. She could barely flex her toes with how numb they were.
"We don't have all day."
"I can't." She gritted out between her teeth.
"What do you mean?"
"My legs... I can't feel them."
"You have to be kidding me."
"Whose fault is that?" She barked out, hissing as she spoke. "If I recall, I did not inflict these wounds on myself."
Zen's brow darkened, and he didn't wait for her to continue. He reached forward, snatching her harshly by the waist. Pulling her forward, Adira grimaced as needles tore through her thighs. She slammed her hands against his chest, trying to put as much distance as she could from him. Already, the feeling of his hands made her stomach twist. He was revolting, especially when she looked at him so close.
Adira's legs dragged, but Zen lifted her off the saddle. His fingers bore down into the thin flesh around her waist, causing irritated marks to form beneath the cloak. The cloak fluttered around her frame, exposing her bare and tattered body.
As he was about to place her on the ground, a whistle tore through the quiet forest. Adira whipped her head towards the sound, bundling the folds of the cloak to cover her. The slightest, rosy flush accented her cheeks, but it was not noticeable to him.
There was a rustling as two people pushed through the thicket surrounding them. A smirk played on one of their faces, while the other one looked away sheepishly. He looked as if he were biting his tongue.
"Never knew you to take a lady out here, Zen. If you had said so, I would have never come. Now, did you get what you wanted? I'm assuming that little lass is just a treat for us all to enjoy. I saw her thighs and a slip of her chest. You can't just have her for yourself."
Adira's eyes widened in distaste, and her lips curled beneath the cloak. Before, when the demons would speak about her that way at councils, she would always feel anger. Even when Ra
vana would talk in such a mannerism, she could not stop the rage that prickled her stomach. But, hearing those humans speak those words made her want to scream. She wanted to lurch herself at them and rip their throats out.
When the humans walked closer, Adira was able to get a better view of them. The one who had spoken had a boorish nature to him. He was a muscular man, similar to Zen, and had scars covering him. There was a sharpness to his face that could be alluring when paired with his amber eyes. The one beside him, whose eyes were always pinned on the ground, was scrawny. But, Adira knew that looks were deceiving. She was the walking persona of that. Even when her flesh was shredded, hanging to her bones like ribbons, she was still a wicked and cruel beast.
Adira's nostrils flared as Zen's hands were still latched down on her waist. She went to latch down onto his thumb in means of tearing it off, but Zen moved too quickly. The next moment, she could feel that smooth, familiar slide of iron across her wrists.
"You can't just let me have fun for once?" Zen asked, and the boorish man walked closer. "I would be careful how close I get to her, Brynx."
"Why? What could you have possibly picked up? Does she have some type of disease or something?"
Adira's slitted eyes sliced into him, but she did not expose her face. Brynx didn't even register the venomous look. He only continued to creep towards her.
"She's got quite a sharp tongue and can pack quite a punch if you are not careful."
"You mean to tell me this little girl can actually do something?" Without a moment of hesitation, Brynx surged forward and grabbed the end of Adira's cloak. In one swooping movement, he tore the cloak from her body.
Adira's hair immediately stood on end, and she threw her hands to cover herself. Her shimmering, iron hair fell down her chest, covering her breast, and she used her hands to cover the rest. Her lips were puckered, and her slit irises shimmered a blood curling, crimson red. With the shackles on her wrist, she struggled even to cover herself.
"Ah,'' Brynx murmured as he stalked closer, his eyes taking her in. He was only a few feet away from her now, and Adira could feel his hot breath against her cheeks. There was lust in those amber eyes, and she wanted to rip them out of their sockets. She didn't want to see her reflection in their glassy surface. "Such a shame, truly. She could have been worth something if it were not for the damn blood that flows through her veins. Even then," He walked closer forward, to the point where almost the tips of Adira's breasts pressed against his chest. "There is no denying that she still has her worth."
Every word he spoke fueled the beast inside. That cocky smile that played on his lips, along with the lustful draw of his words, made her intestines seize. Her brows furrowed as he reached his finger forward, gently stroking the side of her face with his hand. "What can you do to me?"
Without waiting, Adira spat on his face. Brynx was taken by surprise, reaching forward to wipe the massive glob of drool off his cheek. He hadn't expected her to spit on him. A rich laugh slipped from his throat, and Adira thought it sounded worse than a pig being slaughtered. "You've got some fire. Luckily, I like that."
"Is that what you think?" She gritted out, fingers curling into her skin. She still struggled to cover herself. "Then take these damn chains off me again. If you want fire, then I'll give you fire. Trust me; you've never experienced anyone like me before. I can be sure of that."
"I can handle any demon, even a weak one like you."
"Weak?" She whispered beneath her breath before she broke out into a cackling laugh. "That is hilarious! How many demons do you know can stay alive in the Human Realm with these injuries?" She started, leaning forward so that she could evade his space. She could feel Zen tug on the chain, but she would not stop. Her nose nearly pressed into his own, and her crimson eyes burned into his eyes. It was hard not to shy away from her overpowering presence. "How many demons can do what I can do? Control what I can control? You want to see weak, then look at yourself. You're the scum beneath my feet."
Brynx snatched her by the face, fingernails digging into her cheeks, but he stopped as a hand grabbed his elbow. "Wait."
The scrawny man behind Brynx had finally walked forward. Marly's eyes narrowed, and he reached towards her, his fingertips brushing away the tendrils of her iron hair. Buried between her exposed breasts was the very thing they had been looking for.
"If you had let me finish, I would have told you who this is."
"That's..." Marly started, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really aren't right in the head."
"This is the Demon King's daughter, the preserver of the Demonic Pillar's Orb, and our key to making it out alive."
Chapter 9
The moment those words came out of Zen's lips, Adira could feel the air around them change. Everything became tense, and the still forest seemed to become even eerier.
Marly's fingers lingered on the Orb, his eyes wide in disbelief. Everyone had heard stories of the Demon King's daughter, just as they had heard stories of the Demonic Pillar's Orbs. They just never believed they were actually real, or at least not until now. Living, breathing proof was before them, and they could no longer doubt their fears.
An emotion clouded the lust that had once been in Brynx eyes that Adira had never seen. Rage, doubt, but more importantly, sorrow, clouded his amber irises. She did not know why he would show her such emotion, especially something like her. Did he not realize that she could take those emotions and morph them into a weapon? The worst thing any human could do was lower their guard around her, and yet he was so willing. It was almost too easy.
Adira was pulled towards Zen as he tugged on the chain. She fought against it, proceeding to shelter herself, but he reached down and handed her the cloak again. Adira wasted no time in wrapping herself back in. Before, she had despised the poor quality, but now she was thankful she even had the opportunity to wear it.
Marly seemed displeased, having not received his fair share of looking at the Orbs. "I didn't know it was real."
"Neither did I," Zen started, raking his hand through his hair. "Everything happened like you said, Marly. I thought at first you were talking out of your ass, but that demon really did show up."
Adira's ears perked at that. The only demon she could think of, at least that they would be meeting, was Drystan.
"Did he ask for anything?" Marly inquired, but Zen shook his head.
"Nothing, or at least what he asked, I could not give him at the time."
"What was it?"
"He wanted for the Demon King to be killed."
Adira's eyes widened in disbelief, but she tried not to allow the three of them to see her face. Drystan wanted Kace dead? She had heard the rumors and knew of his fascination towards humans, but she didn't believe it was real. There was something about them that was bewitching to him, but she did not once think he wanted Kace dead. Kace had been the stepping-stone Drystan had needed to take over the Fifth Pillar. Without him, he would have been nothing more than an ordinary demon, rotting away with the years. What had happened for Drystan to take such measures, to give away the key to their power, to humans?
One thing was certain. Drystan was not a friend to demon kind; he was a foe. If her father knew of this, he would hunt him down to the ends of the earth, and when he would beg for mercy, Kace would not give it to him. The more they screamed, the more thrilling it was for him.
Brynx whistled, "Hard to believe that a demon would want to kill one of their own kind. They are pretty attached to one another, even if they have no blood relation."
"He didn't say why," Zen murmured, reaching into the folds of his shirt. From it, he produced the Fifth Pillar's Orb. "All he said was that change was coming, and he would not stand on the side. He would be a part of it this time."
Were there more people going after Kace? Was Drystan just one of a thousand demons that would side with the humans? And what did he mean by this time? If Drystan, one of Kace's selected four, had turned on him, then what was saying the others wo
uldn't?
Adira didn't know how to feel. She could not deny the small quiver of happiness that tugged at her heart. The man who had ruined her life, who continued to defile and hurt her, was hated by even his own kind. But she did not understand why and how she was a part of it. Drystan had everything he wanted because of Kace. Why would he want him to be murdered? Did these humans really believe that, with just the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb, they would be able to kill him?
Her face whitened as she swallowed deeply. That was right; they didn't just have the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb. They had her.
Marly reached forward, taking the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb into his hand. The Orb flared in response, but it settled down after a few moments. No demon, beside her, had ever been allowed to touch the Orb, and yet these humans did it with ease. They weren't lying; the Orbs were doing this of their free will. At least it appeared that the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb was in line with Drystan's plan.
"Then this girl, as you said, is the Demon King's daughter?"
"I didn't believe it at first," Zen said as his fingers curled around the chain shackled around her wrist. "She was trying to kill me."
"Kill you?" Brynx said, chuckling as he spoke. "I would have liked to have seen that."
"She almost did." Brynx stopped laughing at those words, his eyes cutting to her hidden face. "But, we were interrupted."
"By who?"
"Other demons. Someone was trying to kill her."
"Kill her?" Marly's brows furrowed, and he scratched his head. "Why? Why would they want to kill something they think of so highly?"
Adira had first asked herself those same questions, but she knew exactly why after hearing them talk. If there were demons banding together to kill Kace, they would be looking for any card they could play. Adira was his prized possession. If Kace was ever put into a situation where his life was in danger, he would use Adira first, and the demons knew that. They knew of the cruel and horrendous stories that were connected to her name. If they could kill her before they went after Kace, then they could have a chance. Kace would be unable to use all five of the Demonic Pillar's powers. The only one who had ever been able to accomplish that was Adira.