"What's the matter? Don't you know everything about your enemies before you engage them? I really didn't think you'd be so rash with this rescue."
"You know how it is," she called up the stairs. "Sometimes you just have to take a chance when an opportunity presents itself, even if it's not all that great. I'm curious. How did you figure it out?"
"Oh, I've known you were in the city for some time."
"Not that. I meant about our rescue. How did you know?"
"Oh, you mean the distraction?" Hable cleared his throat. "Well, when you stare at stitches and seams all day, it's not difficult to spot the holes in a false story. I have to commend you for using the ambassador. Even more so for dropping him in Don Pike's lap and making him think it was his idea to bring Millan here. One strategist to another, that part was pretty brilliant. But, your work on the scarf was shoddy. Caught in a door? Please. Even a journeyman tailor could've figured—"
A thundering boom resonated through the shop. Even though she was expecting the explosion, Dolore was still startled. Ivochna darted out the door, and Dolore followed her up the stairs. She could hear the hoofbeats moving from the front shop to the area above. By the time she reached the top of the stairs, the dining table was already overturned. Warbison was flailing his horns and hind legs every which way. About a dozen Brothers, armed with clubs and knives, shouted as they formed a circle around him, but no one appeared eager to engage the bull.
Iva wasted no time striking one Brother in the back of the head with her elbow before tackling another. Some of the crowd turned on her as the entire room descended into chaos. Dolore resisted the urge to help as she guarded the stairs. Even though she gifted her dagger to Aksilacarn, she believed he'd be helpless if anyone got past her.
A burly man in a bloody apron advanced toward Warbison. Dolore only noticed him because he was head and shoulders above the rest of the group. This was the butcher Rithwic had told her about, Jugjug, and the only Brother who even remotely matched the bull in physicality. The butcher grasped Warbison by the horn and raised his cleaver high above his head. But before he could drop the blade, a bright light flashed across the room and struck Jugjug in the face. Warbison whirled around and kicked the stunned butcher square in the chest.
Out of the corner of her eye, Dolore noticed one of the Brothers break from the group and head toward the stairs. The Death God cautiously raised her hands to show she was unarmed. The man was young, couldn't have been older than twenty. She saw in his eyes he had no intention of asking her to step aside. Without a word, the Brother swung at her with his beam of wood, but Dolore easily dodged and relieved him of his weapon.
When he tried to get by her again, she pointed the club at him. "Stop. I don't want to hurt you."
"Watchers! Run!" someone shouted.
Warbison immediately bolted for the back door, charging through whoever was in his path. The Brothers not injured in the mayhem went after him, tripping over one another to get out of the shop.
Dolore was surprised to find the young man who had attacked her rooted in place. "Aren’t you going to run?"
"I'm not leaving here without my brother."
Dolore remained on guard while the room emptied. No sign of Ivochna. She must have successfully escaped with the Brothers. Over by the threshold leading to the front shop, Eriph stepped aside to let the watchers stream into the kitchen.
As seven of the watchers fanned out to check the wounded, the eighth one stopped in the middle of the room. She surveyed the scene before speaking to no one in particular. "All right. Who wants to tell me what happened here? Where's the bull?"
While keeping an eye on the young man by the stairs, Dolore edged toward the lead watcher. "I think I can help you sort this out."
"And you are?"
"She's a Death God," the young man blurted out.
The lead watcher raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And you are?"
"Plebb. My brother is Foskett." He pointed to Dolore. "And, she's holding him hostage in the basement."
"Is that true?"
The Death God founder sighed. "There is a Brother tied up in the basement, but he's not anyone's hostage."
"She threatened to eat him," Plebb interjected.
"Really? That's not even believable."
"That's enough," the watcher said. "Now, I know this shop belongs to Hable, but I don't see him here. Any ideas where he is?"
Dolore tittered at the silence. "Probably ran when he heard the watchers coming."
"Ran from his own shop?"
"The honorable baron is a member of the Brotherhood of Prevarra, just like Plebb here. A few days ago, they attacked a friend of mine and brought him here for questioning."
"Hold up." The watcher put her hands on her hips. "Brotherhood? As in the Brotherhood? I thought this kid was talking about his actual brother."
"I am!" Plebb shouted. "We have the same parents. Are you going to arrest them or not? They're Death Gods."
"Last I checked, that's not a crime," Dolore said. "Kidnapping and torture, on the other hand, very much a crime. My friend was tied up for days. He can't even walk properly because of Hable and these Brothers."
"That's a lie!"
"Stop shouting," the lead watcher said. "Death Gods. Brotherhood. I don't have time to stand here all night and listen to this squabbling." She moved away from Dolore and Plebb and continued, "Listen up, squad. Here's what's going to happen. Injured or not, everyone in this shop goes back to the station. There are two more people downstairs in the basement. Make sure they get there too. If anyone resists even a smidgen, I don't care if they've got broken bones, rope them and lock them in a cell. Captain can take care of this in the morning."
"What about Hable?" Dolore asked.
"Don't worry about him. I doubt he's going anywhere. Right now, we have more pressing matters to deal with."
"Like what?"
"The reason we're here in the first place. There's still a fangling bull on the loose."
✽✽✽
Agalia glared at Erynion as he paced back and forth. Time was moving slowly due to the demon lord's incompetence, and she was growing impatient. She had waited for her prize long enough. Weary of whatever game Erynion was playing, Agalia decided it was time to speed things along.
"Erynion, dear, you've been silent forever. You've stated fifteen very specific conditions with no possibility for loopholes, and I've agreed to them all. If you want to wait until the sun comes up, if you want to wait until the last possible moment, then so be it. But can we stop pretending?"
The demon lord tilted his head. "Pretending?"
"Pretending. Stalling. Plotting. Whatever you want to call it. But, the fact is I'm the only one capable of saving your daughter. Even if you were able to overpower me in your mind, there's nothing you can do. Your daughter needs me. Plain and simple. So, prolong the inevitable if you want, but this can only end one of two ways. You on your knees or your daughter in the ground."
"You're probably right." Erynion grinned. "And it irritates the depths out of you that you have to wait, doesn't it?"
Agalia narrowed her eyes. There was something odd about the demon lord's demeanor. She hadn't given it much thought before since all she cared about was his submission. But with so much spare time, little details were starting to bother her. The most glaring issue was Erynion's responses whenever she mentioned killing his daughter. Something was missing. Concern. Emotion. Sereyna's life hung in the balance, but his responses were consistently cavalier. Then, she thought back on his list of conditions. He was bargaining with his own soul to save the people he supposedly loved, but he presented each demand with apathy. It made sense to some degree. Erynion was the demon side of Prince Altheus. He wouldn't care for his family the same way as his human side. But, that led her to more perplexing questions. Why was he doing this? Why would he submit if he didn't care?
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Erynion asked.
"I'm trying to figure o
ut if you really love your daughter."
"Of course I do." Now that she was paying closer attention, his response sounded forced and hollow. He couldn't even fake affection.
Agalia smirked. "Glad to hear it."
She turned her back on the demon lord and gritted her teeth. Her latest realization frightened her. Erynion had no intention of kneeling. He was always going to let Sereyna die, and then probably kill the Seductress. But then, why the charade?
A strange sensation manifested in her head, and Agalia pressed her fingertips against her temples. Despite her suspicions of Erynion's plan to subvert hers, what she was feeling wasn't coming from the demon lord. Her breathing quickened as she tried to decipher the energy she was sensing from her own body. Her eyes widened.
"The barrier," she whispered. "Impossible."
"What's that?" Erynion asked.
Without another word, she closed her eyes and willed herself back to her own mind. Almost instantly, she awoke in the center of Alova. The square lacked its normal liveliness, and the buildings, though standing, had sustained damage to their exteriors. Her eyes froze on the likeness of herself she had created for her mindscape. Knocked over, the once pristine alabaster statue was now cracked and covered in dirt. Agalia knelt beside the head, which had broken off likely due to the impact. Her fingers glided over the carved hair and damaged stone crown. With both hands, she reached up to her own head and traced the filigree that decorated her silver crown. She exhaled in relief knowing she was still in control. The crown only appeared when she was within her own mind and represented the power she held over her human side and their shared body.
Movement at the far end of the square caught Agalia's attention, and she rose to her feet. She recognized the being immediately as the person she hated most.
"Ezmirelda." Agalia's hips swayed as she strolled toward her human side. She could tell the queen's energy was almost nonexistent. "What did you do?"
"I'm free," Ezmirelda answered.
"I can see that. How?"
"You think, even after centuries, I couldn't figure out a way to escape?"
The Seductress sneered. "I know you couldn't escape. I've become somewhat of an expert on barriers thanks to Verago's little gift."
"Oh, I know. I saw what you did for Maligus when Rojjiro disappeared. Well done."
"Thank you," she said insincerely. "I see your energy is scattered everywhere. But someone else's energy is out there too. That means someone helped you break the barrier and ruin the city I worked so hard to build. So, who helped you?"
Ezmirelda shrugged innocently. "You're the expert, right? Why don't we have a nice talk?"
It couldn't be a coincidence her human side broke free the same night she tried to take control of the demon lord. She had just spent the last couple of hours listening to Erynion's fake demands, and she refused to be pulled into another game. In one hand, Agalia manifested her glaive while waving her other hand toward her human side. Chains burst from the ground around Ezmirelda. Wrapping around her wrists, the metal violently pulled her to her knees.
The queen glared at her demon side. "What are you doing?"
Agalia's mood lifted at the sight of her counterpart in shackles. She rested the tip of her blade on Ezmirelda's sternum.
"Stop. You can't kill me."
The Seductress applied a little pressure, forcing the queen to wince.
"You know we're still connected. You'll feel it too. And, you know I won't die."
"The pain I'll experience will pale in comparison to what you'll go through. But more importantly, when this blade pierces your chest, you'll lose focus in here. When you wake up, you'll be back in the palace behind a better, stronger barrier."
"Please, you can't," Ezmirelda begged. Her eyes screamed desperation. "Give me a chance to explain."
"I'll be able to tell if you're lying. One lie, and it's goodbye. So, maybe you can start by telling me who helped you escape?"
Footsteps approached her from behind. "I did."
Agalia glanced over her shoulder. She didn't recognize the man who stood by her damaged statue, but his clothing was indicative of high nobility or royalty. And, his energy matched the residual left on the buildings.
"Don't hurt her," the man said. "Please. This is my fault. I broke her out."
"And you are?"
"Prince Altheus."
The Seductress giggled as she circled around behind Ezmirelda. She positioned her blade on the queen's shoulder. "I had my suspicions. How did you manage to escape your prison?"
Altheus stayed silent.
Agalia slid her glaive so the edge was kissing the queen's neck. "I need you to be perfectly honest with me."
"I didn't escape. I've been free inside the demon lord's mind since he arrived on the Surface."
"You've been free this whole time?"
"Yes."
This was unexpected and potentially dangerous. Verago and the Zaidon had imprinted their intellect into Erynion. Plagued by the agony and hounded by priests, the demon lord would have had little time to dedicate to meditation and uncovering his gifted knowledge. Altheus was a different story. Free to roam, he could have spent all his time learning their spells and how the mind worked. In fact, given his presence in her mind, it was practically a certainty.
"So," the Seductress said, "what did Erynion hope to gain by sending you over here? What is Ezmirelda to him?"
"Erynion didn't send me over. I came myself."
"That's a new trick. Breaking free within your own mind is one thing, but you can't just leave unless"—Agalia's eyes widened—"unless you're in control. Are you? In control?"
"I am."
"And, Erynion gave it up willingly?"
"He did."
Agalia felt a sense of relief as she connected the dots. She was fairly certain Erynion had no desire to save Sereyna and no intention of kneeling. But if he wasn't in control, that means his stalling was at the request of Altheus. It would also explain why Erynion wasn't trying to kill her right at this moment. If she was able to keep Altheus in her mind, she would be safe from both the prince and the demon lord. Things were starting to look up.
The Seductress held her hand out toward Altheus. The chains released Ezmirelda, slithered back into the ground, and immediately reappeared around the prince. The metal links grasped his wrists and neck, then jerked him to the ground. Agalia kicked her human side onto her stomach and placed her foot on the queen's back.
"All right, Altheus, start talking. You need her. Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? She was going to help me save my daughter."
"Impossible."
"No, it's not," Ezmirelda said.
Agalia dug her heel into the queen's back. "You're not part of this conversation anymore. If you listen quietly, I won't stab you in the neck."
"Why did you say that?" Altheus asked.
"Because this is between you and me now."
"Not that. Why did you say it was impossible? Your offer was if I accepted the Curse of Allegiance, you would let Sereyna go. So, you lied, which means the curse would've failed."
"Mm, no, that's not true. I said I would let her live. And, as long as she stays at the end of my tail, she lives."
"You're a monster!" Altheus fought against the chains.
"But I have to say, I'm curious how exactly my human side was planning to save the girl." The Seductress poked Ezmirelda with the glaive. "Speak."
"It's not impossible. He just needs to find an appropriate healer."
"Appropriate healer? You mean a miracle healer. Did you have someone in mind?"
"After giving it some serious thought, I'm fairly confident Maxiteer could do it. He's close by too."
Ezmirelda wasn't just speaking gibberish. Archdon Maxiteer was an incredible healer thanks to the training he received during his reign as Primus before Ayristark. But, Agalia had no desire to give them hope. "You're dreaming. It's impossible to fix this much damage. Go back to breathing the dirt. Listen
, Altheus, it's over. You're bound and out of energy. Ezmirelda is also powerless. You both wasted so much of your energy destroying the barrier, you had nothing left for when I returned. Poor planning, really. So, here's what's going to happen. Same offer. You kneel and accept the curse, and your daughter lives."
"You call that living?" the prince asked.
"Yes, she'll be attached to me, but I'll send her mind back. Look at the bright side. You're going to get to spend every day from here on out with your daughter."
"Send her mind back now and I'll consider it."
"Not a chance. I'm not doing anything until you accept the curse."
"And if I refuse?"
Agalia stepped over Ezmirelda and approached Altheus. "Since you bravely invaded my mind, your other options are not so appealing. First, your daughter dies, I think that much would be obvious. With you trapped here, I'll put my tail in your neck and gain control of your body. It's what I was trying to do before you killed me outside Royal Oak. I was close. Just needed to drag your mind back here, but I focused on the wrong prince and ultimately failed. And now, here you are all tied up. You did all the work for me."
"If it's so easy for you to forcibly take control of me, why even give me the choice?"
The Seductress stood over the prince. "I would rather see this night end in joy than sorrow."
Ezmirelda snickered as she rose. "What?"
Agalia glared at the queen. "I didn't say you could get up."
"Give it a rest." Ezmirelda dusted off her dress. "We know you have all the power. Just tell him the truth."
The Seductress smirked because the queen was right. She did have all the power. "I suppose he's going to be my slave soon. No need to hide the master plan. I need you to fulfill a wish I've had since that fangling angel dropped onto the Plains of Deimor and wiped out my army. You're going to kill the Devil for me."
Altheus shook his head. "You're joking."
"Not at all. Verago had a run-in with a Prima over a century ago and nearly got himself cleansed. Ever since, he's cowered in the Depths, striving to create a demon strong enough to act in his stead. Thanks to Shinigami, Verago finally succeeded on his second attempt. That's you, my dear. You're the only one strong enough to beat him."
The Forgotten Queen Page 38