by Nikki Frank
“Go on,” he said gently. “Just talk to him. It helps a little. I talked to you every day when you were in a coma. I’d have gone crazy if I hadn’t.”
He left the chair beside the bed, so I could reach my father and ducked out the door. I took my father’s limp and battered hand, pressing my cheek into it. I expected the bubble welling up inside me to bring tears. Instead it brought flaming anger. The rage must have been tied to my new demon magic, because I’d never felt this burning before.
“This isn’t going to happen again,” I promised my father. “You, Mom, all the other innocent people who were hurt or killed. I won’t let it be for nothing. You guys raised me with a code of honor. We never hurt bystanders. Zaemon was the exact opposite. For the last month I’ve known the fear and heartache he’s inflicted on his district for who knows how long. But that ends today.”
I straightened up in the chair. “I’m going to clear out every last bit of evil. Then you and Mom and everyone else can live peacefully. I’ll even give you magic rations, so you don’t have to keep kidnapping or taking assassinations. If I don’t have to be the bad guy simply because I’m an imp, then I don’t have to be evil because I’m a demon lord. I’ll be a new kind of demon lord. The best kind.
“Please don’t leave before you see what I can do.” I rubbed a tear on his hand. “Talon? I need to go.”
I knew if I didn’t I’d start bawling. He took me to my mother next. She lay in a recovery bed, machines beeping.
The nurse shot me and then Talon a look. “Do you think she really ought to be here?”
Talon shrugged. “You tell her to go. She was stubborn enough before. But I’m not going to be the one to give a demon lord bad news.”
The nurse looked frightened. “Okay. I was only checking. Your mother is still coming out of sedation. But she was conscious before, she’ll probably be able to interact some. She had tearing on several internal organs and her leg was completely crushed. But she’ll live. Assuming she has the will.”
I took several steadying breaths. When I looked around I was alone. I wheeled my chair over to my mom’s bedside and lay my head alongside her.
“Don’t listen to the nurse, Mom. You’ll be fine. I’m not hoping you have the will. I know you do. You and Dad are twice as tough as I am, and I’m still here. I mean, I’m your child. I had to get the drive from somewhere.” I snuggled my face into her side. “I wish you were awake. I really need you. I know I should be taking care of you, but I need your ear.”
I got a soft pat to my hair. “I’m here, baby.”
“Mom.”
I burst into tears. Everything I’d been holding in from that horrible day came flooding out through my eyes. I soaked the spot on her bed where I’d laid my head. I never wanted to lose the feel of her hand on my head.
“Are you all right?” I asked through the sniffles.
“Drugged. Can’t tell.”
I gave something between a chuckle, a hiccup, and a sob. “I’ve been so worried all day. I still am. I just saw Dad . . .” I trailed off as I realized my mistake.
“What about Arsen?”
Shit. No wonder Omri and the others had such a hard time talking to me in these situations.
“He’s still unconscious?”
Crap. I hadn’t meant that to be a question. Now she’d be even more suspicious. I looked up into her bruised face.
“Just tell me, Livy. The truth can’t be worse than what my imagination will cook up.”
“No. That’s the truth. He really is unconscious. I only left out the part about the nurses being unsure of . . .” I gave a shrug. “I’m sorry. I suck at not worrying you.”
Her lips were too swollen to smile, but I heard it on her voice. I felt it in the pat on my cheek. “I always worry about you. You’re my daughter. It’s part of being a mom.”
I caught her hand and kept it on my face. “I . . . Can I still be your daughter? Really?”
“Of course. Why would you ever think otherwise?”
“Because . . .” How did one tell their parents they now ruled as a demon lord? I felt hands on my shoulders.
“Hi, Mrs. Skotadi.” Talon gave me a rub at the same time he gave my mom a smile. “Livy’s just a little worried about how you might take the news. She’s the new demon lord.”
The machines screamed as my mom tried to sit. “She’s what?”
“Talon!” I saw red. He’d upset my mom.
He grabbed Mom’s shoulder and pressed her gently back down. “She’s the biggest hero of all. She paused time and killed the demon lord. She saved the entire Central Borderlands. But the magic and the throne got passed to her. I’m not really sure why she was afraid to tell you. Of course, as her parents you’ll be busting with pride over what she’s done.”
My mom’s mouth flapped and with her yellow skin she reminded me of a goldfish. “You’re not hurt, are you? How did you survive the magic loss?”
“Omri and some others saved her. She’s got great taste in friends.” Talon patted my mom and put his hand back on my shoulder.
Mom shook her head slowly. “My baby is a demon lord?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “You’re okay with that, right?”
Her eyes glistened. “I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe you saved . . . everyone. When your father and I go home―”
“You’re not going anywhere.” That fierce determination roared up again. “I’m a demon lord. I’ll take care of your magic rations, so you can stay here. I get to pick my household, right?”
Talon smoothed my shoulders. “I’m sure you do. You’re supposed to be resting, too. Just relax, Livy. You’ll have plenty of time to do all those things later. You should say goodnight to your mom. You both need sleep.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
“You can come back tomorrow. All you have to do is order someone to take you.” He grinned at me.
I stood and waved off Talon’s protest at me being out of the chair. I needed to hug my mom. I touched her as gently as I could, so I didn’t hurt her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mom.” I kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Livy.”
Her eyelids were already sagging as I sat back down. After such a horrible day I took solace in the idea of going to bed. But even bedtime had changed. As the new demon lord, my lodgings were now in the guest wing: a lavish room meant for VIPs. Velor and Vixaria were curled in my room like massive, scaly guard dogs. Talon had to go back to the far side of the palace with Elita and my friends.
A sob hitched itself out, opening the door for a flood of tears. I curled around my pillow and let my misery out. A huge scaly head came to rest on the bed and I bit back a scream.
“Mistress.” Velor’s snaky tongue flicked at me as he spoke. “You are an entirely different kind of mistress than I am accustomed to. However, my duty is to see your needs are met as part of the terms of my contract with Zaemon. I will be honest. I know you are unhappy, but I have no idea what you might need.”
“I need my parents,” I yelled at him. “You and your old master nearly killed them. If you think I’m going to be thrilled I’m stuck with you, I’m not. You can’t possibly fix what’s wrong.”
Velor cocked his head to the side. “I am unfamiliar with such attachment to one’s parents. Do imps not eat their young?”
I pounded his face with my pillow. “No. I love them and they love me. And now they’re stuck in the hospital. My dad is in a coma and who knows if my mom will ever walk again. And don’t tell me your kind doesn’t understand love. Ferika has many different types of relationships and she loves them all in different ways. I don’t suppose it would do any good to order you and your sister to learn that, would it?”
He blinked a very black eye at me.
“If you wish. Strange request, really. Wouldn’t you rather put us to work eating your enemies?”
I glared at him. “You were my enemies. But since I’m now in charge of my enemies, I guess I don’t have any—at the moment. I’d like to stay that way. So, you two have to play nice.”
The door opened and Vixaria slunk back in. I hadn’t even noticed she’d left during my conversation with Velor.
“I brought something to make you feel better, mistress.” As her tail cleared the door Talon stepped inside.
“Talon.” I scrambled out of bed and into his waiting arms, where I promptly burst into tears again.
~ ~ ~
When I woke the next morning, I had to rub the grit from my eyes. Too many tears the night before. Talon slept beside me, his chest rising peacefully. A strange feeling welled in my chest. Pride and honor. I couldn’t imagine what I’d done to deserve a friend like him.
Trying not to wake him, I slid quietly from my bed. Restlessness had settled over me, and I needed to walk. Slipping on my loose clothes and Hermes shoes, I tiptoed out. Once in the hall I decided to head for the gardens. Maybe hanging out with the plant life would help clear my head.
Two of the Lord High Governor’s uniformed guards appeared in the hall before me. Damn it. I didn’t want to work this early. Behind them sunlight shone on emerald hedges. I couldn’t see a way to dodge them and make it to the gardens.
“Lord Olivia?” The taller guard spoke hesitantly.
“Yes?” Something about his expression made me pause.
“I . . .” He paused.
The second guard swallowed hard. “We have some bad news. Perhaps you’d like to go somewhere else.”
My stomach filled with cement, hard and uncomfortable. “Tell me now. I don’t want people coddling me. I wish you guys would just spit news out.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry. Your father . . . passed away last night.”
The hallway spun, and I staggered to find support against the wall. “What?”
“Your father―”
“Shut up,” I screamed at him. “I heard.”
My knees buckled. I slid down the wall, unable to will my feet to hold me. The guard reached for my hand to help me up. Instead of taking it, a red rage boiled up from within me. I slapped his hand away, snarling. Shame took the place of the rage. I pushed myself to my feet and bolted for the garden.
I lost myself in a maze of fragrant hedges. The blossoms, which should have smelled delightful were cloying. The rage still nagged at me, as if it had its own voice. A voice which scolded me for not punishing the guard for the death of my father. So, I punished the flowers for their scent. Rippling demon fire scorched the delicate petals, leaving them as withered as my innards felt.
Stumbling my way to a bench, I let my sobs tear from my body. By the time I felt relief, the sun had risen high and warm. I had purpose again. I needed to find my mother. Bonded partners tended to die if one was lost. I had to remind her my father wasn’t the only one in her life. She had me, and with my new job as demon lord, I needed her now more than ever.
Giving myself a mental once over, I seemed to be in good shape. Or at least good enough to help my mother. My heart still burned for the loss of my father, but the rage had gone. I’d never had such a volatile temper before. But my life had altered significantly, and I held a whole new source of magic. Needing time to adjust seemed logical.
I’d almost pacified myself to the fluctuation in my power. Until I stood to find my mother. The metal bench I’d been on had twisted into an unrecognizable lump. Had I done that? Adrenaline, pushed by fear pulsed. I . . .
“Olivia?” Talon called from across the garden.
I didn’t want to talk to him yet. And I certainly couldn’t let him find me by the melted bench and the scuttling ashes of the flowers. I fled the scene of my deviance. I needed to find my mother and have a conversation before people began cramming condolences down my throat. I’d worry about myself later.
My mother lay so still in her hospital bed, I thought I’d come too late. I’d growled at several nurses on my way, demanding privacy. Being a demon lord seemed to carry the perk of getting your way. Not a single one argued with me.
I took my mother’s hand. The flutter of a pulse sent shivers through me. I buried my face in her chest and sobbed.
“Thank God, you’re still alive.”
“Don’t cry, Livy.” Mom’s voice came out so soft I had to lean in to hear. “I want to know you’re happy. That you’re going to be all right.”
“I’ll be all right if you stay with me. I need you, Mom. I don’t know anything about ruling a district. I haven’t even come of age.”
She cupped my cheek. “You’re growing into a beautiful, strong, resourceful woman. You’ve learned more about friendship in the last weeks than I could ever teach you. Take that knowledge and let it grow in your heart. Then apply it to every creature who lives in your district. Your father and I lived in the shade. But you have the chance to blossom in the sun. You can become more than any other imp in history. From here forward you will write the story of our kind.”
A fat tear dripped down my cheek, stopping on her fingers. “You said ‘lived’. You’re still alive. I want you to see all that. I want you to see my district. Stay with me, Mom.”
Her hand slid from my face and she placed it over one of my own. “I’d like to. But you know how these things go. It’s a rare partner who survives the other’s passing. With your father gone, I feel cold and empty inside. I miss the taste of his magic already.”
“I’m never going to pair-bond. If this is the result, then I’d rather live alone.”
“It’s not so bad, Livy.” Mom squeezed my hand. “Our life together brought me so much joy. My biggest being you. To see you poised on the edge of your new life and knowing your heart as your mother, I’m sure you and the world hold great things for each other. But don’t let what’s happening now cheat you out of part of that.
“Find love, be it Talon or whoever makes you truly happy. Have a family. I promise, every tear, every moment of fear, every struggle, even these goodbyes are worth it. Just the memory of your smile is enough to sustain me as I prepare to join your father.”
“What’s going to sustain me?” I choked out.
“Your wonderful tenacity. And your friends. You have been blessed in a way few imps get to experience. Draw your strength from them. You already know how. It’s how you got where you are today.”
She drew a shuddering breath. Her eyes slid shut.
“Mom?”
“Mom.”
“Still here . . . Livy,” she whispered without opening her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Those were the last words she spoke to me. I lay with my head on her shoulder for the whole afternoon and evening. Stars winked outside her window when one breath no longer followed the next.
I screamed for the nurses to save her. I still screamed as Talon carried me from the room. He took me to an empty waiting room and pressed me into a chair, holding me there.
“There’s nothing they can do, Livy.”
“Magic . . .”
He shook his head. “I’m so sorry. This is how―”
“Don’t tell me this is how things work. It’s a stupid way for them to work. If she couldn’t survive without my father’s magic, then just give her more.”
“It’s not just his missing magic.” Talon caught my eyes with his. “That’s the depth of their love. Can’t you imagine being that in love? Wouldn’t you want to experience that?”
I shuddered. I couldn’t imagine. The idea of such love frightened me. A horrifying thought occurred to me. What if that’s what Talon wanted?
~ ~ ~
The
day of my presentation arrived too swiftly for my comfort. I couldn’t find any joy. I’d spent the previous day in solitude. If you count the fact my dragons had insisted on staying on the far side of my room. Without my parents I felt lost.
“I’ve been before the Synod lots of times.” Elita chattered as she slicked my hair back into an intricate twist. “Don’t be nervous. You rank higher than them. You won’t even see them after this unless it’s a formal state occasion. Or if something comes up that you can’t handle in your district.”
“Do I have to do this?” I could already feel sweat on my palms.
“You’ll be fine. Besides, you’ll want some idea of who they are and how things work. After all, you’re a demon lord now. This is your job.”
I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath.
“Geez, Olivia. You’ve faced dragons and demons. You can face a room full of old men and ladies.” Elita pushed me out the door and into the hall.
We were followed all the way to the council chambers by Talon and my dragons. They would have to stay in the hall, news which had come as a relief to me. The dragons still made me nervous. Talon gave my nerves a workout for a whole different reason.
Elita took me inside the room, showed me to a chair just in front of the doors and went to the far side to sit behind her father. I tried not to show any fear, but next to me sat a demon with dark gray skin and black hair which matched the crow-like wings folded on his back. He smiled and offered a hand.
“Drix. Demon lord of the eastern most district.”
“Olivia. Newest demon lord.”
He chuckled. “Of course you are. News this big travels fast. I―”
Feéroi, the Lord High Governor stood and raised his hands for silence. He had translucent green butterfly wings with the same design as Elita’s. I’d caught a pattern over the last few times I’d seen him. He always wore a vest and a pocket watch. With his straight, shoulder length white hair, he reminded me of Alice’s white rabbit.