by David Aries
“Doing what? There aren’t any jobs.”
“That excuse is a crutch for the lazy. Nothing is stopping them from starting their own business,” Ramses said.
“Are you serious? This… nobody with a clue would ever say that.”
“I rule a city that the demons have failed to breach for over two centuries. Thanks to me we are in a golden age. Yet you think of me as clueless?”
“No shit. You sit in your castle, looking down on everyone, never lifting a finger. You’re a failure of a king.”
Ramses laughed. It was a deep belly laugh. “Outstanding,” he chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. “To think you were such a fine jester. To call me, of all people, a failure. The most powerful person on this planet.”
“Powerful my ass,” I growled. “You’re hiding, letting the demons do whatever they want. You’re practically their bitch.”
“Is that so? Tell me, what would you suggest? Should I send my forces on a crusade against the demons?”
“Damn straight.”
“How noble. You wish to send all my soldiers to their death.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Oh, but you did.” Ramses grinned. “Only a fool would throw away the safety of this city for a mission destined to end in fatality. As long as we stay within these walls we will never perish. Grabadon will prosper for eternity, safe from demonkind.”
“What about the outside world?”
“Who cares about that place? Everything we could ever need we have here.”
I gritted my teeth. No wonder demons had managed to dominate Terix. As long as he was prospering the rest of the planet could burn. Didn’t matter if it was the outside world or the people far beneath him.
“You ain’t gonna talk any sense into this bastard,” Titania growled. “He only cares about himself.”
“That is not true. I am a generous man. Everyone who serves me benefits, as you should know,” Ramses said.
“And those who don’t? Like Sterne?”
“It was a necessary sacrifice.”
“You… you… bastard!” Titania snarled. She tried to bolt but the guard kept her pinned to the floor. When Titania refused to relent, the captor struck her.
“Leave her alone!” I said, earning myself a swift kick.
“You seem to care for this one, although I cannot possibly fathom why,” Ramses laughed. “Do you also care for the commoner Frederic spent the night flaunting?”
I froze. “What are you getting at?”
“Your raucous attitude has grated on my nerves. I was planning on convincing you to become my underling but your disrespect has swayed me toward a more direct method of persuasion.” He gave Titania a dangerous look.
“They’ve got nothing to do with this!” I yelled.
“On the contrary. Your lively reaction proves as much. Could they be your lovers?”
“Wrong on both counts.”
“Is that so? Then you will have no qualms about this.” Ramses clicked his fingers. “Captain, eliminate this treacherous dog.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Magnesia said, changing how she gripped her spear.
“No!” I screamed, struggling. In my human form, I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t want Ramses to see what I could do but he didn’t leave me a choice.
A debilitating electric jolt stopped me. It came outta nowhere.
Ramses stopped Magnesia’s advance and watched me squirm.
The more I fought it, the more painful it became. My body was being cooked from the inside.
“Stop it!” Titania yelled.
“It is not our doing,” Ramses said.
“Don’t gimme that shit!”
“I am not lying. This is his work. If he behaves, the pain will end.”
As Ramses promised, the electricity stopped when I gave up. I collapsed, gasping, unable to muster up any strength. “What did you do to me?” I wheezed.
Ramses lifted his head and pointed at his neck. “You should have noticed you are wearing a collar. It is quite the extraordinary device. While I am no expert in how it works, I am well aware of the duty it performs. It is used to subjugate demonic kind. I am told it delivers a debilitating electrical shock in response to their disobedience.” He leaned in, smiling like the devil himself. “How interesting that it had such a powerful effect on you.”
“Must be a fluke,” I said.
“Perhaps. However, it has never so much as hummed on entities besides demons before now. It is time to come clean, half-breed. Your resistance has been entertaining, but I am tired of your idiocy.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. Half-bread? Sounds tasty.”
Ramses sighed. “And I specifically told you to cease with the stupidity. You are testing my patience. I am offering you a chance no other criminal would receive. Despite your sins, I am inviting you to join the Royal Guard. Only the most elite and loyal servants of Grabadon are given such a position. This scenario is unheard of. It is in your best interest to accept.”
“Screw you,” I growled. “Shove your position up your ass.”
Ramses expression went cold. “Have you forgotten your current predicament? Captain, continue.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Magnesia took a step toward Titania.
“Wait!” I yelled.
Ramses lifted his hand, stopping his puppet. “Do not mistake my generosity for foolishness. I always get what I want and what I want is you. If I need to end the life of your lover to convince you, so be it.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“A likely reaction. Truthfully, I did not bring this dog to my court for this. I am aware of her skills and was willing to let her beg for mercy, but I see that will not be happening.”
“No shit,” Titania spat.
“Quite. You, however, will serve me. I want you and I will prove it.” He offered his hand. “Join me and I will pardon your friend of her crimes.”
I tensed. What was that?
“There is more,” Ramses continued. “It may anger my dear friend Frederic but I am prepared to allow his new toy to return home. All I ask in return is your eternal loyalty.”
My heart thumped. This was unreal. We’d failed, yet Ramses was offering me a way to fix all my mistakes.
“Quite the proposal, yes? We will all benefit. Your lovers return to their normal lives and you become the cornerstone of my forces. No more risking your life for pointless reasons. You will protect this city and be rewarded with food, money, and women.” Ramses rose and waltzed toward me, wearing the smile of a victor. He offered the back of his hand, showing off his ring-clad fingers. “Swear complete loyalty to me and I will hand you everything you desire.”
I was speechless. The offer was too good to be true. I hadn’t realized quite how valuable a bargaining chip I was.
“You’re serious? No tricks?” I said.
“There is no reason for me to lie. You are the one I desire. Join me and&emdash;”
“Cut the bullshit!” Titania roared. She stared with the burning red eyes of a wild animal. “Jake will never be your damn puppet!”
“Silence, dog,” Ramses said. “This is not your decision.”
“I’m part of this! I don’t wanna go free if it means Jake becoming your bitch.”
“We haven’t got much choice,” I said. “This is for the best.”
“In what world?! You can’t trust him. The things he’ll make you do… you won’t be able to live with yourself!”
“It’s better than you dying.”
“I don’t give a shit! I’d rather go down fighting than obey this bastard.”
“Quiet,” Ramses snapped.
“Trust me, Jake. You’ll regret this. Listening to him will ruin your life. He’ll&emdash;” Titania’s caretaker covered her mouth, barely muffling her screams.
The flustered Ramses turned to me. “Do not let her sway you. This will benefit us all.” He waggled his waiting hand. “Make the smart choice.”
I leaned in to kiss Ramses's hand.
He snorted. “A wise&emdash;”
I swung my head up and cracked against Ramses's bulbous nose.
There was a loud crunch. Blood streamed from Ramses's nostrils. He stumbled back while clutching his face, slipping to the floor.
It took a moment for anybody to react to the shocking development.
“How dare you!” Shadow yelled, drawing a dagger.
“Stay your hand,” Ramses ordered, voice more grotesque than ever.
“Sorry. Head slipped,” I said.
Ramses snarled as his guards helped him to his feet. “This is not over. I will have you. I will make you mine. And I will make you regret your stupidity.” He signaled to his underlings. “Take them to the dungeon. They will suffer for this.”
Shadow growled. She gave me the back of her hand rather than the end of her blade. “You got lucky, but that won’t save you next time.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” I snickered as more soldiers arrived to carry me away.
I was well aware I’d made one of the dumbest decisions of my life. Possibly number one. Yet I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt on top of the fucking world.
No matter what, I wouldn’t bow my head to that goblin creep.
Chapter 19
The castle’s dungeon was as charming as you’d imagine. Ramses hadn’t squandered any cash sprucing up the joint. It was dark, damp, and dreary. Basic stone on all sides with bars to keep the prisoners locked up.
I collapsed against the solid metal, writhing in agony.
“Jake, stop it!” Titania screamed.
My collar gave me little choice. I gave up on summoning my demon power and collapsed to my knees.
Our cuffs had been removed, but my collar remained. It didn’t come off no matter how hard I pulled. Smashing it proved equally as ineffective. Attempts to overload the power supply left me in this withered state.
I rasped as sweat dripped down my brow. Without my half-breed abilities, I couldn’t bust us out. The dungeon was basic but well constructed. There wasn’t a weak spot to be found.
Titania was in the adjacent cell. Apart from us, the room was empty. That included guards. Still no sign of Esther and Dessa. That could only be a good thing.
We’d spent a lot of time together since coming to Grabadon, but it was back to feeling awkward. I was the only scenery around yet Titania avoided me like the plague. Well, except when she was begging me to stop being a moron.
“So,” I said, still midway through recovering. “Tina.”
“What’d you call me?” she replied.
“It’s been bugging me. Why’d the Grabadon lot get to call you that and we’re stuck with Titania? That’s four syllables, man. It’s a mouthful.”
“I’m sorry for having a long name!”
“Come on, I’m only joking,” I said.
“You better be. I didn’t ask for a nickname.”
“What’s the beef? Tina’s cute.”
“Exactly! It’s too girly. Doesn’t suit me at all,” Titania said.
“Says who? Fits you just fine.”
No response. So much for my award-winning icebreaking. I scrambled through the recesses of my mind for another conversation starter.
“Sorry,” Titania grumbled, still showing me her back.
“It’s cool. Small talk isn’t my specialty either.”
“What? I meant for getting you into this mess. You’re only here because of me.”
“Yep,” I agreed.
Titania notably flinched.
“Thank you,” I added.
“Huh?” She finally spun and faced me. “The fuck you talking about?”
“You’re the reason I didn’t sell out. I was so close to being Ramses's loyal mutt.”
“Now you’re stuck here. So much better.”
“Regretting stopping me?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that! But I didn’t want this. I didn’t want you to experience what I did, is all. I never thought about what’d happen next…”
“It’s not my first night behind bars, remember? Better this than brown-nosing some creep.”
Titania wasn’t convinced and it didn’t take a mind reader to notice. It was written all over her face.
“Why’d you listen to me?” she mumbled. “He was offering money and sex and food and everything. It should’ve been an easy choice.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I laughed.
“If it was obvious, I wouldn’t be asking!”
I sighed and reached through the bars, ruffling her pixie blonde hair. “Because I trust you. You told me not to do it, so I didn’t.” I shrugged my shoulders. “It ain’t complicated.”
Her bemused eyes stared at me, mouth drooped open. “But why? I haven’t even told you everything. I’m still keeping secrets…”
“And? Only one of you was looking out for me. Secrets or not I know you’re on my side.”
Titania’s expression lit up. For a moment. Darkness swiftly returned. “That’s not right. You don’t even know why I stopped you. You’ve got a right to know.”
“You don’t need to tell me.”
She shook her head and dragged my hand away. “I want to tell you. More, I need to tell you. But,” Titania gulped. Her small shoulders shook. “You won’t hate me after you know, right?”
“Little late for that, isn’t it?” I said.
“You don’t know what I did…”
“I just butted the king. I’ve picked my side. Nothing you say’s gonna change that. Promise.”
Despite my words, Titania’s hesitation continued. It took minutes of indecision for her to act. She shuffled closer and gripped the bars which separated us. “You know I used to live here, right? And I was desperate to go home.”
I nodded.
“The guards wouldn’t let me. Said I didn’t have the authority or some shit. I had no idea what I was gonna do. Then it came to me, just like that. If I became a guard, I could go wherever I wanted. They couldn’t stop me. And that flimsy reason was how I ended up as a soldier.
“Well, I guess I did kinda always wanna be one. When I was little, I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She tried to stop me from signing up, but I did it anyway. Finally got my ticket home, not that it was anything pleasant. Job included.
“It was nothing like I imagined. I thought we’d protect people in trouble like I used to for Blair. Instead, we spent all day parading for the toffee-nosed jerks who’d shunned me in the first place. Never actually did anything befitting of a guard. Important stuff, like cleaning the sewers, we ignored. All that training for fuck all.”
“Good to hear nothing’s changed,” I commented.
“Pretty much. I hated it. I wanted to do something proper; prove to everyone that I was no traitor. In the end, I got my chance,” she mumbled, voice trailing off. Her hands trembled.
“You don’t need to say any more,” I told her.
“But…”
I cupped her quivering hands. “Stop or continue, it’s your choice. Either way, I’m here.”
Titania took several deep breaths before powering on. “I got included on some big secret mission. These terrorists were coming to attack Grabadon and we had to stop them. I was so stoked to be involved. Finally, I was gonna make a difference.” She snorted out a dry laugh. “And that’s how we ended up at Sterne.”
“Not my first time hearing that word. Is it a town?”
“Was a town. It was on the edge of the plains, a few hours away. All the residents were runaways from here. Normal people looking for a better life.”
“What about the terrorists?” I asked.
“They never bothered saying. We didn’t ask. Everyone bought the story, including me. I was as eager to stop them as anyone.” Her breathing
picked up the pace. “One night, we snuck into Sterne and attacked. Not just the terrorists. Everyone. We attacked everyone.” Titania whimpered and tensed up. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “I remember the orders. No prisoners. No mercy. Kill everyone. Everyone!” The droplets streamed down her cheeks as her sorrow-filled eyes latched onto mine. “Do you know how many children there were?! It didn’t matter. No prisoners. No mercy. They were all a threat. We couldn’t let anybody survive.” Her hectic breathing raced out of control, pumping her slender chest. “I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it was wrong. But… but…”
My heart thumped. I knew Titania had been carrying something painful, but it was heavier than I could have ever imagined. My mistake, my disobedience, had cost me my nearest and dearest. Her compliance had stained her hands.
“Dammit,” she grunted, rattling the bars. “Why?! I could have protected them. Why didn’t I do anything?” Her movements stilled. “I’m a monster.”
“No,” I said, squeezing her hands. “Don’t think that way.”
“Didn’t you hear me?!” Titania snapped. “I killed innocent people. These hands claimed lives.” She tried to pull away but I had her good. “Let me go.”
“No.”
“Let me go!”
“No!” I yelled, keeping her hands trapped against the bars.
Titania struggled, kicking out like a wild beast. After a minute of unsuccessful resistance, her movements slowed. She slumped, resting her forehead on the cell. “I knew it. I knew you’d hate me.”
“I don’t.”
“You do. You hate me. I killed innocents and for what? There weren’t any terrorists. Not one. It was all an excuse to get rid of Sterne and take their crystal. Can’t have some shitty town ruining the monopoly,” she sniggered.
My heart tightened on her behalf. Titania didn’t deserve to carry such a sin. Misled by her superiors and forced to kill. If we hadn’t intervened something similar would have befallen New Hoffen.
“Titania,” I said, snatching her wavering attention. “Listen to me and listen good. I don’t hate you.”
“You do.”
“Stop. Nothing you’ve said, nothing you’ve done, makes me hate you.”
“Why?! You got wax in your ears? I killed innocent people.”
“Because you wanted to?”